By Jeffrey Cohen | Sports Writer
It was then-junior left-handed pitcher Ethan Calder’s time to step into a starting role after two seasons in relief.
He got his first shot as the Friday night starter for Baylor on opening day against Youngstown State. He could hardly contain himself leading up to the start of a new chapter.
“I did not sleep the entire night. I think I might have slept, like, three hours,” Calder said. “Stepping out on the mound, it was kind of this unconscious feeling that you’re so excited for opening day.”
Despite the limited rest, Calder struck out the Penguins 13 times en route to the Bears’ 10-3 victory. It was the most strikeouts by a Baylor pitcher since 2011.
He wanted to recreate that moment every time he took the mound, but knew that was not going to happen. Calder decided to take a calmer approach.
“When I’ve had success in the past, I’ve definitely thought, ‘That needs to happen every single game,’” Calder said. “That’s not going to happen every single game, right? So, for me, the biggest thing was to kind of flush it, get back to an even playing field.”
Calder wanted to change from his fiery demeanor on the mound to a more centered and focused mindset. Head coach Mitch Thompson believed Calder’s consistency would help the Bears start the 2025 season on the right foot.
“The reason we gave him the ball is because he’s consistent with everything he does,” Thompson said at the time. “We wanted him to take it this Opening Day.”
Calder finished the season with a 5.18 ERA and a team-leading 64 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched.
His journey began right out of the gates as a freshman reliever out of Lake Travis High School. He was a strong two-way player for the Cavaliers, boasting a 0.97 ERA while hitting .336 with 32 RBIs as a senior.
Calder came to Waco expecting to get some reps as a pitcher and hitter. An injury in the fall before his freshman season kept him away from the plate and led to his call to the bullpen.
“I broke my hand my freshman fall, and I couldn’t hit all fall,” Calder said. “I got a call over the break to come pitch, and that was just a quick learning process.”
He started pitching early in 2023, making his first appearance in the second game of the season. He allowed only one hit and struck out four in two innings against Central Michigan.
He has not forgotten his next appearance, for better or worse.
“I remember pitching against Duke my freshman year, my second-ever outing, and I just got smoked,” Calder said. “It was fun to be thrown into the fire. I think it was necessary for me to grow.”
Despite allowing six runs in only 1/3 of an inning against the Blue Devils, Calder saw that it was a needed stepping stone for his career.
He completed his freshman campaign with a 6.89 ERA through 32 2/3 innings. He began to grow into a more important role as a sophomore. Calder was an All-Big 12 honorable mention with a 3.23 ERA in 55 2/3 innings pitched.
With two seasons in the pen and one as a starter, Calder now heads into his senior season being able to utilize his experience as a starter and a reliever.
“I take great pride in wherever the coaches want to put me,” Calder said. “If they want me out of the pen, if they want me starting, whatever they think is best for the team, I’m ready to step into that role.”
He also hopes to be a leader for his teammates off the field. Calder and fifth-year outfielder Ty Johnson see this year as an opportunity for the freshmen who get thrown into the fire like he did three years ago.
“With all that experience under my belt, I think it’s going to be a fun senior year for me, and all the guys that have been around here, too,” Calder said. “Another guy like Ty Johnson, he’s experienced a lot of success and he’s experienced some failures. So he’s ready for whatever is thrown at him.”
Baylor opens its season against New Mexico State at 4 p.m. Feb. 13 at Baylor Ballpark.
