Austin, TX
Austin-area products help spur Texas A&M baseball in College World Series
Texas A&M’s success in the College World Series has been the ultimate nod to Austin-area high school baseball.
Whether it’s been for most of the season in the case of Travis Chestnut (Pflugerville), becoming a postseason hero like Kaeden Kent (Lake Travis) or simply closing out a win as Josh Stewart (Savio) did Monday against Kentucky, locals have played a big part in the Aggies’ chase for a national title.
Here’s a look at the Austin-area players spurring the Aggies:
A constant grind has propelled Pflugerville’s Chestnut
Chestnut, who starred for Pflugerville from 2017-2020, has been a starter since early April.
The senior played second base until the super regional, when an injury to outfielder Braden Montgomery forced him to center field, where he’s played the last four games, which have all been Texas A&M wins.
Under-recruited out of high school after losing most of his senior season to the pandemic, Chestnut spent two years at Temple College before transferring to Texas A&M prior to last season.
He had an RBI single in Saturday’s win over Florida to start the CWS and Monday walked twice and stole a base vs. Kentucky. Pflugerville coach Dale Waggoner said he’s not surprised by what his former player has done for the Aggies.
“When he was a freshman he started at shortstop for us,” said Waggoner, who is one of the longest-tenured baseball coaches in the Austin area. “You saw how athletic he was and there was something different about him. That stuff you can’t coach. When he played for us, I always knew he had a chance to play somewhere big.”
More: ‘We’re just a hard-nosed team:’ Pflugerville grinds out playoff win
Mostly known for his defense as a dynamic middle infielder, Chestnut has still contributed with his bat. He’s hitting .268 and has driven in 13 runs — his highlight was going 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs in a win over Georgia in late April — while making an impact on the base paths with 17 steals.
That’s where Waggoner said he excels and thinks gives him a chance to get looked at for the minor leagues later this summer.
But first, Waggoner will be following Chestnut and Texas A&M’s every move the rest of their time in Omaha.
“It’s been pretty exciting watching him,” he said. “Just seeing all the work he’s put in having paid off is awesome. He always wanted to go somewhere where he could go to the College World Series, and we still communicate pretty regularly.”
Kent now a household name
Ironically, Kent replaced Chestnut at second base in the super regional and has burst onto the national scene ever since.
Though he played plenty during the regular season and had a hit and scored a run in the Aggies’ win over Texas in the regional tournament, it’s been a meteoric rise for Kent the last 10 days.
He went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, double and five RBIs to lead A&M in Game 2 vs. Oregon to sweep the super regional, then Monday finished 2-for-4 with two runs driven in during the CWS win over Kentucky.
In the postseason, Kent — who the son of former MLB player Jeff Kent and was the Statesman’s All-Central Texas player of the year in 2022 — is hitting over .450.
More: As son of an MLB stalwart, Lake Travis shortstop Kaeden Kent leads area’s top 6A team
Like Waggoner, Lake Travis coach Ryan Rogers said he expected his former player to do big things at the next level.
“There was a maturity about him from day one here,” said Rogers, who was an assistant during Kaeden Kent’s time with the Cavs and has since been promoted to be Lake Travis’ head coach. “You look at the way he works at it and is focused — he’s almost like a professional the way he goes about it. You knew he’d be successful once he got the opportunity.”
Stewart finishes Kentucky
Stewart made the most of his first appearance of the NCAA tournament.
Originally from Georgetown who excelled at Savio last decade, the junior struck out three and recorded the final seven outs Monday vs. the Wildcats.
Oh, and he also spent his freshman year at Texas in 2022 before transferring to join the Aggies.
Stewart has made 22 appearances this year, including tossing three shutout innings in a win over USC.
Following controversial comments from head coach Steve Sarkisian and recruiting battles with other contending teams, the Texas Longhorns have once again found themselves in the national spotlight ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Just like this time 365 days ago, the Longhorns are the favorites to win the SEC Championship by the time the postseason rolls around, as well as be contenders for the national championship — despite failing to gain a playoff berth in 2025.
Ahead of the 2025 season, Texas’ preseason hype centered around quarterback Arch Manning and his first year at the helm of the Longhorns’ offense. Despite predictions that Manning would win the Heisman and be the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Longhorns went on to a nine-win regular season with steady, ongoing improvements in Manning’s performance.
Now, the attention from national media seems due to the “all-in” season that the Longhorns are looking toward, with a huge roster turnover through the transfer portal suggesting that this is the make-or-break year for Texas — and Manning — to achieve any national championship hopes.
However, a “make-or-break” season isn’t necessarily what’s ahead for Texas in 2026.
