Elder’s efforts earn Big 12 honors

AUSTIN — Shining brightly in his debut, Bryce Elder showed he’s ready for Friday nights.

Elder’s efforts earned him Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors following the sophomore righty’s brilliant debut in the season-opening win for the Texas baseball team.

“I think a lot of it is getting older and maturing,” [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] Elder said before the game regarding what’s changed entering this season. “I think I’m better in shape than I was last year, (as well as) getting older.”

Only five of the 26 batters Elder faced reached base as he struck out nine and walked none in eight innings-plus of action. Though he didn’t pick up the win, the effort put the Longhorns in position to win in 10 innings Friday night, 3-1, at host Louisiana.

“I’m going to pace myself but in a different way, I’m not trying to save anything I’m trying to get as many outs as I can,” Elder said prior to his start. “With that mindset comes outs later into the game.”

Being his first start of the season after being a reliever primarily in 2019, the effort showed that Elder will only get stronger as the season goes on and the ‘Horns have themselves a legit option to stick in the starting rotation.

Elder retired 11-straight hitters during the later stages of the game, and sports a nifty 1.13 ERA after the start. The Longhorns won the first two games of the series before dropping the finale on Sunday to start 2-1.

Texas has a one-game road stint Tuesday playing at Rice at 7 p.m.

Then the Longhorns host their first series of the season — including a Saturday doubleheader — with Purdue coming to town for a four-game Friday through Sunday series at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The start times are 6:30 p.m. Friday, the Saturday doubleheader starts at 1 p.m., and Sunday’s first pitch is slated for 12:30 p.m.

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