Middle Tennessee softball (13-16, 3-6 CUSA) filled a major role in its lineup with Murfreesboro, Tennessee local Onnika Spencer.
Over the weekend, Spencer combined for three runs, three hits and four RBIs as the bright spot in MTSU’s road losses to Western Kentucky University.
“She’s just a good person to the team, and she’s just fun to be around,” head coach Jeff Breeden said. “The team knows she can hit the ball, and they believe in her.”
At the end of last season, the Blue Raiders lost several experienced batters with Anyce Harvey, Julia Garcia and Ava Tepe graduating.
With the departures, Middle Tennessee found itself with younger, less experienced batters, which is where Spencer fits into the lineup.
“Onnika started for three years, and we saw all those excellent at-bats when we played TSU [Tennessee State University],” Breeden said. “So if it’s between her and a freshman, she’s definitely going to get the nod because of her experience.”
As a Tiger, Spencer was one of the top offensive options in all three seasons in Nashville, Tennessee, where she posted a .325 batting average for 132 hits, 97 RBIs and 25 home runs.
After starting behind the plate for the Tigers in the majority of her 138 games, she has now settled into her role as the designated hitter for the Blue Raiders.
“It means everything, just being near home,” Spencer said. “I felt like staying close to home would be a better fit for me.”
Through 26 games, Spencer hasn’t missed a beat on the softball field, where she’s posted a .274 batting average for 13 RBIs, 14 runs and five home runs through 26 games.
Even though Spencer attended Oakland High School, she wasn’t originally on the radar for Middle Tennessee because the catcher position was occupied.
After playing 80 games at Oakland, Spencer recorded a .408 batting average with 82 hits, 63 RBIs and 15 home runs.
“She wasn’t really on our radar at the time we would’ve recruited her because we knew that Ansley (Blevins) was going to catch for us,” Breeden said. “She was just too high level for us to bring her in as a backup.”
Transferring home for her senior season has enabled more family and friends to support her softball career.
“All my friends and family can come and support me now that I’m home,” Spencer said. “I feel almost like a role model and an influence, not just to the people I grew up with, but also to the younger players who might come and play here.”
Spencer looks to carry her productive weekend for the Blue Raiders into the next conference series against Sam Houston University (21-15, 6-3 CUSA) beginning Friday at 6 p.m. CDT in Huntsville, Texas.
“The people here keep me grounded, it’s just a happy place, and a really positive environment,” Spencer said. “It means everything to me, it kind of just feels like high school again.”
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