Justin Eckhardt fans seven during career-best outing in Texas' 7-2 win

Prior to his Tuesday night start against Central Arkansas, Longhorn right-hander Justin Eckhardt’s longest outings of his career were two separate 3.1-inning appearances. He soared past that mark against the Bears. Eckhardt turned in his best game in a Texas uniform lasting 6.0 shutout innings, allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out a career-high seven hitters to earn his first career victory in a 7-2 win.

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Eckhardt didn’t allow a baserunner until the third inning when he was charged with a wild pitch on a dropped third strike that would have been out No. 3. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, when Bear first baseman Hunter Hicks sent a ball up the middle just out of Eckhardt’s reach. The only other Bear hit against him came in the sixth, when Kolby Johnson singled before the two batters following him were retired without issue.

All three runners who reached against Eckhardt were stranded. None reached scoring position.

“Justin set the tone,” Texas head coach David Pierce said. “He was outstanding. He’s been working so hard on just honing his delivery and being on time with his release points. Just a tremendous job.”

Pierce complimented Eckhardt’s sinker-slider combo, saying he combined those pitches with the changeup to make life difficult for Bear hitters. The sinker hovered in the low 90 mph-range, while his slider in the low-to-mid 80s baffled Bear hitters throughout his outing.

“Just trusting my stuff,” Eckhardt said. “The slider was working really good today, landing it in 0-0 counts and then as a strikeout pitch. Obviously, it just helped a lot today and is just something I’ve been working on over the week.”

For Eckhardt, his 86 pitches (56 strikes) was by far the highest total of his career. It was 34 more than his previous career high, which came against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in April of last year. With Texas seeing erratic performances from mid-week hurlers of late, could this effort boost Eckhardt into a more featured role as Texas’ starter in Tuesday games?

That’s up to Pierce, but it’s something Eckhardt is open to.

“Just whatever the team needs,” Eckhardt said. “I started a couple of mid-weeks last year, but building off of those, then over summer ball I did a lot of starting. When they asked if they would have me in the bullpen, I was all aboard. I didn’t really think anything of it. Pitch count got up a little bit, so it just felt good to be out there starting the mid-week.”

Eckhardt missed his freshman season in 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made one appearance in 2020, the final game of that season before the remaining contests were canceled due to COVID-19. He made six appearances last year and has now made four appearances this year.

The road back from Tommy John is never a simple one, but he’s battled to potentially be an arm Pierce calls upon more often.

“The game has really humbled me with the whole TJ situation my freshman year and COVID my sophomore year,” Eckhardt said. “It just humbled me a lot, and I just kept my nose down and went back to work. It’s all working out now.”

Eckhardt was followed by Travis Sthele and Luke Harrison, who allowed the only two UCA runs of the game. Coy Cobb and Aaron Nixon combined for 1.2 shutout innings to end the one-sided contest.

The Longhorns plated the game’s first couple of runs in the second inning when Trey Faltine grounded out to the shortstop to score Murphy Stehly. The next hitter, Skyler Messinger, singled through the right side to score Silas Ardoin and make it 2-0. Messinger ended the night 4-for-4.

“Now you’re starting to see his offensive approach and what he can really do,” Pierce said of Messinger.

Ivan Melendez hit his tenth homer of the year in the third, and Texas blew the game open in the fourth when Cam Constantine, Douglas Hodo III, and Eric Kennedy all added one RBI apiece.

Texas begins Big 12 play this weekend with a trip to Lubbock to face the No. 16 Texas Tech Red Raiders, who topped California Baptist 6-3 on Tuesday night.