UT Dallas baseball advances to its final provisional year in NCAA Division II, joining the Lone Star Conference and preparing for 2026 under new head coach Travis Graves and former MLB pitcher Derek Holland. Full membership begins Sept. 1, 2026.
RICHARDSON, Texas — 2026 marks a landmark year for the University of Texas at Dallas Comets baseball team as they compete for the first time in NCAA Division II.
The program is in the final phase of its transition from NCAA Division III to Division II. The NCAA Division II Membership Committee and Management Council has approved the Comets' advancement to the last year of their two-year provisional membership.
The program will achieve full Division II status on Sept. 1, 2026.
The Comets are now members of the Lone Star Conference and are eligible for regular-season conference honors. They remain ineligible for postseason conference tournaments (where the conference receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II championship) during this provisional year.
This shift marks a major step forward for the program. Moving to Division II allows UT Dallas to offer athletic scholarships for the first time—up to nine equivalency scholarships per NCAA rules for baseball, which can be divided among players. Division III prohibits athletic scholarships, limiting aid to academic, merit or need-based options.
The change significantly strengthens recruiting. Coaches can now pursue talent with partial or fuller financial packages, attracting players who previously might have selected scholarship-offering programs elsewhere. It also raises the level of competition, as Division II brings greater intensity, stronger regional rivalries, improved facilities in many cases and better exposure to professional scouts—while remaining a step below Division I.
Competing in the respected Lone Star Conference positions the Comets against established programs, increasing visibility and player development opportunities.
The program also begins a new era of leadership. After 24 seasons as the only head coach in program history, Shane Shewmake stepped down with a 650-370 record and no losing seasons.
Travis Graves takes over as the second head coach for the 2026 season. Since joining the staff in July 2018, Graves has helped lead the Comets to a 184-94 record and consecutive American Southwest Conference titles in 2021 and 2022.
Graves — A former player who competed in the 2009 College World Series, he has developed two All-Americans and 10 all-region selections.
The coaching staff features major league experience, with former Texas Rangers pitcher Derek Holland in his second season as pitching coach in 2026. The veteran left-hander, who joined the staff in June 2025 after a 13-year MLB career—including key contributions to the Rangers' back-to-back World Series runs in 2010 and 2011—brings valuable big-league insight to the transitioning roster. Holland pitched arguably the best game in Rangers post-season history against the Cardinals in 2011. Holland’s final line: 8.1 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K.
The Comets have started preparations for the 2026 campaign. They open the season on the road against Oklahoma Christian from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.
UT Dallas hosts its home opener at UTD Baseball Field on Friday, Feb. 6, against West Texas A&M, with first pitch at 1 p.m.
