“I had a weight issue,” Spearman said. “I had already told my mother I needed to do something different. It wasn’t as tough hearing it as I thought it would be, and I take criticism well.”
Staying true to her words, Spearman came back after that summer in better shape.
“Going into my junior year, I knew I had to pick it up,” she said. “I worked my butt off at home over the summer. I got a gym membership and followed the workouts to a T. When I got back to campus, I dropped even more weight.”
It did not take long for people to notice. After stealing only nine total bases over her freshman and sophomore seasons, Spearman notched 19 stolen bases as a junior and 20 as a senior.
“Her speed increased and she became a threat anytime she got on base,” Scott said. “She was also probably one of the better defenders we have ever had.”
As a junior in 2013, Spearman hit .387 with 10 doubles and 10 home runs, earning selection to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America third team. But those words she uttered to Scott a year earlier continued to drive her toward a record-setting senior season.
In her 2014 season for the ages, Spearman broke the ASU and LSC single-season records by scoring 80 runs, the fifth-highest total in NCAA Division II history. She finished second nationally with a .506 batting average, breaking the ASU single-season record, and recorded 83 hits, 19 doubles and 10 home runs. She led the NCAA with a .622 on-base percentage and became the first Rambelle ever to hit for the cycle. At the end of the season, she was named the Lone Star Conference Player of the Year and a first team NFCA All-American.
The honors continued to roll in for Spearman after the season, as well. She was named to the All-LSC first team and the Academic All-LSC Team and was awarded a Gold Glove by the LSC. She was also named to the Capital One Academic All-America third team, becoming just the fourth player in ASU softball history to be selected.
To top it off, Spearman was also selected as the softball nominee for the 2014 Division II Woman Athlete of the Year announced by The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) and presented by Honda.
“I didn’t even know the women’s award existed,” Spearman said. “I was pretty surprised and shocked by it.”
Spearman finished her career as ASU’s all-time leader in on-base percentage (.522), runs scored (222), walks (126) and fielding percentage (.995). She also ranks among the top 10 on the ASU career list in slugging percentage (.640), games played (228), games started (223), at bats (661), hits (271), doubles (53), home runs (31), RBI (162), total bases (162), stolen bases (48) and hit by pitches (34).
“I had never been a person to look at myself,” Spearman said. “I always looked at the team. It has sunk in that I made an impact, but I hope people come around to beat my records.”
The records might fall, but Spearman’s determination is something that will not soon be forgotten.
-
Brandon Ireton
Brandon Ireton is assistant athletic director of media relations at Angelo State University.
Email Brandon at brandon.ireton@angelo.edu.
