Texas Baseball Bolsters 2027 Class With Elite Left-Handed Pitcher

It has been a busy last two weeks for the Texas Longhorns, both on and off the diamond. They've played a pair of fall ball exhibition games against the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lamar Cardinals to continue gearing up for the 2026 season. As for their time off the field, Jim Schlossnagle and his staff have been busy recruiting.

That trend continued last week, as on October 1 the Longhorns secured yet another commitment in their growing 2027 class. Adding his name to that impressive list was Hayden Anderson, a left-handed pitcher out of Des Moines, Iowa and attending Waukee HS.

His commitment continues the Longhorns' dedication to adding elite arms for pitching coach Max Weiner to work with. Which, when given his track record at every stop he's been at, is a great plan to follow. In just his first season in Austin in 2025, he developed one of the best pitching staffs in the nation and lowered the team ERA down to 3.71 from 4.94 the season prior.

What will Anderson bring to The Forty Acres?

Texas Longhorns pitcher Luke Harriso — Texas pitcher Luke Harrison (53) tries to pick off a runner Texas Tech, Saturday. | Chase Seabolt/For the Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

As for Anderson himself, there is already a ton to love about the southpaw from Iowa. Standing tall at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, the lefty is an intimidating presence on the mound before he even throws a pitch. And then he delivers a solid repertoire that leaves opponents baffled.

Working exclusively out of the stretch, he starts with a solid fastball that currently sits in the mid 80s and has topped out at 88 mph. Under Weiner's guidance, and as he develops with age, his heater will only get better. Pairing it with a good slider, he's shown an ability to generate whiffs from hitters as well as induce weak contact that leads to easy outs.

Of course, the recruitment of players in the 2027 comes with inevitable yet important caveat that they may ultimately not end up playing a single game for the Longhorns. Anderson is no different as in two years coaching staffs change, players change their mind and the possibility of him hearing his name called in the draft, too.

For now, though, he represents the continued aggressive approach of Schlossnagle and his staff. That same approach landed them the nation's top 2025 recruiting class on the heels of a debut campaign in which they won the regular season conference championship -- in their first year in the SEC.