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Bearkats to battle Texas over in Austin tonight

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Bearkats to battle Texas over in Austin tonight


HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston Bearkats will look to put an end to a four-game skid on Tuesday night when they head to Austin to battle the Texas Longhorns at Disch-Falk Field.

Midweek Preview: at Texas Sam Houston (24-20, 7-11 CUSA) at Texas (27-18, 13-8 Big 12) Disch-Falk Field (Austin) Tuesday, April 30 | 6:30 PM | Longhorn Network

Projected Starters

SHSU: LHP Gavi Coldiron (3-4, 5.52 ERA, 45.2 IP, 30 K, 11 BB)

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TEXAS: RHP Charlie Hurley (3-0, 6.67 ERA, 29.2 IP, 25 K, 19 BB)

Tuesday’s game on the Longhorn Network with Keith Moreland and Greg Swindell on the call.

SERIES NOTES vs TEXAS – The Kats have dropped 10 games in a row to the Longhorns dating back through the 2016 season and are just 4-30 in Sam Houston’s Division I era (since 1987)

– The last time Sam Houston got a win over Texas was on April 14, 2015 when Alex Bisacca and Jordan Church combined to shut out Texas by a 5-0 count. That season was the first year after David Pierce’s departure from Huntsville for Tulane, with current SHSU head coach Jay Sirianni in the Bearkat dugout in his first year as pitching coach.

– Of the 34 games played in the SHSU Division I era between the schools, 30 have been played at Disch-Falk Field. Two have also been played at Minute Maid Park, and two in Huntsville.

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BEARKAT QUICK HITTERS – The Kats are coming off a tough week with a loss at Baylor and a sweep at the hands of Louisiana Tech, all on the road.

– In Sam Houston’s series at LA Tech, the Kats lost the 3 games by only a combined 6 runs. Half of that total came in Sunday’s series finale on a walk-off, 3-run homer by LA Tech’s Adarius Myers in the 10th inning.

– Jeffrey David enters Tuesday with a team-best, 15-game hitting streak and has reached in 19 games overall. It is the second-longest hit streak by a Kat this year, only behind the 23-gamer put together by Walker Janek to open the season.

– Tuesday will mark the final true road midweek game of the year for Sam Houston, with only a neutral-site clash with Houston at Constellation Field in Sugar Land on May 14 remaining.

– Sam Houston will be searching for its first road midweek win of the year on Tuesday at Texas. Currently the Kats are 0-6 in road midweeks, while being 6-0 in midweek games played at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville.

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A LOOK AT THE LONGHORNS – The Longhorns have won five of their last six games, including each of their last two weekend series over TCU and most recently Oklahoma. – Texas swept both ends of a Sunday doubleheader to capture its series against the Sooners, pulling to within two games of OU in the Big 12 standings. – Texas had dropped consecutive midweek games at Disch-Falk Field to Texas State and UTRGV before shutting out UT Arlington a week ago.



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Venezuelan oil reboot not expected to spur windfall in Texas

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Venezuelan oil reboot not expected to spur windfall in Texas


With former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, President Trump said he wants to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. 

That idea has raised questions about whether it could cause a price spike at the gas pump and a downturn in the Texas oil patch region. 

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Now, a spike at the pump and a production slump in the Texas oil patch may not happen this year, but with oil prices down, a budget crunch for state lawmakers may be waiting when they return to Austin in 2027.

What they’re saying:

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The situation in Venezuela is creating a lot of political uncertainty, but a Texas energy expert said he is not expecting that uncertainty to cause an oil patch crash or a gas pump pike in 2026.

Prices at the pump are low and despite some recent big swings, up and down, analysts say 2026 could see the lowest prices since the pandemic. That prediction has people like Dale Owens cautiously optimistic.

“Things change so drastically nowadays. I mean, look what’s happening with the government, so anything can affect the price. But right now I’m really happy that it’s stable,” said Owens.

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There are big reasons for that local gas price stabilization, and it predates the leadership change in Venezuela, according to Ed Hirs, an Energy Fellow at the University of Houston.

“The first is that the president has asked MBS (Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and OPEC nations to continue pumping a pace. Number one. Number two, this helps hamstring the Russian economy and its war effort. And that’s also one of the goals of not only the European Union, but of the Trump administration. And number three, we’ve got the midterm elections coming up,” said Hirs.

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The price of a barrel of oil is expected to increase slightly because of the uncertainty regarding Venezuela. Texas crude oil production, according to an update released Monday, was stable in December, but state data also showed drilling permits for 2025 were at 369 and that’s down from 459 in 2024.

