Austin Todd is finishing his Texas career on his terms

When Texas outfielder Austin Todd dove back to the first base bag in the top of the fourth inning of the Longhorns’ March 8 contest at Texas State, he dislocated his shoulder 364 days after the same injury ended his 2021 campaign, his second senior season.

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To see Todd work so hard to come back and be a regular contributor in the Texas lineup only to see him suffer another injury put the program in a rut that was deepened days later when it announced Tanner Witt would have to miss the remainder of the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Without Todd in the lineup, the Longhorns went 8-8 over their next 16 games, including a series loss to Texas Tech and a midweek loss to Texas A&M. But during that stretch, Todd was working to get back into the lineup somehow, some way.

“I didn’t travel with the team,” Todd said Sunday after Texas’ 7-3 win over TCU. “They left without me, and in that time that I was here, I got a chance to rehab and be with the trainers. I had some guys that were still here throw me live ABs. I was still locked in on the game. Just trying to get part of my routine, my new routine at the time.”

Not traveling stung for Todd, who said he came back to have the opportunity to be with his Texas teammates again. Todd was on head coach David Pierce’s first UT squad in 2017, and has been with him every step of the way.

These most recent steps, though, have been difficult. He had to watch Texas struggle while only able to do what he described as “light stuff” in the cage. Eventually, he was able to progress to live at bats.

“Then it started to ramp up in two-and-a-half, three weeks, which is around the time of A&M,” he said.

On Sunday, Pierce described Todd as a player who both understands the game and can change one, too. He’s changed several contests since making his return to the lineup on April 3 versus Oklahoma. In a rubber game with the Sooners, the visiting Longhorns led 8-7 in the top of the ninth. Todd, in the lineup for the first time since the Texas State game as a designated hitter, came to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.

He took one strike, fouled off four pitches, then singled up the middle to score two and break the game open. His work staying sharp in the cages, and with members of the training staff, put him in position to be back in the lineup on a regular basis.

“I took it day by day and saw how my body felt, and tried to get back as soon as I could,” Todd said. “Whether that was going to be a week, two weeks, a month, I don’t know. But luckily I took care of my body rehabbing pretty well and got back much sooner than we thought.”

Since his return, Todd has raised his batting average 69 points to .327. His return versus Oklahoma was a three-hit game, just like his performance against TCU on Sunday. His presence has brought some needed stability in the past week to a team that desperately needed it.

He is unlikely to play in the outfield again at Texas, and Pierce is very cautious with how much Todd plays both in terms of game and inning volume.

But being back on the team, and starting his “new” season 8-for-18 with three walks, a hit-by-pitch, and three RBI?

“It’s a blast,” Todd said. “Being with the guys, that’s why I came back. This team, it’s special. Being with these coaches, the team, it’s not something that everybody gets to do in their life. It’s an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Todd was committed to former head coach Augie Garrido, and Pierce welcomed him to his program when he took the job in June of 2017. Over six seasons with the Round Rock product, the two have grown close. Pierce has even given him the nickname “Pops.”

What Todd has done helping Pierce and Texas baseball has been indispensable to the Longhorns’ head coach, who described Todd as “a really good kid who is growing into a really good young man.”

“Just his growth as a player,” Pierce said. “He’s confident. He’s very good with young players, and he’s helped (Murphy Stehly) a lot in the outfield. He’s committed to Texas, he’s committed to the team, and he can really hit.”

Pierce said he has never seen someone go through the sheer number of injuries Todd has in his six-year collegiate career. “Hopefully they’re behind him and he can finish strong,” Pierce said.

Just being back on the field is an impressive accomplishment for the sixth-year senior, but to already be making a positive impact just a few days after his return?

“I get to have an opportunity,” Todd said. “It’s great. The team’s behind me.”