In his second season as a transfer from Houston, senior Spencer Hynes is ready to his first NCAA Regional.

Transferring schools as an athlete comes with challenges. Growing bonds with teammates can come as a challenge. However, Hynes was ready for a big step to further his baseball career.

“There’s a lot of unknown factors that come with transferring schools, but luckily this was not something I was ever concerned about,” Hynes said. “The guys here were very open to me and it was easy to form some really strong friendships. I’ve made some lifelong friends here and I will always be thankful for that.”

Last season, Hynes started pitching for the Shockers making 19 appearances on the mound. After his solid start to this season, he became more inconsistent with his pitches. Head coach Eric Wedge made the decision to transition Hynes to the bullpen.

“It was time to give another guy a chance to start,” Hynes said. “Wedge, Pelfrey and I had a conversation once they made the decision and we all agreed that the bullpen would simplify everything for me and it would be easier for me to keep it simple.”

Over the summer, Hynes practiced his position at the back end of the bullpen that way as the season commences, Hynes will pitch in the later innings — relieving the previous pitchers. 

“It’s a good arm and he has some experience,” Wedge said. “We’re trying to put people in the position to succeed. The rotation and pitching staff will evolve over time, it always does.”

Hynes takes the bullpen extremely seriously and aggressively — trying to get three outs as quickly as possible. This being Hynes last year of playing college ball, he is preparing to use his growth to make a regional appearance. 

“It’s something you grow up watching as a kid and something you dream of doing growing up,” Hynes said. “I’ve never played in a regional and it’s an experience I definitely don’t want to miss out on. When people think about the history of Shocker Baseball, they think about the postseason and how successful the program has been. We are to the point now where making a regional is an expectation and not just a hopeful thought.”

After graduation, Hynes’s main focus is to continue his baseball career playing professional ball or potentially begin a career coaching within the MLB organization.  

“I would love to give back to this game once I finish playing, baseball has given me so many great experiences and life lessons and I would love to give back to the up and coming generation of ball players,” Hynes said.