Texas
Top Texas health official who led response to coronavirus pandemic is retiring
![Top Texas health official who led response to coronavirus pandemic is retiring](https://thumbnails.texastribune.org/EcAnWfn9_8FA4SjX5Q_qSl053xM=/1200x630/filters:quality(95)/static.texastribune.org/media/files/786c57a3873dafa771605b3b66fcd742/%20John%20Hellerstedt%20EG%20TT%2001.jpg)
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Dr. John Hellerstedt, the Texas Division of State Well being Providers commissioner who helmed the state’s public well being response through the COVID-19 pandemic, is retiring on the finish of the month, state officers introduced Thursday. Hellerstedt has labored for the state for 14 years, serving because the chief of the well being division since 2016.
“He’s credited for spearheading the state’s public well being response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cecile Erwin Younger, the Texas Well being and Human Providers government commissioner, wrote in a information launch.
Hellerstedt didn’t instantly return a request for remark Thursday afternoon, however he advised company workers of his plans in an e mail in early August and mentioned he seems ahead to “spending extra time with my spouse and eight (quickly to be eleven!) grandchildren and maybe do some touring.”
He wrote that he’s retiring “with a heavy coronary heart and genuinely blended feelings.”
“I knew from the outset that the DSHS staff was an incredible group of people that perform a fancy and important mission,” Hellerstedt wrote to the workers. “The expertise of our success within the face of the worldwide pandemic solely redoubled my admiration.”
Hellerstedt’s interim substitute might be Dr. Jennifer Shuford, the chief state epidemiologist on the well being company. Shuford was additionally credited with supporting the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to make public well being selections. Shuford joined DSHS in 2017 after training as an infectious illness doctor in Austin.
Shuford will take over management of DSHS on Oct. 1 after Hellerstedt’s retirement from state service.
“Dr. Shuford’s ardour for service, in depth expertise and information in public well being will serve us nicely as she steps into this position,” Younger mentioned within the assertion. “I’m assured she’s going to efficiently lead DSHS by means of this transitional time.”
Shuford can be a member of the Travis County Medical Society and the Infectious Illnesses Society of America.
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Texas
Texas Rangers Outslugged By San Diego Padres As Bullpen Falters
![Texas Rangers Outslugged By San Diego Padres As Bullpen Falters](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5894,h_3315,x_0,y_489/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_rangers/01j1xvx9hyqr56cjc3np.jpg)
ARLINGTON — The Texas Rangers continued to slug, to an extent, but their pitching failed to hold down the San Diego Padres in a 6-4 loss Wednesday night at Globe Life Field.
The Rangers scored three times in the third and another run in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead, but the Padres scored a run in the fifth, sixth, and two more in the seventh on a two-run home run from David Peralta to snap the tie.
The Rangers’ two-game win streak was snapped as the Padres evened the series ahead of the 1:35 p.m. Thursday finale.
Texas continued to hit for multiple extra-base hits, but they were all confined to their three-run third when Jonah Heim, Corey Seager, and Josh Smith doubled to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
The Rangers bullpen faltered, however, which was forced into early action after starter Jon Gray was pulled with two on and no outs with a 4-2 lead in the 5th.
The big blow came against Dane Dunning, who took over for Jacob Latz in the sixth, who had replaced Jose Leclerc after he put the leadoff batter on with a hit-by-pitch.
Dunning was charged with two runs on three hits in 2 1/3 innings.
Marcus Semien, who was 0 for 4 with a run scored, was the only starting Rangers player who didn’t collect a hit.
Starter Jon Gray allowed a single and walk to start the fifth and was replaced by Jose Leclerc. Gray was charged with three runs on seven hits and two walks. Leclerc nearly escaped the inning but a dribbler down the third-base line bounced over the outer edge of the bag and was called fair, which allowed a run to score. Otherwise, Leclerc retired Manny Machado, Donovan Solano before striking out David Peralta to preserve a 4 3 lead.
Leody Taveras is batting .412 with three walks, two stolen bases, and three RBI in the past seven games. He drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the third Wednesday and later singled.
Max Scherzer (1-1, 1.74) makes his third start of the season in the series finale against right-hander Michael King (6-5, 3.61) at 1:35 p.m. Wednesday.
You can follow Stefan Stevenson on X @StefanVersusTex.
