Red Sox DH Justin Turner, soon-to-be cornhole champion?
The American Cornhole League's (ACL) Superhole Series, presented by Johnsonville, returns on Friday, February 10th. The series pairs celebrity athletes like Doug Flutie and Tyler Lockett with current ACL pros. In all, 32 teams will battle for the championship which will be held in August.
The first round of tournament play is tonight in Scottsdale, Arizona. It will air at 12:30 AM EST on ESPN2. The first matchup is Ryan Fitzpatrick (NFL) and Ryan Smith (ACL pro) versus Tyler Lockett (NFL) and Cheyenne Bubenheim (ACL pro).
Red Sox DH Justin Turner to compete in Prelim #1 of the ACL Superhole on February 10th.
The second head-to-head will feature Red Sox DH Justin Turner and Daymon Dennis, matching up against Turner's former Dodger teammate Joc Pederson and Jimmy McGuffin.
Be sure to catch both of the Prelim #1 matchups live tonight on ESPN2.
Introducing Daymon Dennis and his COLD-BLOODED cornhole shot ❄️ #SCtop10
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 10, 2019
(h/t @iplaycornhole) pic.twitter.com/2ldDFM4c3C
Justin Turner, now of the Boston Red Sox, is a 2x MLB All-Star and recreational cornhole player. His teammate, Dennis, is a 5x Senior Singles World Champion who, as of December 11th, sat atop the Senior Singles ranking (via @iplaycornhole on Twitter). The two should make an incredible duo.
Turner and Pederson were teammates with the Dodgers for seven years, from 2014-2020. But Pederson plans to leave that behind him when it comes to the competition. "Sure, we're friends, but once the bags and boards are out that all goes out the window," Pederson told Trey Ryder of ACL News.
In fact, Pederson also said, "When I heard Justin was playing, I couldn't resist the opportunity to go out and compete against him." Turner told Ryder that he and his wife are avid cornhole players - even at their wedding - and he hopes to make her proud. Though the winner will be playing for charity, expect a fierce competition between the two long-time friends and teammates.
If you want to see Justin Turner toss the bags and compete for charity, you can watch him tonight on ESPN2. You'll also be able to see him in action very soon on NESN and NESN+ as the Boston Red Sox kick off their spring training slate of games on February 25th against the Atlanta Braves.
Visit www.iplaycornhole.com for more information on the competition, the ACL, and how you - yes you! - can participate in future events.