Biography
Honors
• MVC Player of the Year (2023)
• All-MVC First Team (2023)
• MVC All-Defensive Team (2023)
• MVC Player of the Week (April 10, 2023)
• A.E. “Ted Willis” Team MVP (2023)
• ABCA Second-Team All-Region (2023)
• MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team (2023)
• Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American (2022)
• All-MVC Second Team (2022)
• Danny Cook MSU Rookie of the Year (2022)
• Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023)
• MVC Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award (2021-22)
• MVC Honor Roll (2020-21, 2021-22)
2023 (Redshirt Sophomore)
MVC Player of the Year after batting .341 with 14 home runs and 45 RBI...Ranked among the league’s top 10 in batting average (3rd), slugging (2nd - .650), on-base percentage (8th - .437), runs (3rd - 55), hits (3rd - 77), doubles (5th - 16), triples (1st - 6), home runs (7th), walks (9th - 34), and total bases (2nd - 147)...Hit for the cycle on Feb. 24 against Central Arkansas, the eighth occurrence in school history and first since 1998...Six triples ranked 11th nationally and were the most for a Bear since 2016...MVC Player of the Week on April 10...Reached base safely in 53 of 56 games with a long streak of 22...Had 23 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI efforts...Had three or more hits 11 times...Drove in a season-high six runs at UIC (April 15)...Had two doubles and a home run against No. 12 Oklahoma State (Feb. 28)...Recorded multiple extra-base hits in seven contests...Hit two triples on May 2 against Omaha...Scored multiple runs in 15 games.
2022 (Freshman)
Became Missouri State’s 43rd All-American, making the Collegiate Baseball Freshman team, after leading the Bears with a .346 average to go with 11 home runs and 52 RBI...Started all 60 games, 48 in the outfield and 12 at first base...Second-team all-MVC outfielder and MSU’s Danny Cook Rookie of the Year...Ranked fourth in school history with 71 runs scored and sixth on the single-season walks list with 44...Walk total was an MSU freshman record while run total ranked second...Finished the year ranked seventh in the MVC in average, first in runs scored, third in hits (83), seventh in RBI, eighth in total bases (130), fifth in on-base percentage (.443) and second in walks...Ranked 27th nationally in runs, 60th in walks and 96th in hits...Had an RBI in five consecutive plate appearaces as part of a 4-for-4, six-RBI effort at Central Arkansas (Feb. 20)...Led off with a home run at Samford (April 3) and Bradley (May 19)...Had a 13-game hit streak from April 27-May 19 and a 12-gamer from March 19-April 12...Reached safely in 30 consecutive games from Feb. 27-April 24 and 55 of 60 games on the year...Had 24 multi-hit games, including 11 with three-plus base knocks...Drove in multiple runs in 15 contests...Scored three or more runs on eight occasions.
2021 (Redshirt)
Redshirt season at Missouri State.
Background
Missouri’s No. 3 prep shortstop in the class of 2020 according to Prep Baseball Report ... As a junior at Columbia Rock Bridge High, earned first-team MHSBCA Class 5 All-State honors after hitting .381 with 45 hits and 38 runs scored while leading the Bruins to a 29-8 mark and a state quarterfinal appearance ... Batted .454 with 44 hits and a program record 29 walks as a sophomore to pick up all-district and honorable mention all-state recognition ... Posted two of the top five single-season hit totals in school history during his career.
Personal
Spencer Nivens is the son of Matt and Natasha Nivens ... Born Nov. 16, 2001, in Columbia, Mo. ... Father Matt played baseball at Missouri from 1994-97 and still ranks in MU’s season and career top 10 in several offensive categories ... Majoring in biology.
