Spencer Strider has impressed since his days at Clemson, and now he’s one of the few to receive a great honor in the MLB.

The former Tiger will start for the Atlanta Braves on Opening Day, the first time he’s done so in his career. He’s on a pitching staff that features Max Fried, Chris Sale and Charlie Morton so it’s no simple feat to reach this moment.

Strider burst onto the scene during the 2022 season, breaking a franchise record with 16 strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 16. That became his calling card, breaking an AL and NL record by becoming the fastest pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in a season.

That’s a small piece of what’s helped him reach this moment, amd he reflected on this opportunity at MLB.com. He’s aware of the moment it will be, but focused on the Braves’ success as a unit.

“We obviously have a plethora of guys that are deserving of this. I think that certainly makes it an honor for me but I think if you ask anybody, we’re all sort of focused on winning every game we play on each day and how that will get us to where we want to be in October,” Strider said.

Strider went on to say Game 1 is just as important as Game 162, but it’s a moment he’ll cherish. During his Clemson career, he dealt with injury that led to Tommy John surgery but still proved enough to become a fourth-round pick.

Opening Day takes place March 28 as Atlanta travels to take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a heated NL East matchup. Strider’s first pitch is planned for 3:05 p.m.