SAN MARCOS, Texas — While Tristan Stivors earned his share of venom from the city of Austin following an emphatic “horns down” exclamation point in Texas State’s March upset of Texas, his viral fame initially made headlines.
“My phone was blowing up. I was getting hate from my UT buddies, love from family. It was awesome,” the nation’s leader in saves said.
Little did we know, the Castroville native bet on himself and earned his fame for a different reason.
After helping the Bobcats reach the Stanford Regional, the big righty’s 2.21 ERA earned himself an All-American nod while being tabbed as the 2022 “Stopper of the Year”, recognizing the country’s top reliever.
Stivors, in his third year in San Marcos after transferring from New Mexico Junior College in 2019, is grateful for how far he’s come.
“If you would have asked me in my first year if I would have started the [Stanford Regional] championship game, I would’ve said ‘no.’”
That start would ultimately turn into the best of his young career, logging seven one-run innings while striking out nine receiving a no-decision in the Bobcats’ 4-3 season-ending defeat.
With the MLB Draft rapidly approaching next month, the focus turns to making an impact in the big leagues, no matter how long it takes to get there.
“It’s just another step just like junior college was a step to get here. Indie ball might be a step to get to pro ball," he said. "If that’s something I have to do then I’m gonna do it to get the where I have to go.”