Catch up with Inside the Rangers on Facebook and X.
Texas
Texas A&M OF Caden Sorrell, Pitcher Justin Lamkin Announce Return to Aggies
![Texas A&M OF Caden Sorrell, Pitcher Justin Lamkin Announce Return to Aggies](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4202,h_2363,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_aggies/01j1x87f2hzhgfkk5fdp.jpg)
A week ago, it looked like Texas A&M Aggies baseball was falling into the basement.
Not only had their head coach accepted the head coaching job for their arch rivals, the Texas Longhorns, but nearly every impact player from their College World Series team had entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
However, things have now turned around in a big way.
With the hiring of new head coach Michael Earley, the Aggies had managed to retain a good portion of those players entering the portal, including Jace LaViolette, Gavin Grahovac, Ali Camarillo, Hayden Schott, and Kaeden Kent.
Now, he has done it again, with standout freshman outfielder Caden Sorrell and pitcher Justin Lamkin both announcing their intentions to stay with the program on Wednesday with a post on X.
“No place like HOME,” Sorrell said his his post with two thumbs up emojis.
Last season in his first year with the Aggies, Sorrell exploded on to the scene, hitting .275 with a .369 OBP and .555 slugging percentage in 62 games. In 214 total plate appearances and 182 at bats, Sorrell scored 44 runs with 50 hits and 43 RBI, along with 11 home runs. He also finished the year with eight doubles, three triples, and nine stolen bases to his name.
Lamkin, meanwhile, his announcement on Instagram.
Left handed pitcher Justin Lamkin announces his return to Texas A&M on Instagram after a legendary showing in June at the College World Series. pic.twitter.com/YdDD3eBAQh
— Ryan Brauninger (@R_Brauninger) July 3, 2024
In his second season with the Aggies, Lamkin went 3-3 with a 5.21 ERA in 19 games with 16 starts. He pitched 65.2 total innings and gave up 64 hits with 38 earned runs, striking out 88 of the 289 batters he faced.
Texas
Texas A&M Chancellor Takes Shot At Jim Schlossnagle For ‘Shady’ Exit
![Texas A&M Chancellor Takes Shot At Jim Schlossnagle For ‘Shady’ Exit](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4525,h_2545,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_aggies/01j1wgcdra1k0jz61d29.jpg)
The Texas A&M Aggies lost former head coach Jim Schlossnagle to their arch-rival Texas Longhorns last week, in a move that shocked Aggie fans everywhere.
After all, Schlossnagle had just berated the media the evening before bolting for Austin for simply asking questions about his connection to the job. Nonetheless, Schlossnagle left, leaving an extremely sour taste in the mouths of Aggies everywhere.
And following the swift hiring of Michael Earley as Schlossnagle’s replacement, Texas A&M Chancellor John Sharp took the opportunity to take a shot at the former coach during Earley’s introductory press conference.
“Considering the shady way this all happened & the final result, A&M got the far better part of this deal,” Sharp told Brent Zwerneman of the Houston Chronicle. “A coach loyal to his players & school is worth his weight in gold. Now we’ve got that coach.”
However, Sharp wasn’t the only person in the Aggies organization who was thrown off by Schlossnagle’s actions.
Following his exit to the Longhorns, it was reported by Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball that a deal had been done between Schlossnagle and Texas before the start of the postseason.
Texas A&M Athletic Director Trev Alberts has now seemingly backed up those reports, telling Zwerneman that Schlossnagle was extremely avoidant in the weeks leading up to his exit.
Per Alberts, Schlossnagle avoided a meeting scheduled regarding the renovation of Blue Bell Park – allegedly a major sticking point for the coach – and canceled one-on-one meetings with the AD.
“We hosted a regional, and after the regional, I said, ‘Can we meet?’ ” Alberts said to Zwerneman. “We scheduled a meeting for Monday (June 3), and he canceled. We scheduled a meeting for that Tuesday, and he canceled… That Wednesday I went and sat … (Schlossnagle’s) son was in his office, and so I sat in (assistant coach) Nolan Cain’s office. I talked for 40 minutes with Nolan Cain until he came.”
At the end of the day, what’s done is done. Schlossnagle has departed College Station, and Earley is now leading the charge.
And it seems all of Aggieland is thrilled with the outcome.
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