Dan Spencer is coming back to a familiar place.
Oregon State announced that Spencer is returning to Corvallis in a special assistant role working with both the baseball and softball programs.
For longtime Northwest baseball followers, Spencer needs little introduction.
He spent more than a decade on the Oregon State staff and helped the Beavers grow into a national power. Spencer was part of the staff during OSU’s back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.
Now, nearly two decades later, he is back in Beaver baseball.
Championship Ties Run Deep
Spencer’s return connects two generations of Oregon State baseball.
Current head coach Mitch Canham played for the Beavers while Spencer was on staff. Spencer helped oversee some of the pitching staffs that became a major part of Oregon State’s championship identity.
That history gives his return a little more meaning than simply adding another experienced coach.
He knows the program, knows the region and was there when Oregon State established itself among college baseball’s national powers.
Six Seasons at Linfield
Spencer’s Northwest baseball story goes well beyond Corvallis.
Most recently, he spent six seasons as the head coach at Linfield in McMinnville.
Linfield has one of the Northwest Conference’s strongest baseball traditions, and Spencer remained deeply involved in the region while leading the Wildcats.
His time there kept him connected to players, coaches and programs throughout Oregon and Washington. It also gave him another view of Northwest baseball after years at the Division I level.
Spencer’s career has included stops at Texas Tech, New Mexico and Washington State, along with earlier coaching experience at Green River.
Few coaches have seen Pacific Northwest baseball from as many different angles.
He has coached at major Division I programs, led programs as a head coach and spent recent seasons competing in the Northwest Conference.
Now he brings all of that experience back to Corvallis.
For Oregon State, Spencer adds another veteran baseball voice with strong ties to the program’s championship past.
For Northwest baseball, it also connects two of Oregon’s best-known college programs.
After six seasons at Linfield, Spencer is headed home to Beaver baseball.
