Spencer relives College World Series experience

You won't typically find an argument against summer being the most barren time in college sports. March marks the conclusion of basketball season, leaving fans devoid of the buzzer-beaters and thrilling finishes they enjoy throughout the winter. Football teams are just returning to the practice field, as tailgating and the pigskin are still months away. As students dismiss themselves from class, college sports are dismissed from the national landscape.

For those who crave collegiate competition, it's a long four months. Fortunately, student-athletes do receive their brief opportunity to take center stage for the summer come mid- June-for 10 days, all eyes turn to Omaha, Nebraska, for baseball's College World Series.

It's an event few minor league players can say they've experienced first hand. On the current Smokies roster, only Matt Spencer can make the claim he's played for the national championship in Omaha.

Spencer graduated from nearby Morristown West High as one of the nation's top high school prospects in 2004. Nicknamed the "Morristown Masher" in his days as a Hurricane, the left-hander was a four-time All-Conference and three-time All-State performer, and received Conference Player of the Year and Prep All-American honors his senior season. Upon graduating, the Boston Red Sox selected Spencer in the 24th round (725th overall) of the 2004 MLB draft.

The 18-year-old had the option to sign with the Red Sox right out of high school and immediately begin his effort to ascend through the minors on the way to the big leagues. He passed. Instead, Spencer signed a letter of intent with Mike Fox at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, agreeing to join the Tar Heels and hoping to one day reach the pinnacle of college baseball by winning a title in Omaha.

Despite achieving superstar status as a high school phenom in East Tennessee, he didn't immediately see regular playing time with the Heels. As a freshman in 2005, Spencer had only 45 at-bats, and looked on as UNC fell short in the NCAA Gainesville Regional.

In 2006, his role increased. Spencer hit .278 in 176 at-bats, belting six homers and driving in 29 runs as UNC cemented their status as a national contender. The Heels were awarded a number-one seed, and rolled through regionals and super regionals with a perfect 5-0 record and 62 runs scored.

It marked the program's first trip to the College World Series in 17 years. For Spencer and his teammates, getting to Omaha was a dream come true.

"It was awesome," he said. "That's the goal from the start. We had a great team, and were excited to be out there playing in front of all those people."

Spencer didn't see the field much as the Heels knocked off top overall seed Clemson and fifth seeded Cal State Fullerton twice en route to the championship series against Oregon State. But with UNC taking the first game of the best of three series and looking for one more win to take home the title, Spencer got his opportunity in game two. The sophomore went 2-for-2 with a run and an RBI as the Heels jumped out to an early lead, eventually losing behind a furious Beavers comeback in the late innings. In the deciding game, Spencer watched from the bench as Oregon State held on for a narrow victory to win the College World Series.

Coming so close and ultimately falling short was hard to swallow for Spencer.

"It was tough because we won that first game and were leading in the second game, so it looked like we were going to take it," he said. "You didn't even really know how to feel. It all happened so quickly. It was definitely one of the worst feelings I've ever had."

Citing a lack of playing time and tension with Fox, Spencer opted to transfer following his sophomore year. The outfielder landed in Tempe, Arizona, joining powerhouse Arizona State and coach Pat Murphy.

In his junior season, Spencer made an immediate impact, hitting .378 with eight home runs and 48 RBIs as ASU won the Pac-10 title. As North Carolina did the year before, the Sun Devils steamrolled through the competition in regionals and super regionals, advancing to Omaha for the 20th time in school history.

Spencer wasn't forced to stand idle as his team took the field this time, starting in left field for ASU as he had all season. In his first at-bat of the World Series, he ripped a three-run homer to put the Sun Devils ahead in a win over UC Irvine.

Going deep on college baseball's biggest stage was certainly a highlight of Spencer's young career.

"It was unbelievable," he said. "Definitely the best feeling I've ever had in baseball. Being back in Omaha, everything was just as exciting, and the 10 seconds jogging around those bases were incredible."

The series opening win would be ASU's last, as defending (and eventual) champion Oregon State knocked off the Sun Devils in their second game and UC Irvine got their revenge with an extra-innings win to send Spencer and his teammates home. The 21-year-old started all three games and had four RBIs in 10 at-bats for the Sun Devils, yet was leaving Omaha empty-handed for the second time in as many years.

Despite never taking home any hardware, just getting to experience the College World Series was a thrill for Spencer.

"You go out there and everyone treats you like first class," he said. "You could compare it to the majors. Staying in nice hotels, flying first class, eating in banquet halls, everything.

"And getting to play in front of that many people was amazing. They talk about how you can't even hear yourself talk, and that's what it was-you couldn't hear anything because the crowd was so loud. It just added more excitement to the whole experience."

After being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the third round (113th overall) of the 2007 draft, Spencer has bounced around in the minors, playing for three different organizations. He was traded to the Cubs in 2009, and last April, returned to East Tennessee to join the Smokies.

While he's enjoyed his time with the Smokies and in the minor leagues, Spencer still has yet to experience anything like Omaha. He acknowledges that some minor league players missed out on the opportunity by skipping college.

"Not everyone who goes to college gets to play in the World Series," he said. "But so far I've played four years in the minors and nothing has really compared to it. I won two minor league championships and it was a great feeling, but nothing really compares to going to Omaha and playing in front of that many people."