“When President Trump took office, oil was about $80 a barrel, today it’s under $60 a barrel. We are the high-cost producers in the global commodity oil market, and the cost of drilling these wells has gone up by between 5% and 12%, primarily because of Trump’s steel tariffs. Not only does the imported steel now cost a lot more, but domestic producers raise their So the producers in West Texas and across the Permian Basin are getting squeezed by much lower revenues, $20 a barrel less and much higher cost. It’s not a good capital investment for Wall Street,” said Hirs.

Dig deeper:

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The oil industry remains a big part of the Texas economy and the state budget. State lawmakers will return to Austin in 2027 to crunch numbers for a new two-year budget.

“I think they need to be looking at the budget. So the state comptroller needs to be running the numbers now based on lower oil revenues, not only for state lands, for example, for the universities, but for the state tax receipts. And that applies to the counties and cities that rely on these revenues to keep their budgets balanced. It’s going to be lower for longer,” said Hirs. 

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There are also doubts about whether the Texas refineries will get a financial windfall if the Trump Administration is able to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. There are about six refineries in Texas and Louisiana that can process the heavy crude that is located in Venezuela.

“Well, it might help keep them open. But Lyondell just closed down a 100-plus-year-old heavy crude refinery on the Houston Ship Channel because it just doesn’t make any sense to reinvest in it. And it was going to require $750, $800 million of new capital investment just to keep the plant operating at par,” said Hirs.

What’s next:

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Stocks for several oil companies did increase on Monday. Chevron, at one point, had a 10% stock price surge, mainly because Chevron is the only U.S. company operating in Venezuela. Other energy-related companies also saw an increase, like Exxon, as well as industry suppliers like Baker-Hughes and Halliburton. 

The action on Wall Street came after President Trump said he wants energy producers to pay for the oil production rebuild. Hirs described the administration’s plans as being “naive.”

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Past attempts to rebuild another country’s oil infrastructure seem to back up the doubts raised by Hirs. In 1989, after the Soviet Union collapsed, companies like Exxon went in to rebuild — only to get kicked out later by the Russians. Hirs also noted the rebuilding effort in Iraq, started by President George W. Bush, hasn’t returned production there to pre-war levels. And it’s the same story for Libya, which was done under President Obama.

The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski and previous coverage

AustinTexas PoliticsDonald J. Trump
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Homes are selling fast in Austin — but two Texas cities are faster

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Homes are selling fast in Austin — but two Texas cities are faster


A “for sale” sign is displayed near a home on April 24, 2025 in Austin, Texas. The Texas capital had one of the highest home turnover rates among U.S. metros between September 2024 and August 2025.

Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Even as the average U.S. home turnover rate remains at its lowest since the 1990s, Texas remains one of the leading states for new residents. An August 2025 study deemed Austin the biggest boomtown in the country, with significant jumps in population, housing units and gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

A new analysis by Realtor.com identified the top 10 U.S. metros with the highest real estate turnover rates in 2025 — and nearly half are found in the Lone Star State.

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But why is a high turnover rate a good thing? Hannah Jones, a senior economic research analyst at Realtor.com, breaks it down.

“Markets with higher turnover tend to function more fluidly than markets with lower turnover, with a healthier balance of active buyers and sellers,” Jones said. “The markets with the highest turnover are typically more affordable and supported by robust for-sale inventory, particularly from new construction.”

Here’s a look at the four thriving Texas cities.

4 Texas metros among top 10 with highest turnover

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Among the top 10 U.S. metros with the highest turnover were San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Houston — but such healthy growth didn’t happen overnight.

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“Metros like San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin have seen significant building activity over the past five years, which has helped temper home price growth and expand options for buyers, ultimately encouraging more frequent home sales,” says Jones.

Here’s what local real estate professionals had to say about each city:

No. 2: San Antonio

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Downtown San Antonio
San Antonio Express-News file photo

Daniel Cabrera, owner and founder of Sell My House Fast SA TX, attributes much of the area’s high turnover to job relocations and “equity unlocking.”

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“Corporate hiring and military rotations provide constant job openings,” he said, adding, “People in San Antonio are monetizing appreciation and resetting life logistics, not panic selling. They are selling to repay debts, relocate for their relatives, and escape the commute for more space.”

Sain Rhodes, real estate expert for Cleve Offers, also emphasized the relationship between demand and sales.

