Austin, TX
Oregon Baseball Loses Key Talent in Surprising Transfer Portal Move
More tough news for the Oregon Ducks baseball program after being swept in two games by the Texas Longhorns in the Austin Super Regional.
With Oregon’s season over, freshman right fielder Angel Laya has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. He has quickly become one of the more coveted names available on the market.
Laya was one of the top breakout first-year players across all of college baseball. Perfect Game’s First Team Freshman All-American selection hit a .296 batting average/.538 slugging percentage/.396 on-base percentage with 14 home runs, 10 doubles, 47 runs batted in, and 27 walks to 34 strikeouts in 59 games played this season.
The slugger will look to receive a hefty check in Name, Image, Likeness or NIL money, and Laya could potentially be a first-round pick in the 2028 MLB Draft thanks to his swinging impact to the pull side and easy lift of the ball.
In Laya’s absence, Mark Wasikowski will now lean on his other star freshmen from 2026, catcher Brayden Jaksa and designated hitter Naulivou Lauaki Jr., to bring in runs even more. Especially if junior second baseman Ryan Cooney and junior shortstop Maddox Molony decided to completely buy in on the MLB route. Neither has been invited to the MLB Draft Combine at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on June 23 through June 25.
From the returning pitching staff, the name to monitor as next season’s potential star ace is redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Cal Scolari. He cracked MLB Pipeline’s top-200 upcoming draft prospects at No. 191. Scolari has the potential to be an early-round pick before his junior season.
The 2026 MLB Draft is set for July 11 to July 12 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
Other Oregon Ducks to Enter Transfer Portal
Laya is the third Duck to enter the transfer portal this offseason, which closes on June 30.
- Junior right-handed pitcher Collin Clarke
- Redshirt sophomore infielder Tyler Holley
One positive coming out of the portal mayhem, Vanderbilt Commodores sophomore infielder Carter Johnstone will be taking his talents to the Pacific Northwest in Eugene, Oregon.
Incoming High School Recruit Has Life-Altering Decision to Make
The 2026 outfielder/first baseman Isaiah Hearn is verbally committed to the Ducks program. The Chaminade alum in Los Angeles, California, was named to the 2025 Perfect Game All-American Classic.
The 18-year-old leftie masher has a decision to make if he does end up being taken in the 2026 MLB Draft. Hearn may not end up playing college ball at all.
Three Ducks to Compete for USA Baseball This Summer
Oregon’s sophomore relief pitcher Tanner Bradley, sophomore starting pitcher Will Sanford, and freshman catcher Brayden Jaksa have all been invited to USA Baseball’s collegiate training camp this summer.
Perfect Game named Bradley as well as Sanford to its All-American Third Team. They also listed Jaksa on the Freshman All-American Second Team.
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Austin, TX — Dinosaur lovers of all ages can travel back millions of years during Dinosaur Day at the Texas Science & Natural History Museum on Saturday, July 11.
The family-friendly event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features a full day of hands-on activities, opportunities to meet paleontologists and plenty of prehistoric discoveries.
One of the day’s biggest attractions gives visitors the chance to **bring their own fossils** for in-person identification by a paleontologist. Fossil identification sessions will be available from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Guests can also:
Meet paleontologists who study dinosaurs
Participate in family-friendly educational and art activities
Complete a dinosaur-themed scavenger hunt
Attend a special story time for younger visitors
Pick up a free dinosaur poster while supplies last
Explore “Epic Encounters,” the museum’s newly reimagined paleontology gallery
Visit the hands-on Discovery Center
See a 33-foot cast replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton along with a variety of fossil specimens
Save 20% on select dinosaur-themed merchandise in the Museum Store
All Dinosaur Day activities are included with regular museum admission.
The Texas Science & Natural History Museum, located on the University of Texas campus, tells the story of Texas’ natural history—from the formation of the planet and the age of dinosaurs to the state’s modern-day ecosystems.
For more information and ticket details, visit the museum’s event page: https://sciencemuseum.utexas.edu/
Double homicide investigation in NW Austin
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a double homicide in the parking lot at Bare Cabaret. Deputies responded to the scene on Reservoir Court, where two people were found dead. The investigation is ongoing.
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas – A fight in a crowded parking lot outside a Travis County gentlemen’s club early Sunday escalated into a shooting that left a man and a woman dead, authorities said.
Double homicide
What we know:
Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired just before 4 a.m. in the 9700 block of Reservoir Court, the site of the Bare Cabaret, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
An estimated 400 people were inside the establishment and packed into the parking lot when the gunfire erupted, creating a chaotic scene for arriving emergency personnel.
A man in his 20s died at the scene, officials said. A female victim, believed to be in her late teens or early 20s, was taken to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries. The identities of the victims have not been released.
It took deputies and detectives several hours to secure and clear the area as investigators interviewed every person present to determine their involvement before allowing them to leave.
Detectives are reviewing video surveillance footage and speaking with witnesses and family members to piece together what triggered the altercation. No arrests have been announced, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
Three people are dead after two separate overnight shootings in Austin.
The first happened before midnight on the Fourth of July. The Austin Police Department responded to a call for service around 11:48 p.m. at the parking lot outside of Michelobos Sports Bar in North Austin, said APD officer Austin Zarling at an early Sunday morning press briefing.
Officers found two male victims with trauma and rendered aid until Austin-Travis County EMS and the Austin Fire Department arrived. The victims were taken to a local hospital, where one was pronounced dead around 12:29 a.m. The other victim is in stable condition, Zarling said.
A third person has been detained as part of the investigation.
APD is asking for people with information on the shooting to call the homicide tip line at 512-477-3588 or Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477.
The incident was followed by another shooting in the parking lot of Bare Cabaret, an adult nightclub in Northeast Austin. Just before 4 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired, said Kristen Dark, public information officer for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, at a Sunday press briefing.
Multiple shots were fired during an “altercation” in the parking lot, Dark said. There were nearly 400 people at the scene, prompting a large law enforcement response.
A man in his 20s died at the scene, and a woman whose age is unknown but “likely late teens, early 20s” died at a local hospital, Dark said.
One person was detained and has since been released. The sheriff’s office has not made any arrests, Dark said in a phone call around 11 a.m. Sunday.
It took several hours for deputies to interview people at the scene. The sheriff’s office is continuing to investigate.
This is a developing story.
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