Former Rice LHP David Shaw commits to Texas

Remaining alive in the NCAA Tournament hasn’t kept the Texas Longhorns from looking towards the future and evaluating options in the NCAA transfer portal, as evidenced by landing a Monday commitment from former Rice Owls left-hander David Shaw.

The 6’7, 205-pounder spent one season with the Owls and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining when he arrives on the Forty Acres. Out of Houston Kinkaid, Shaw had a 2-2 record in 22 appearances with Rice in 2022, recording a 6.57 ERA with 28 strikeouts and 20 walks in 37.0 innings. Shaw made his debut against Texas in February, allowing four earned runs on one hit and three walks with one strikeout in 0.2 innings. When Shaw struggled as a freshman, command issues tended to take center stage.

As a recruit, Shaw’s was a top-400 prospect nationally whose fastball topped out at 88 miles per hour with sink and run from an arm slot that makes him difficult to pick up for left-handed hitters. Shaw threw a slider and a changeup, with his slider showing a sweeping action that made it more effective than the changeup.

Shaw’s massive frame makes him a pitcher with some untapped upside the Longhorns hope to unlock as he works with pitching coach Sean Allen as a developmental project.

With significant turnover expected on the Texas roster due to the 2022 MLB Draft and exhausted eligibility, expect the Horns to remain active in the transfer portal with a high likelihood head coach David Pierce and his staff target multiple proven players with starting ability.