The World Series is over and spring training is a couple months away — baseball is in the heart of its offseason. That doesn’t stop Josh Turner from talking about it.

Josh and his wife, Jennifer, have two boys already — Hampton, 4; and Colby, 17 months — and another baby is on the way. Their third child is due in January, and Josh has been using baseball as a metaphor for the eventual size of his family.

“I’ve been jokin’ that we have the outfield covered now,” Josh says, “but this is just another inning. And we’re just takin’ it an inning at a time. It’s like a baseball game — you never know how many innings it’s gonna be until the game is over. But so we’re just gonna take it an inning at a time and just kinda see how she does and where we are and how much space we have.”

While Josh waits for the latest family expansion, he’s got a little work to do over the next few days. He performs Friday on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” and he’ll appear Monday on the American Country Awards, a new FOX ceremony in Las Vegas.

Lady Antebellum and Easton Corbin lead the ACA field with seven nominations apiece. Carrie Underwood claimed six, and Josh tied Miranda Lambert with five each. Being a new show, the awards are untested, so they’ve been greeted with a bit of skepticism. Even from Josh.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” he laughs, “but I’ve kind of been wonderin’ about this awards show, too, because I’ve managed to have a successful career without winnin’ an award, and sometimes even [without] gettin’ nominations thus far. So I’m here with five nominations. That’s never happened before, so I’m gettin’ a little nervous. I don’t know what that’s about.”

Seriously, Josh appreciates the nominations, and the opportunity it provided the fans — and him — to vote.

“I’m thankful for those nominations,” he says. “I know the fans were responsible for that in a huge way, and hey, I’ve been online votin’ for myself. I’m not ashamed to tell you that. It’s just fun to be able to go on there and play a part in it, where it’s not manipulated by any one certain group. It’s all about the fans. That’s why I do what I do. I do it for the fans, and I’ve always wanted my heroes and the guys and the girls that I’ve looked up to over the years to do it for me, too, and for all the people who admire them. I think it’s good. I think it’s a great way to do an awards show. I hope it succeeds, and I hope it’s a great thing.”

Trace Adkins is set to host the ACAs. Among others appearing with Trace and Josh on the telecast: Rascal Flatts, Reba McEntire, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton and Steel Magnolia.