IN SEASON

A JOKER AMONGST THE ACES

TEXAS’ ACE is a joker. When he’s not hurling Friday night gems, Parker French spends the rest of the time up on the dugout railing — tippy-toed — hurling praise to his teammates and a goodnatured ribbing at the opposition’s pitcher. “I try to have fun with it,”
French said. “I want our guys to hear me and know they have someone ready to fight for them.”

On March 16, as Texas worked toward its walk-off win over Texas Tech, French donned his rally gear — backward hat and upside-down sunglasses — and led the cheerleading charge. “It’s a long, tedious season …

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I have to keep things interesting,” he explained. “I’d be bored to tears if I just sat there on the railing and ate seeds for nine innings Saturday and Sunday.” The sophomore from Dripping Springs takes his mound duties much more seriously.

Through April 1, French led the starting pitchers with a 2.17 ERA in six starts — and a 3-1 record — while holding opposing batters to a .223 average, with three times more strikeouts than walks. In turn, he’s become the bona fide ace — the type of arm
the Longhorns sorely missed last season. “You need to carry yourself professionally
and work hard during the midweek,” French said about his performance. As is the case with most weekend pitchers at a school as lofty as Texas, French was an ace in high
school. When he joined the program in fall 2011, he was one of six aces jockeying for a weekend role.

As things shook out, French emerged as the staff’s top starter, compiling a 6-2 record with a 2.84 ERA in nine starts — including a streak of 17 scoreless innings — before an elbow injury shut him down. Nevertheless, he had proved his worth among the rotation. “I try not to think of myself as ‘the guy,’” he commented. “It’s just me going out and pitching on a Friday night. If I let everything — the media and social media — get to me, I’ll lose focus on my job, which is simple: playing catch and throwing to the mitt. I don’t think about having a certain ERA. I try to take away some expectations.”

French will never match Taylor Jungmann in strikeout numbers. Instead, he earns his meal ticket by inducing easy outs and keeping low pitch counts. “He’s a sinkerball pitcher and he needs ground balls,” head coach Augie Garrido said. “He’s not a big strikeout pitcher.” By the time conference play rolled around, the Longhorns had yet to shake the rust off their bats (hitting a cumulative .269 by April 1), which puts even more pressure on the pitching staff to win close games. This is nothing new.

In 2011, the Longhorns hit .269. In 2012, they hit .263 and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998. But members of the 2011 team remember their College World Series and how strong pitching and defense overcame offensive deficiencies. That club was led by the rotation of Jungmann, Cole Green, Sam Stafford and Hoby Milner. Of the 42 games decided by three runs or less, the Longhorns were victorious in 30 of them. In order for the Longhorns to make a trip to Omaha this season, the pitchers will, once again, need to lead the way.

Through April 1, the team averaged a tick under four runs a contest and, of their 11 losses, nine were decided by three runs or less, falling short of the barometer the 2011 team set. Of the nine hitters in the lineup, five can consistently be counted on for runs: Erich Weiss, Mark Payton, Weston Hall, Ben Johnson and C.J. Hinojosa. Four opening-day starters were stuck under .200 by April 1. Such futility does not make for an easy day on the mound, says general convention.

“Honestly, I kind of like [the game] like that,” French said in response. “My game is elevated because I know each pitch is that much more important. I know something’s riding on my shoulders. If the game is 1-0, I have to execute every pitch … my role is magnified. I try not to worry about anything offensive when I’m pitching.” French saves his offensive strategy for when he’s hanging over the railing. “To the opposing pitcher, I’ll say somethingwitty,” he said. “Whatever comes to mind … usually goofy.”[/s2If]

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