By CCL Reporter Sean Brennan

(IRVINE, CA) – If there’s one word that defines Connor Spencer’s career in baseball, it’s offense. A seemingly natural ability to bring the best out of lineups he oversees has helped him quickly ascend the collegiate baseball coaching ranks, as he was named the sixth manager in Orange County Riptide history.

Spencer’s immediate success with an offensive-minded approach makes sense considering what he achieved as a player. The Orange County native enjoyed a decorated college career at UC Irvine, winning the Big West Conference batting title in 2013 with a .373 average. As a junior, Spencer was a driving force throughout the Anteaters’ historic 2014 season that concluded in Omaha at the College World Series, a journey that he won’t soon forget.

“For me, it was definitely our playoff run in 2014,” Spencer said of his greatest playing memory. “Going to No. 1 in the country, Oregon State – Michael Conforto’s Oregon State – knocking them off, then going to Oklahoma State, knocking them off to go to the College World Series. That was definitely the most memorable moment I had [in my career], I still get together with the guys, we still talk about that.”

Spencer’s ample contributions in Irvine didn’t go unnoticed, as he was taken by the New York Yankees in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. While the competition he faced daily intensified, he didn’t need much time to adjust – not even close to a full year. In his inaugural season of professional baseball, Spencer became the first minor leaguer in Yankees’ history to earn a minor league batting title, boasting a .364 average in the New York-Penn League in 2014.

The two-time all-star ended his professional career after four years to become a national scouting coordinator for Perfect Game. Spencer would evaluate some of the country’s best college and high school talent. Almost immediately, any doubts he had about being suited for off-field scouting, instructional, and coaching roles were eliminated.

Spencer returned to the diamond in 2021 to coach his alma mater, Tesoro High School, and then the Arroyo Seco Saints of the California Collegiate League (CCL). There, he oversaw the Saints’ offense resulting in a semifinal appearance in the 2021 CCL State Championship. Being a native of the OC, Spencer chose to stay closer to home the following summer and manage the Orange County Riptide’s offense and infield. He continued to display his knack for winning in the CCL, coaching in a semifinal game for the second straight year.

In September 2022, Cal State Fullerton Head Coach Jason Dietrich named Spencer the Titans’ director of player development.

“I really didn’t know if I was going to be a good coach, what I thought I was going to bring as a coach,” Spencer said. “And it kind of just fit like a glove, it felt really natural. I kind of felt like I had been doing it for a long time as soon as I was doing it, because of all the years that I played … it all just flowed nicely.”

Spencer used lessons he learned from playing under legendary USC and UCI skipper Mike Gillespie to shape his coaching philosophy – a bullish mindset that emphasizes offense, the area of baseball he knows best.

“I’m far more offensive-minded, I enjoy running offenses,” Spencer said. “To be honest with you, the kind of style that I run after playing for Mike Gillespie is, I’m someone [who] is very aggressive. I like to put the pedal to the metal, and I like to expose defenses a lot. When I smell blood, I’m going to try and get everything out of my offense that I possibly can.”

But Spencer’s impact in 2022 went beyond contributing to positive results on the scoreboard.

As fast-paced and competitive as he is during games, Spencer is known for his laid-back demeanor and never losing sight of summer baseball’s paramount objective: slowing the game down, sharpening players’ baseball IQ and sending them back to school with an improved skill set. Most importantly, he hasn’t forgotten what it means to be a college athlete and put significant effort into developing relationships with his players – seven of which will return to Irvine for the 2023 campaign.

These efforts ultimately paid off, as many members of last year’s squad supported Spencer becoming the team’s next head skipper. Riptide General Manager Moe Geoghegan agreed, promoting him to manager for the 2023 season this past November.

“[Connor] is a player’s coach,” Geoghegan said. “The biggest key for him is becoming a head guy and maintaining that player-coach relationship he had as an assistant … I do think he’s currently a perfect fit for summer ball because I think he has an understanding of what the current players need … And the players that played last year that are returning, the reason they’re returning is because they liked playing for him.”

The jump from assistant to head coach isn’t a small one, but Spencer will come back to the Riptide with increased experience. His No. 1 goal remains to build upon the culture he established last season, which begins with assembling a supporting staff that compliments the identity he wants his organization to bear.

Spencer is retaining multiple coaches from last year’s squad and feels that this season’s staff will provide a perfect mix of insight and relatability.

“We have a staff that I’m very excited about,” Spencer said. “It’s a staff that has a lot of experience, a lot of playing experience and a lot of savvy. And it’s something that I think players don’t necessarily get on other teams around the country, a bunch of coaches that have been there, done that [and] know exactly where they’re coming from.

“I’m excited about that…and I think I have a staff assembled that’s right on that line. We’re able to relate with the players, yet we’ll still be able to get everything that we possibly can out of them.”

Going into every season, it’s unclear how each CCL team will fare on the field. There are many variables throughout the summer, ranging from a group meshing together to the number of injuries sustained down the stretch of the spring college season. Bringing in an experienced coaching staff – led by Spencer – makes Geoghegan optimistic that a player-focused culture will yield on-the-field results.

“You want [the summer] to be a little bit looser than the college season,” Geoghegan said. “I think it’s important that you have a coach that provides a fun atmosphere for the players, where there’s less pressure. We emphasize winning, but we can’t make that the only goal for these guys. We have to provide a place where they like their coaches, they want to come out, they want to work [and] they want to get better.”

If history is any indication of the future, the Riptide are in good hands with Spencer leading the way.