With UTD now fully integrated into the Division II Lone Star Conference, the 2025-2026 school year can be defined as the start of a new era. For the Comets baseball team, that means more than just moving up to a more competitive conference. After 24 seasons managing the dugout, head baseball coach Shane Shewmake stepped down from his long tenured position, opening the door for a new, but familiar face to take the reins.
After spending seven years as an assistant to Shewmake, Travis Graves now looks to lead UTD Baseball into a brand new frontier, taking lessons from previous years to build his own legacy.
“I don’t want to say it’s pressure,” Graves said. “It’s exciting to run a program. I just want to make sure that I live up to everything [Shewmake] built.”
They’ve done a good job of instilling and applying the things that we go over in practice in the games, and I think that shows [in the] record that we have right now.
— Travis Graves, UTD Baseball coach
Well into his first season, Graves’ Comets have taken the transition in stride. The team boasts an impressive 32-14 record, third in the LSC. Both sides of the game have been impressive, scoring the second most runs and allowing the third least runs in the conference.
“I think we’ve turned a few heads in the conference,” Graves said. “[The players] kind of have to learn on the fly, unfortunately, because there’s no preseason. They’ve done a good job of instilling and applying the things that we go over in practice in the games, and I think that shows [in the] record that we have right now.”
Alongside their impressive overall record, the team owns the best home record in the league at 16-3, which Graves attributed to comfortability with the field conditions and being able to play in front of friends and family. Great teams have great players, and the Comets are full of them. Graves attributes this to the work the players put in months before the season even started.
“I’d shout out the whole team if I could, they’re a great group of kids,” Graves said. “Most people don’t realize that it starts in August. It’s three months out there in the fall, it’s 102 degrees, you’re not playing a game for another four months, and just the work these kids have put in, the fact that they’ve bought in as hard as they’ve played, I’m just really proud of them and everything they’ve done for the program.”
I’m just really proud of [the students] and everything they’ve done for the program.
— Graves
When asked if he could pinpoint a player as the team’s MVP, Graves instead came up with two names: senior outfielder and designated hitter Trent McCown and graduate relief pitcher Tag Pacot.
McCown has led the way for the Comets at the plate, leading the team in multiple categories, including his 16 home runs 58 runs batted in,
“There’s a little more intensity in doing the little things [baserunning, fielding plate discipline],” McCown said. “Not to say Shewmake didn’t cover that at all, but I’d say there’s just a little more of a focus on it this year.”
Pacot has been an invaluable piece to the Comets bullpen. The relief pitcher leads the team with 17 appearances, an earned run average of 3.19 and 8 saves.
“Tag’s been really good on the back end of our bullpen,” Graves said. “He’s pitching a lot of big games for us [and has] been successful on the mound.”
Pacot spoke about the responsibility of being the team’s go-to-guy out of the bullpen and praised his coaching staff for helping him and the rest of the pitching staff prepare for each game. Pacot specifically praised Graves and his coaching.
“He’s been great,” Pacot said, “Props to him because it’s his first year as a [head] coach…he’s stepped into some pretty big shoes to fill, and the standard hasn’t dipped.”
Graves also pointed out second baseman Albert Garza, first baseman Kole Kinnison and shortstop Jake Amoroso as other key contributors at the plate and on defense.
When it comes to nurturing his players and building the future of the program, Graves looks to the lessons learned under Shewmake to help guide him.
“[I learned] just how to do things the right way,” Graves said. “How to show up every day, how to handle your business, how to be a leader, how to be an example for those kids, knowing when to be a little tough on them, knowing when to hug them [and] being able to stay level-headed throughout the course of an entire season.”
The biggest thing is just [to] continue to compete.
— Graves
With just a few games remaining, Graves and the Comets are looking to finish the season strong. The team is not eligible for the postseason this year, but that does not mean that there is nothing to play for.
“The expectation this spring is to continue what we’ve been doing,” Graves said. “To play hard, to keep getting after it in practice, keep getting better… but the biggest thing is just [to] continue to compete.”
Graves believes the Comets winning games and building a reputation this season will set the team up for future success. That success will look like a years-long pedigree for a high standard of play, fruitful recruiting and more — the best foot to enter DII on.
“They don’t get a postseason this year but they’re leaving behind a legacy,” Graves said. “They’re leaving behind a mark, something they can be proud of, opening up the door for the future to come on board.”