Elder's performance on the mound was led Pierce to say the sophomore could wind up being the team's Friday starter.

AUSTIN, Texas — The annual Texas Alumni Game serves as a reminder to the burnt orange faithful that baseball is about to be back at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. An event typically bursting with pomp and circumstance had no shortage either on Saturday with fans arriving at the stadium two hours before the first pitch for the unveiling of the bust of the late Augie Garrido, which will forever stand proudly on the concourse alongside the busts Billy Disch, Bibb Falk and Cliff Gustafson.

After the ceremony and trips to the plate in the first inning for Alumni squad members Mark Payton (Oakland A’s), Travis Jones (Kansas City Royals), Kody Clemens (Detroit Tigers), Kacy Clemens (Toronto Blue Jays) and Tres Barrera (Washington Nationals) against Texas junior starting pitcher Blair Henley, Roger Clemens took the mound to face the varsity. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was firing split-finger fastballs and topped out at 85 MPH on the radar gun, an achievement Texas head coach David Pierce joked afterward he thought the 56-year-old who racked up 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts over 24 Major League seasons would reach.

“I guessed that he’d top out at 84,” Pierce said. “I’m really not at all surprised.”

Your current Horns touched up Roger for three runs in the first but a heckuva showing for the Rocket. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/AwQdR0SeXV — Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 2, 2019

Pierce — whose second season on the job ended with a 42-23 record, the program’s NCAA-record 36th trip to the College World Series and the first Big 12 title for Texas since 2011 — said he was happy to see the alums who suited out and liked his charges being able to get on the field and in front of a crowd ahead of the season starting. While the game capped off a fun weekend on the Forty Acres, the Alumni Game allows the Longhorns to shift their focus to the regular season with the opener on the road against Louisiana less than two weeks away.

“You can tell that it’s not quite opening day, but there’s a little bit more energy with the players,” Pierce said. “They’re excited to have people in the stands, they’re excited to play against somebody else. It’s kind of a start, yes.”

Plenty on hand to honor the legendary Augie Garrido today. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/g0EgkpDzq7 — Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) February 2, 2019

Henley (two innings, two hits, two runs, two earned, two walks, two strikeouts, 32 total pitches) started and went two innings in what officially went down as a 7-4 victory for the current Longhorns over a squad of alums coached by Brooks Kieschnick who were out of the game after three innings, but the story on the mound was sophomore Bryce Elder. Toeing the rubber with a frame that filled out tremendously during the offseason, Elder’s offspeed pitches clock in the low 80s on the gun with plenty of bite and his mid-90s fastball showed plenty of life in an impressive 3.2-inning, 46-pitch outing where he allowed only one hit and struck out five.

“To me, he was by far the best pitcher today,” Pierce said. “He showed some stuff today that puts him in the run [to be] the Friday night starter.”

Brandon Ivey (who Pierce said has a chance to make the squad as a situational lefty out of the bullpen), Cole Quintanilla (back from Tommy John surgery) and true freshman Mason Bryant combined for 2.1 innings of one-hit ball when facing mostly their teammates in the late innings. After Clemens was touched up for three runs in his lone inning of work and alums Hoby Milner (Tampa Bay Rays) and Connor Mayes (Kansas City Royals) took the hill, current Longhorns Matt Whelan, Beau Ridgeway, Kamron Fields and Owen Meaney combined to allow four hits and one run over four combined innings.

That said, an afternoon when Pierce said the Longhorns swung the bat well meant there’s a lot of work to be done with the pitching staff in what remains of the preseason.

“We’ve got to improve on the mound,” Pierce said. “Pitch ahead and quit walking guys.”

Offensively, some of the usual suspects showed up with Austin Todd (2 for 4, two runs scored) and Zach Zubia (2 for 4, two RBI, run scored, two doubles) delivering nice performances at the plate. However, a pair of freshmen — infielder Lance Ford and outfielder Nick Kennedy — handled the bat well as they’ve done since arriving on campus.

Kennedy had a 3-for-5 day at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Ford put together a 2-for-4 performance with a run scored and a double. Kennedy has been so good that fifth-year senior Tate Shaw could wind up being an option at first base (where he started on Saturday) due to needing to get Kennedy in the lineup while Ford is very much alive for work in a middle infield mix where Masen Hibbeler is at second base with true freshman Bryce Reagan at shortstop.

“Kennedy has been coming and Ford has struggled for the last week, but he showed the ability to play well in the game,” Pierce said. “Eric is just powerful and can run and he’s got some power in his bat, but he has the ability to get on base in other ways.”

Among the highlights on the afternoon were infielder Sam Bertelson, who is in the mix at first base, taking Henley deep to right field for a mammoth home run. Pierce also liked a double play turned by Reagan and Hibbeler, which right now looks like the best combination to replace the departed Kody Clemens and the injured David Hamilton.

“Reagan is a guy that has to focus on young position,” Pierce said. “He’s young, he’s learning calls, he’s learning coverages, then you have Hibbeler that has the ability to be so versatile. That’s why you may see Hibbeler move before, ‘Well, he got beat out by Reagan.’ That’s not really the case.

“You’ve got a real comfort with (Ryan) Reynolds at third, there’s some questions and first and the outfield is starting to fall into place.”

With a slew of pitchers fighting for roles and about 12-14 by Pierce’s count with a chance to contribute, the Alumni Game was much more than an exhibition. It’s an important data point Pierce will use to set the lineup for when things matter in 13 days.

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“Really fun to watch some of our young players get out there and play with some excitement and create some things,” Pierce said. “Pretty good day, great information.”