A former player and coach at NCAA Div. I powerhouse Cal State Fullerton, Joe Turgeon was named head coach of the Concordia University Irvine baseball team in July of 2015 after serving for seven seasons as the program's top assistant coach.
He enters the 2026 season with 218 victories as the leader of the Concordia baseball program and collected career victory No. 200 when the Golden Eagles defeated Menlo College on Friday, Feb. 21 by a score of 12-2. The team secured career win No. 100 for him in February 2020 when the Green and Gold topped Holy Names at home.
The past two seasons have both seen CUI sport a National Pitcher of the Week. Matthew Kaiser pitched the second no-hitter in CUI baseball history in 2025 when he tossed seven shutout innings and struck out nine to help the Golden Eagles beat No. 4 Westmont. It is the first no-hitter in the program's NCAA DII era (Keegan Yuhl - 2014 in the NAIA days). The impressive feat against a nationally-ranked team helped make Kaiser's case as one of three All-PacWest Conference selections in 2025. Kaiser was named Second Team All-PacWest and former All-American Jake Covey and shortstop Isaiah Walz were both First Team selections. Covey was named All-Region as a pitcher for a second straight year.
CUI also turned the first triple play in program history during the 2025 season in a home victory over Fresno Pacific.
In the 2024 season, CUI went 8-2 down the stretch to beat nationally ranked Westmont three times and advanced to the final day of the PacWest Conference Tournament. Consensus All-American Jake Covey was honored by the NCWBA, ABCA and D2CCA nationally after leading the PacWest with a 1.94 ERA. The junior right-hander earned PacWest Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards. Covey was also voted NCWBA, ABCA and D2CCA Regional Pitcher of the Year and standout outfielder Michael Dixon was named NCBWA Second Team All-Region and First Team All-PacWest.
During the 2022 season, Concordia earned its highest national ranking in the NCAA DII era from the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), rising as high as No. 20 in back-to-back weeks in March. The Eagles were present in the regional rankings for the majority of the year, narrowly missing a postseason berth.
Turgeon and his staff navigated strict COVID-19 protocols during the 2021 season and led the Eagles to a 21-15 record and a second-place finish in the Southern California pod of the PacWest Conference. Senior shortstop Haloa Dudoit finished his career as the CUI career hits leader and fellow program pillar Bailey Collins also tied the school record for career homers, finishing with 35 as an Eagle. Senior Day was also a great memory for the 19 graduating Eagles as four different seniors homered in their final doubleheader wearing the CUI uniform in a pair of wins over Fresno Pacific. The Eagles got hot down the stretch and won 10 of their final 13 games and just missed making the NCAA DII West Regional Tournament for the first time in program history.
Under his leadership, the Eagles earned their first-ever national ranking by the NCBWA when they were listed No. 23 in the Top 25 NCAA DII poll. At the time, the 2020 season was abruptly ended due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Turgeon's squad had raced out to a 17-7 overall record with a 6-2 mark in PacWest play. The Eagles also sported an impressive 14-3 home record playing in the friendly confines of newly renovated Eagles Field. Over the course of just two months, Collins, Matt Lautz and Cooper Moore all earned PacWest Player of the Week nods and Shane Schick and Derek Delgado combined for three PacWest Freshman of the Week Awards.
2019 was also a strong year for the CUI baseball team as the Eagles went 18-14 in conference and finished fourth after sweeping Holy Names to close the year. Six Eagles were recognized on the All-PacWest Conference Teams with Dudoit also garnering PacWest Defensive Player of the Year, while Moore was named to the All-Region Second Team by the D2CCA, ABCA and NCBWA as a designated hitter.
In both 2017 and 2018, the Eagles emerged with three All-PacWest selections. Ryan Land was named CoSIDA Academic All-Region in 2018 and received the Concordia Academic Achievement Award (which was later renamed the CUI Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award).
Prior to joining the Concordia coaching staff, Turgeon spent the 2007 and 2008 campaigns as an assistant for Cal State Fullerton head coaches George Horton and Dave Serrano. Turgeon also spent the summer of 2007 as a pitching coach for the Texas Collegiate League's Duncanville Deputies.
Turgeon played five years (including one as a redshirt) as an outfielder for the Cal State Fullerton Titans, who captured the NCAA national championship title in 2004.
He graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2006 with his bachelor's degree in kinesiology. He completed his master's degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia in the summer of 2013.
