Eighteen-year-old Billy Spencer’s journey has taken him from the Canyon Lake Little League fields to the big league fields.
Fresh out of high school, Spencer started his career as a member of the grounds at Diamond Stadium, and now, he has landed a spot at the iconic Los Angeles Coliseum.
Spencer’s journey began when he attended a hiring event for the Lake Elsinore Storm, where he was hired as a member of the grounds crew. After two seasons of hard work, he was promoted to assistant groundskeeper.
During Storm home games, Spencer is responsible for maintaining the field, ensuring it stays in top condition. On the team’s off days, he works to ensure the field is always game-ready.
Spencer thoroughly enjoys his job, saying the work never feels like work. “It’s a pleasure to be working on the field at the very stadium I visited so many times as a kid,” Spencer said. “Every time I pull up to the stadium, I’m excited to get to work on the baseball diamond. It doesn’t feel like work when you enjoy what you’re doing.”
Spencer’s dedication and passion did not go unnoticed. Anthony Anaya, the former head groundskeeper at Diamond Stadium and a current groundskeeper at the Los Angeles Coliseum, recognized Spencer’s potential and offered him an opportunity to work as a member of the grounds crew for USC games at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Eager to take his career and passion to the next level, Spencer jumped at the opportunity.
“I’m so grateful to Anthony Anaya and former Storm assistant groundskeeper Lozenzo Matias for giving me these opportunities and supporting my future goals and apparitions,” Spencer said. “It’s an honor to work at the Coliseum, which is known for being one of the best playing surfaces in sports.”
In preparation for each USC home game, Spencer works four days a week preparing the field.
During his two-month break between Storm and USC seasons, Spencer plans to further educate himself in turf management, learning more about operating machinery essential for maintaining top-quality fields.
A Canyon Lake resident for the past 10 years, Spencer spent many years playing on the Canyon Lake Little League fields. His career has taken him from being at the plate to being behind the scenes, and he couldn’t be happier.
Looking ahead, Spencer’s ultimate goal is to one day work as head groundskeeper for the Los Angeles Angels, a dream he’s working toward one field at a time.
