AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas freshman closer Sam Cozart is the best reliever in the country.

Cozart was named the Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Friday, becoming the fourth Longhorn to win it and the second freshman in the award’s 21-year history. The other freshman to win it was former Longhorn Corey Knebel in 2011.

Going into play at the Men’s College World Series, Cozart racked up nine saves with a 6-0 record and 1.65 ERA in 22 appearances. He has struck out 71 batters with 12 walks in 49 innings.

Cozart joins J. Brent Cox, Chance Ruffin and Knebel as Longhorns to win the award. Cox won it in 2005, and Ruffin won in 2010. Texas has more Stopper of the Year award winners than any program.

Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson was named the Dick Howser trophy winner for national player of the year, and West Virginia’s Steve Sabins was named the Mike Martin National Coach of the Year. Cozart was also named the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by the NCBWA.

Texas is on the ropes in Omaha at the Men’s College World Series after a 7-1 loss Saturday to Georgia. The Longhorns face Alabama at 1 p.m. Monday in an elimination game, and to make the championship series, Texas will have to win five games in four days.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas has quietly become a pipeline for some of the world’s top soccer referees, a connection that will come into sharper focus as the FIFA World Cup returns to the United States in 2026, with Dallas and Houston set to host multiple matches.

From Austin to Brownsville, officials with ties to the Lone Star State have risen through the ranks of Major League Soccer and onto the sport’s biggest stages, including the men’s and women’s World Cups.

What we know:

Ismail Elfath is a Moroccan-born referee who immigrated to the United States as a teenager. Now based in Austin, Elfath has been an MLS referee since 2012 and joined FIFA’s international list in 2016. The University of Texas graduate had an an unconventional path to officiating.

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – FEBRUARY 21: Referee Ismail Elfath during the first half of a MLS game between St. Louis City SC and Charlotte FC at Energizer Park on February 21, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Gett

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In an interview with Pflugerville Football Club (PFC), Elfath said he became a referee when a complaint to a match official turned into an invitation to try the role himself.

Elfath has since built a résumé that includes officiating at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he refereed two group-stage matches and a Round of 16 game, and served as a fourth official for the FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France. 

He also has twice been named MLS Referee of the Year.

Referee Ismail Elfath gestures during the CONCACAF Champions Cup 2026 final match between Toluca and Tigres UANL at Nemesio Diez Stadium on May 30, 2026 in Toluca, Mexico. (Manuel Velasquez / Getty Images)

Dig deeper:

Armando Villarreal’s journey began in South Texas, where he started officiating youth games in Brownsville at age 18. He worked his way through the U.S. Soccer system and made his MLS debut in 2012, later earning a spot on FIFA’s international referees list in 2015.

KANSAS CITY, KS – APRIL 7: Referee Armando Villarreal gives a signal during a game between Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on April 7, 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

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Villarreal has officiated multiple high-profile matches, including MLS Cup finals and CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments, and was selected as a video assistant referee for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

Like players, referees are evaluated on performance, with each assignment carrying weight in determining future opportunities.

Local perspective:

In addition, American assistant referee Brooke Mayo represents a newer generation of officials reaching the global stage. Mayo grew up in Garland, Texas and began refereeing soccer at age 13. 

ORLANDO, FL – FEBRUARY 16: Referee Brooke Mayo before a game between Brazil and Japan at Exploria Stadium on February 16, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

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She was selected to officiate the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England. Mayo received the assignment after a culmination of years of work climbing through domestic and international ranks.

Mayo’s presence alongside officials like Elfath and Villarreal underscores the growing Texas footprint in FIFA officiating.

Big picture view:

That presence comes as North Texas prepares to host one of the largest shares of matches in the expanded 2026 World Cup. The convergence of elite officiating talent and two major host cities highlight Texas’ increasing influence in the global game, not just through players and fans.

AUSTIN, Texas — An investigation is underway after a gunman in Midland killed one person and injured 10 others on Friday. It marks the 23rd mass shooting reported in Texas since the beginning of the year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

The Gun Violence Archive is an independent research organization which defines a mass shooting as a shooting in which four or more people shot at the same time and location, not including the shooter.

The count in Texas reached a peak in 2023, when Gun Violence Archive data shows Texas had 65 reported mass shootings. By 2025, the count had dropped to 37 mass shooting incidents in the state.

The shooting in West Texas has prompted condolences from Texas state leaders and renewed calls from advocates for more action to address gun violence.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz praised the response from law enforcement. “We are grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders who moved swiftly to protect the community,” he wrote Friday.

Austin-area gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Gina Hinojosa also credited first responders, saying their efforts “undoubtedly saved lives.”

Nicole Golden, executive director of Texas Gun Sense, an anti-gun violence advocacy group, spoke with CBS Austin on Saturday.

“Our initial reaction is always empathy for the victims and survivors and anyone affected by this horrible, traumatic tragedy.” Golden added, “ We’re, just like everybody else, waiting to hear a bit more information about the exact circumstances, but what we do know is this shouldn’t be normal.”

1 dead, 10 injured during shooting in Midland, shooter is dead

The shooting came as Texas continues to see repeated incidents of mass gun violence. In Austin, a March mass shooting at Buford’s on West Sixth Street left three victims dead and 15 others injured. In April, a shooting in East Austin left six people with injuries. In May, a cross-town shooting spree left four people injured.

Despite the recent local examples, Golden pointed to community-based efforts as one area showing promise.

“What we know is working is the growing ecosystem of community violence intervention programs that are working to stop the cycle of violence in communities that are hardest hit.” But she said more progress is needed, adding, “What we haven’t seen and we want to continue working toward is a similar reduction in gun homicides. There’s just a lot more work we need to do to bring down the numbers of gun deaths overall.”

Aust Public Health officials have also been weighing additional prevention strategies. APH shared a report with the mayor and City Council this week outlining several violence prevention recommendations focused on youth development, mental health and economic opportunity.