“San Antonio is a city where sellers are riding the wave of demand,” Rhodes said. “Last quarter, I personally relocated clients from high-tax states like California to San Antonio. Sellers are taking advantage of this window of opportunity and not waiting around.”

No. 5: Dallas

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Dusk view of the skyline in Dallas, where the pandemic-era shift to remote work exacerbated already-high office vacancy rates. The same is true in other Texas metros.

Dusk view of the skyline in Dallas, where the pandemic-era shift to remote work exacerbated already-high office vacancy rates. The same is true in other Texas metros.

Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buye/Getty Images

Harrison Polsky, director of luxury sales at Douglas Elliman in Dallas, observed how rising home values were enticing homebuyers in DFW.

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“In Dallas-Fort Worth, we’re seeing a healthy increase in homeowners putting their properties on the market, which reflects strong buyer interest and vibrant market activity,” Polsky said. “Many people are taking advantage of rising home values to move into larger homes, upgrade to newer properties, or relocate closer to family or work.”

No. 7: Austin

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The Austin Skyline from the campus of the Texas School for the Deaf, Oct. 7, 2025.

The Austin Skyline from the campus of the Texas School for the Deaf, Oct. 7, 2025.

Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman

Speaking of rising home values and job relocation, those are also among the factors driving turnover in Austin — according to local real estate broker Noá Levy, of The Boutique Real Estate powered by eXp Realty.

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“During the [COVID-19] pandemic, Austin experienced rapid price appreciation, and many buyers moved here quickly and for many reasons,” Levy said. “In the last couple of years, political reasons, cost of living, desire to return to their previous areas, and even job relocation have been a factor in deciding to move away from Austin and Texas in general.”

Even those who bought before the pandemic maintain big equity.

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“So people feel maybe now that interest rates came down a little bit, it may be the moment to take advantage of gains from the appreciation we saw from 2020 to 2022,” Levy added.

No. 9: Houston

The downtown Houston skyline is photographed from Sabine Street Bridge Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, in Houston.

The downtown Houston skyline is photographed from Sabine Street Bridge Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, in Houston.

Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer

Down in Houston, the factors contributing to high turnover seemed much the same, according to HoustonHomeTools.com founder Ahmed Harhara.

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“A lot of people bought homes during competitive market conditions, and now that lifestyles or budgets have changed, they’re adjusting by relocating sooner than planned,” Harhara said. “Turnover doesn’t necessarily reflect dissatisfaction; it reflects how dynamic the market has become.”

Heather Shepherd, a real estate agent at Douglas Elliman in Houston, listed off the reasons she’s repeatedly heard from those selling: rising homeowners insurance premiums and property taxes; commute fatigue; lifestyle upgrades; and new-construction pressures.

“Some older neighborhoods feel squeezed or overshadowed, and builders are starting to buy the older homes for new construction,” Shepherd said.

Top 10 US metros with the highest turnover

The following table shows the 10 metros with the highest turnover between September 2024 and August 2025.

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Rank Metro Median list price Turnover rate
(per 1,000 housing units)
1 Kansas City, Mo. $380,000 45 sales
2 San Antonio $329,000 45 sales
3 Indianopolis $320,000 45 sales
4 Las Vegas $471,975 43 sales
5 Dallas $425,000 42 sales
6 Nashville, Tenn. $536,739 42 sales
7 Austin $489.859 42 sales
8 Charlotte, N.C. $438,348 42 sales
9 Houston $358,000 40 sales
10 St. Louis $295,900 39 sales



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Texas Tech lands K-State LB Austin Romaine out of transfer portal

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Texas Tech lands K-State LB Austin Romaine out of transfer portal


The Texas Tech football team landed its first commitment out of the transfer portal on Sunday.

Kansas State transfer linebacker Austin Romaine announced his commitment on social media. A second-team all-Big 12 selection this season, Romaine joins Texas Tech with one year of eligibility plus a redshirt year available.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound linebacker has been a fixture in the middle of the Kansas State defense since his true freshman season of 2023 — when he earned five starts and was named Big 12 defensive freshman of the year, an award he shared with his new teammate Ben Roberts. He started all 12 games in 2024 and had 66 tackles, six quarterback hurries, an interception and a fumble recovery in 2025.

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What Kansas State transfer Austin Romaine brings to Texas Tech football

Romaine will likely be seen as Jacob Rodriguez’s replacement as the other starting linebacker next to Roberts next season. It would also indicate John Curry will remain at the STAR (the hybrid linebacker-safety position) in which he excelled this season.

For his career, Romaine has three forced fumbles (all in 2024) and had his first career fumble recovery and interception in 2025.



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