Texas’ Championship Hopes Aren’t Necessarily Over After 2026
It’s fair to assume that the Longhorns are going all in for a national championship in 2026, given the emphasis on experienced transfer portal talent, coaching staff changes and even talk from some players about what the team’s goals are over the offseason.
But considering 2026 as the Longhorns’ last chance for a trophy in the immediate future isn’t as easily justifiable, especially when Texas may not be considering much of a rebuild after this season ends. Sarkisian himself didn’t deny that Manning may come back for another year with Texas in 2027, and many key playmakers on both offense and defense have several more years of eligibility left.
Especially looking at Texas’ incoming class of freshmen and history with the transfer portal, it’s likely that the Longhorns are setting themselves up for longevity more than immediate success. If Manning does decide to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, incoming freshman quarterback Dia Bell will be an exciting prospect for Texas to bank on when looking for its next offensive leader.
It’s natural that the Longhorns should continue to generate national excitement, especially with the newest five-star commit to the 2027 class. Even so, Texas has a habit of bucking the trends and national predictions. The pressure was on in 2025 to win a national championship in Manning’s first year as a starter, and as more mock drafts continue to slate him as a first-rounder, that pressure has only heightened in what most onlookers see as his last year playing college football.
Whether the Longhorns will buckle under that pressure this go-around will be seen, starting with their home opener against Texas State on Sept. 5.
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AUSTIN, Texas — Austin city leaders gathered on East 11th Street on Juneteenth to celebrate the “Black Artists Matter” mural before it must be removed under an order from the Texas Department of Transportation. The mural and the city’s rainbow crosswalk are slated for removal in compliance with a Texas Department of Transportation directive requiring cities to remove political ideologies from roadways. Last October, Gov. Greg Abbott directed TxDOT to enforce the policy.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson stood on the blocked-off street where the yellow letters spelling “Black Artists Matter” are painted on the roadway’s surface. “We will never forget that when the state decided to target our murals, the community stood together to celebrate our city’s diversity, spirit, and creativity,” Watson said.
Watson criticized the state’s actions, saying, “The state government engages in negative rhetoric and threats, it targets communities that it disagrees with and seeks retribution.”
In response to the order, Watson formed the Public Spaces Task Force to identify other ways to celebrate diversity in Austin.
ALSO| Screwworm medications straining animal shelter budgets across Texas
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Daphne McDole, chief executive officer of the African American Cultural Heritage District and a member of the task force, said she wanted the event held on Juneteenth because of its significance. “I wanted to do it on Juneteenth, it was significant to me because I knew that that was the day my community would be in the district. We will be celebrating over here all day, so it was appropriate,” McDole said.
Task force members said they are exploring alternatives to honor East Austin’s history and diversity. They noted that city leaders in San Antonio created rainbow sidewalks after removing rainbow crosswalks, but said Austin will pursue its own approach.
Task force chair Steven Rivas said the community is focused on preserving the meaning behind the markings. “We chose to come together as a community and find a way to respect what these markings mean and build upon them. If we can’t have them in the street, we’re going to put them off the street,” Rivas said.
AUSTIN, Texas — The screwworm outbreak is having a major impact on animal shelter budgets across Texas. Instant kill and preventative medications for dogs and cats are an unprecedented expense.
Paul is a rescue dog from South Texas, where he was living on the streets and starving. He is now at Austin Pets Alive! getting Screwworm prevention medication and the treatment he needs to get healthy.
“Any dog that enters our shelter period, but especially if they look like this, we are going over them with a fine-tooth comb and looking for anything that might be a wound where a screwworm might have been able to gain access,” said Dr. Ellen Jefferson, CEO and President of Austin Pets Alive!
RELATED| FDA authorizes generic over-the-counter drug to treat New World screwworm in pets
Dr. Jefferson says dogs and cats need regular checks of their eyes, noses, ears, and underneath their fur. But Austin Pets Alive! says the best protection is a combination of Capstar, which is an instant-kill medication for existing active screwworm larvae, and prescription preventatives that provide ongoing protection when administered every 30 days.
“Just to buy the initial Capstar for our program, it was close to $10,000,” said Rebecca Giamona, Asst. Medical Care Director at Austin Pets Alive!
Giamona says preventative meds are also putting a heavy financial strain on the nonprofit’s budget at a cost of around $70,000.
“We need about 5,000 doses of the monthly preventative, and they are roughly $14 to $15 per dose,” said Giamona.
Products with the active ingredients ending in l, a, n, e, r are highly effective at preventing and treating infestations. But keeping Paul and every shelter animal up to date will take help from the public.
“Donations, and hopefully some more donations,” said Giamona.
An infestation of New World Screwworm can be painful, disfiguring, and potentially deadly for animals. Most cases involve livestock, especially cattle, but dogs and cats can also get infestations.
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