Friday night games under the lights are fifth-year baseball catcher Spencer Yankle’s favorite part about being a collegiate athlete at Winthrop. After transferring from a community college in Tennessee, Yankle is now entering his third season on the baseball team after the pandemic cut his senior season short.
“I was devastated that we got our season taken away from us,” Yankle said. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to ever play again and that was a very uneasy yet memorable feeling that I carried with me this year. I am extremely excited to have another year to play here and get to compete for Winthrop.”
Back in July, Yankle appeared in “Everstand at Home,” a video series by Winthrop Athletics, where he answered some fun questions about himself. When Alyssa Sconzo asked him about being ranked 28th overall out of all catchers in Division I power ranking after his short 2020 season, his response was quite humble.
“To be honest, the ranking isn’t my goal. That’s a great after-product of the hard work I’ve put in and how the coaches have helped me,” Yankle said.
Yankle started all fifteen games as catcher in the spring of 2020. He led the team with 14 RBIs and posted a batting average of .339.
Ending the short season with five doubles, Yankle also earned his first triple at Davidson on Feb. 26 and his first home run at George Mason on March 7. When chatting with Sconzo, Yankle also shared his excitement about the 2021 season.
“The fact that they granted us another year of eligibility and we can come back – it just means the world to me and I know I speak for some other seniors as well,” Yankle said. “The fact that we get to come back and wrap things up properly after four years of a lot of hours and time put in, it’s really special.“
Yankle said he was on a baseball diamond “as early as [he] can remember.”
“My older brother also played baseball and my dad coached when he was younger, so I was always hanging around the field,” Yankle said.
Although Yankle is motivated by a variety of sources, he said his family inspires him “more than anything.”
When he isn’t on the field, Yankle can usually be found playing video games, wakeboarding, or listening to music.
Originally from Ohio, Yankle would prefer to stay in the Carolinas after graduation to find a management position in a healthcare facility, but he tries to “treat every day as just another day,” leaving his options completely open. He has even bigger aspirations.
“It is my dream to play baseball professionally and I would love the opportunity to play in the MLB,” Yankle said.
Yankle is excited for the Eagles to get back on the field for games as he “would like to win a conference championship and make a regional,” but before then he is looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving to visit his family and dog Sadie.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
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