Dr. Dre’s “Keep Their Heads Ringin” is a fitting choice for Taylour Spencer’s warm-up song, because the true freshman is one loud pitcher.
The shrieks after a strikeout, the yells after a big play, the smacks of her glove when she’s fired up — it’s how she expresses herself, and sparks a veteran team with Softball World Series hopes.
It’s how she always has.
“It kinda started with just the excitement, it’s something that I’ve picked up through my career, kinda always being known for yelling, fist-pumping,” Spencer said. “I think it helps me in my game, and I think my team feeds off of that, and it helps just keep the energy up.”
Growing up in Murrieta, California, far from the superpowers of the Pacific Coast, Spencer saw a mixed bag of competition with most of the tougher competition she faced coming in summer tournaments with her travel-ball team.
At one of those summer tournaments, Oregon spotted Spencer’s enthusiasm and energy and made her a scholarship offer. In September 2021, Spencer committed to her “dream school.”
After dominating lesser competition throughout the fall, Spencer was thrown into the fire right away, but turned heads, throwing over 40 innings to the tune of a 1.89 ERA.
But was she surprised?
Without hesitation, “no,” she answered.
“I trust in my preparation, and in my hard work,” Spencer said. “I’ve always been confident in myself and in my abilities, so going out there and just trusting what I do, it doesn’t really surprise me how I perform.”
Head coach Melyssa Lombardi has kept putting her in, and Spencer has kept delivering.
“I think of pressure as a privilege. That’s something where I come from, that’s something I take pride in,” Spencer said. “The first time [I was] a little nervous, but knowing I have people who believe in me, I have a coach who believes in me, I have teammates who believe in me, that’s helped me a lot. It helps me be who I am on the mound.”
That belief, as well as Spencer’s cited bond between her and catcher Emma Kauf, have been instrumental behind Spencer’s hot start, at a 1.75 era in 17 outings on the young year.
“She’s a competitor,” Lombardi said of Spencer. “She’s handled herself really well. I felt like even when we were recruiting her she was very composed and had a competitive spirit.”
In any interview with any player or coach, the words “competitor” and “toughness” are a near guarantee to be said regarding Spencer.
Although dominant in non-conference play, Spencer’s Pac-12 debut didn’t go as planned, allowing three runs in 1.1 innings in an uncharacteristically poor outing. Mere hours later, she got her redemption.
Entering with the bases loaded and two outs, Spencer was nailed in a clutch situation getting Cal’s hitter to fly out to end the inning — and you bet she was fired up.
Two innings later she allowed two runners to get on via base hits, before another clutch strikeout. Bouncing up and down in excitement before chest-pumping with Kauf, “fired up” doesn’t even begin to describe her reaction.
“Sometimes you just have to have a short memory [after a tough outing],” Lombardi said post-game. “She did a good job just resetting.”
Tough situations kept coming for Spencer, and she kept producing. The next inning, runners were on the corners and yet again, she delivered. In the bottom half of the inning, Val Wong hit a walk-off double, giving Spencer her fifth win of the season.
“She’s not fearful of anything,” Lombardi said. “She embraces the moment.”
Oregon’s season will likely be determined by its veteran corps of eight seniors, but the true-freshman has stolen the show early.
“Taylour has a lot of energy, I love to see her use it,” catcher Val Wong said. “It fires us all up … I love it.”
The Ducks will need it, as a somewhat sluggish start leaves them needing every win they can get, especially in an ultra-competitive Pac-12.
“It’s amazing having her out there,” outfielder Ariel Carlson said. “When she’s excited, it’s so easy to keep the momentum on our side.”
Taylour Spencer loves pitching. Oregon fans — and her teammates — can hear it.
