Farmersville alumnus pitcher Cooper Strawn announced on his personal ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account July 28 that he will play collegiate baseball for the University of Oregon. File photo
By David Wolman
Two former baseball players for Farmersville High School recently announced the next step of their athletic endeavors.
Outfielder/pitcher Jahir Vanegas, who graduated from Farmersville in May, announced his commitment to play for Richland College three weeks ago. Right-handed pitcher Cooper Strawn, a 2023 graduate of Farmersville, put pen to paper with the Oregon Ducks on July 28 after playing the last two years with Weatherford College.
Strawn had planned to return to Weatherford College for a third season until Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski and Ducks pitching coach Matt Florer reached out to him July 21.
“I had a couple of previous offers after the season ended,” Strawn said. “I was set on going back to Weatherford. Oregon came out of nowhere. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. I had great conversations with coach Wasikowski and their new pitching coach (Florer). They made the decision easy for me.”
Strawn missed almost all of the 2024 season for Weatherford College after he underwent Tommy John surgery in January 2024, but he came back strong this year. Named to the All-North Texas Junior College Athletic Association second team at starting pitcher, he finished the season with a 3-0 record in five starts, a 2.30 earned run average, 40 strikeouts against 16 walks and held opposing batters to a .173 average.
The Coyotes amassed an overall record of 48-13, won the NTJCAA conference title for the third year in a row and competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Super Regionals.
“It was a great season,” Strawn said. “I started off in the starting rotation, then had a shoulder injury that I had to work through. I came out of the bullpen and worked my way back into a starting role. I was trying to string together good start after good start.
“I had a great two years at Weatherford. I was blessed to make the relationships that I’ll have for the rest of my life. It was a tough decision to leave, but I was at the point where I was ready to take the next step.”
Vanegas, like Strawn, has had to work through an injury.
Although an unspecified injury prevented him from pitching during his senior season, Vanegas had a successful senior season in the outfield while also serving as one of the team’s top offensive threats.
Named to the All-District 13-4A second team, Vanegas recorded 23 hits, 15 RBI and 26 runs scored, helping the Farmers to overcome a slow start and advance to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
Vanegas received interest from two colleges before his injury. His goal was to play locally, where he could not only play college baseball and attend school, but also help out with his family’s landscaping business.
“It’s pretty cool because I can still come to talk to my family and do other stuff and help run the business, but still compete collegiately,” he said. “When I am at Richland, it will give me the opportunity to give all of my time and dedication to baseball.”
The pitching coach at Richland College came to scout another player at a recent training session in Dallas, but during their visit, they took notice of Vanegas and were impressed with what they saw.
Richland College is coming off an appearance in the semifinals of the NJCAA Division III World Series.
“I’m actually 100%,” Vanegas said. “Since I’ve been going to pitch, my stuff has gotten sharper. I have hit some new personal records with my velocity. I’m ready to go to Richland in the fall.”
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