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Here’s our TLI for Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022:
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EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT: TAYLOUR SPENCER
Oregon-bound RHP Taylour Spencer, #142 in the Class of 2023, recently talked to Extra Inning Softball about Corona Angels-Tyson, TrainHeroic app, Alliance Nationals, Clearwater Classic, OC Batbusters-Stith, speech therapy, Oregon, Derek Jeter, Migos, “Grey’s Anatomy” and sign language.
EXTRA ELITE SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Name: Taylour Spencer
Hometown: Murrieta, CA
High School: Vista Murrieta High
Club Team: Corona Angels 18U-Tyson
Graduation Year: 2023
Height: 6-foot
Position: RHP
Nickname: Spicy
Twitter: @taylour_spencer
Honors: 1st Team All-Tournament by Alliance (2021); PCFL Player of the Month (2021); 1st Team All-League (2021); Honor Roll (2019-present); Academic Scholar (2019-present); and Alliance All-Star watchlist (current).
Travel Ball Highlights/Fall Stats: Batters hitting less than .200 against, averaging 7 strikeouts per game, 0.93 WHIP, 1.23 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 42 IP.
High School Highlights/Stats: 1st Team All-Tournament (2021) before she got hurt in high school season. She had 53 strikeouts in only 32 innings, ERA was 1.00 and WHIP was .750
Tell us about your travel team/organization and how you became involved with them? My travel team and organization is the absolute best! I love them so much and am forever thankful for the coaches and players I have been able to be alongside. We are very competitive and I love that nature because it pushes all of us to be our best and the coaching is on another level. You won’t find better coaching in travel ball than Marty (Tyson) and his staff.
I became affiliated with the Angels my 7th-grade year and it was the best decision ever! I came over to this organization because as a player I was looking for something better and an organization or team that would push me to grow, not stay stagnant. I then joined Corona Angels-Ortega and was on that team until my freshman year came around, which then I was playing with Marty’s 14U team. And ever since then it felt like I got to spend every weekend with my sisters and I learned to compete, train and enjoy softball even more.
Do you have any suggestions for training methods or apps and why? Personally, I feel that if you want to be great or grow, training isn’t an option. You must train, you must work hard and you must dedicate and sacrifice things in your life to make that happen. I suggest scheduling out a routine and sticking to it. Clock out times, count reps, record times, everything possible to see how you are doing and if you are getting stronger. TrainHeroic is a great app and one that I use frequently with my gym. You can make your own workouts tailored to what you want to strengthen or get better at!
Can you tell us about your experience at Alliance Nationals this summer? My experience at Alliance Nationals was definitely a crazy and amazing one! Alliance was my first tournament back from my surgery, so I was super pumped to get back on the field and play with my girls. It was definitely a grind for all of us, but grinding with your softball sisters is what makes it even more amazing. It was such a competitive tournament and all our games were very intense and had your adrenaline pumping the whole game. I still remember the game I pitched, first one back and we played a really good team. It was a constant push from both sides and it even went extras. Games like that make me remember why I play it and how much I love it.
What was your favorite fall tournament/event and why? My favorite fall tournament was probably the Clearwater Classic in Florida. It’s my favorite tournament just because of how many good teams we get to play each time we go, and when we get to play good teams that means I get to test how good I am and how much I’ve grown.
Which player/team was your toughest opponent and why? My toughest opponent to date has been (OC) Batbusters-Stith this past fall. They are the reigning national champions. So as a pitcher, I know when we go to play them, they have a very good lineup and that means I need to be on the top of my game, just like the last time we matched up.
What areas are you interested in future occupations and why? I am interested in Speech Therapy for deaf-and-hard-of-hearing children! I have always loved sign language and when I finally got to take it as a class my freshman year, I knew I wanted to do it in the future. My mom is also a speech pathologist and I’ve always loved her job and what she gets to do, so I thought I could combine the two and help deaf kids with hearing tools or hard-of-hearing kids with speech!
Can you talk about why you chose to commit to Oregon? I chose to commit to the University of Oregon for many reasons. University of Oregon has been my dream school since the 8th grade, so committing was definitely a dream come true. But I also fell in love with the campus, the facilities, and the opportunities provided for all student-athletes. I really love all the coaches and the atmosphere of the team is just amazing! It’s somewhere I know I can happily spend the next four years of my life while still competing to be the best.
Who is your sports hero and why? There are a lot of people that I pull inspiration from, but the one I’m focusing on right now is Derek Jeter. He is someone that I look up to when it comes to sports because he is a competitor through and through. Watching him and then watching his documentary really just sealed that thought into my head. Looking at how he analyzes the game and what his thought process throughout the game of baseball is something that I will always aspire to. He is the definition of the best and I want to be just like that.
What’s the best hype song and why? In my opinion “Fight Night” by Migos is the best hype song, because this song is really upbeat and it gets me pumped every time I listen to it, especially when we are warming up,
What’s your favorite TV show to binge and why? My favorite TV show to binge watch is “Grey’s Anatomy.” It is by far one of my favorite shows and it is so interesting, granted it is about the medical field, which is something that I like. But it’s funny, dramatic and keeps you at the edge of your seat. It’s a show you can watch wherever, whenever.
Do you have a secret talent/skill? My secret skill that a lot of people don’t know about me is that I’m fluent in American Sign Language, and I’m actually graduating high school as a bilingual student with a bilingual seal and cord!
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