AUSTIN — McAllen High alum and current freshman pitcher with the Texas Longhorns Aaron Nixon has always shined his brightest on baseball’s biggest stages.
At 10 years old, Nixon won a national championship with his 11-under select team with the championship game broadcast on ESPN. He was crowned the game’s most valuable player.
During his four-year career with McHi from 2017-20, Nixon starred at shortstop, third base and as both a starting pitcher and closer. He was a two-time all-state player leading the Bulldogs to six playoff series wins in three years.
Now, Nixon is set to take college baseball’s biggest stage as the No. 2-ranked Texas Longhorns are bound for the College World Series beginning Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska.
“It’s definitely a dream come true because I’ve worked my whole life to be in this moment and I’m just excited to help this team win,” Nixon said.
The Longhorns (47-15, 17-7) finished 3-0 in the NCAA Austin Regional on June 6 to advance to the NCAA Austin Super Regional. Texas then swept South Florida 2-0 in the NCAA Austin Super Regional on Sunday, punching their ticket to this year’s College World Series.
In Game 2 against South Florida, Nixon took over on the mound for the bottom of the ninth and struck out two of the three batters faced for a perfect inning. His Longhorns teammates immediately rushed the field to celebrate advancing to Omaha.
“It’s a blur. It was crazy; it was nuts,” Nixon said. “The crowd was into it, the team was ready to go. We worked all year for that. It was great to punch that last out to get our team to where we need to be this season. … In the locker room, it was a celebration but we’re ready to get to work this week. We had our fun, we’re ready to get there and compete.”
Texas is set to face Mississippi State in Game 1 of the College World Series at 6 p.m. Sunday in Omaha. The game is available on ESPN.
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are a team with another familiar Rio Grande Valley baseball name in Jake Gautreau, a 1998 McAllen Memorial graduate. Gautreau is in his third year as an assistant coach with Mississippi State.
Nixon’s freshman year at McHi began with him seeing action as a closer before turning into a full-time starter.
As a freshman with the Longhorns, Nixon has excelled in the same role as he leads the team with eight saves and a 3-3 record. Nixon holds a 2.35 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 30.2 innings, while limiting opponents to 24 hits, eight runs and eight walks. Opposing batters are averaging .216 when facing the former McHi flame-thrower.
“I love it. I love the pressure moment,” Nixon said of his closer role. “I love the ups and downs. I just love being in the grease. Since I was young, my coaches would put me in that position and I’ve always loved that, just giving my team a chance to win, and helping this team win just means a lot to me.”
That’s why after slamming the door shut on an opponent to give the Texas Longhorns another victory, the emotion takes over. It’s a dream Nixon has chased nearly his entire life, but now, he’s living it.
“I’m just happy to work another week with this team because they’re family to me. It’s great to have another week with them and get after it,” he said.
