SINTON, Texas — Sinton grad Jaquae Stewart has taken a unique journey from Junior College to join Texas' baseball roster. He made the announcement on X on Monday.
“You know the culture. The community," Stewart said. "Being from a small town you have everybody bought in, and that’s something that I love about Texas.”
GOD DID@drewhbishop @ncain39 @CoachSchloss pic.twitter.com/I9ymZJEIno
— Jaquae Stewart (@AliJaquae) July 22, 2024
Before going home to Texas, Jaquae Stewart made a pitstop at Northwest Florida State where they finished runner-up in the Junior College National Championship. Now he’s trading red for burnt orange and making his father proud.
“My granny it was her favorite team growing up, so with him getting a little emotional I knew it meant something to him," Stewart said. "With me taking this big step in my life it’s something I can’t take for granted. I have to go 100 percent, so definitely my dad.”
Stewart joins former Sinton catcher Rylan Galvan in Austin. These two go way back. They started playing baseball together at 5 years old in the Sinton Little League. Their team was the Angels.
“First thing that ran through my mind was just like all of the memories growing up together real close," Galvan said. "Family's really close, and everything we’ve gone through growing up.”
That kind of chemistry takes time to strengthen as well as good coaching, like from Sinton’s Adrian Alaniz who played for Texas from 2004-07. He’ll never forget learning under coach Augie Garrido and hitting a no-hitter against Oklahoma in 2005.
“It just hits full circle for me just because I know how all of those memories that I had there at Texas meant a lot to me," Adrian Alaniz, Sinton baseball head coach, said. "Then kind of seeing him (Rylan) go through the same platform is awesome. You know recently now we’ve got Jaquae jumping on it, so it just makes this coach really proud and humble to be able to see those boys together and ready to go back to work.”
Together Galvan and Stewart won a UIL 4A baseball State Championship in 2022.
“You know, I’ve always looked up to him," Stewart said. "His work ethic and stuff like that. Just being able to go back and play together like we did in high school, and hopefully run it back and win another championship I think that would be amazing.”
Including the fall 2025 season Stewart has three more years of college baseball eligibility.
Sinton 2001 graduate Luis Cortez also went to Texas, but transferred out after his second year. He finished at the University of Arizona.
