Del Rio baseball player William Mitchell signs with University of the Southwest

William Mitchell signed with the University of the Southwest at the Mayfield Baseball Club in Del Rio. Surrounded by friends and family, Mitchell put pen to paper with his parents, Kami and Christopher Mitchell, looking on.

The Hobbs, New Mexico, school gave Mitchell the setting he wanted. University of the Southwest is a private, four-year Christian university founded in 1962 and regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and its athletics teams compete as the Mustangs. The small-school environment mattered to him, and his first visit won him over because it was not the kind of place he saw as a party school. He wanted a college where baseball would come with a real education. Mitchell plans to major in finance, minor in accounting and work toward a career as a forensic accountant.

Mitchell was one of the last members of the Rams senior class to make his commitment. He will head to Hobbs with teammate Arturo Ramos, while Sebastian Garcia is headed to Nelson University and Tres McCrea will attend Arlington Baptist University. Mitchell is a 2026 left-handed pitcher from Del Rio High School, and Ramos and Garcia are also in 2026 recruiting databases tied to Del Rio baseball. Mitchell learned baseball from his father and began focusing on pitching after first developing his skills as a child. Two years ago, a triceps injury and later a diagnosis of calcification in his arm forced him away from the mound, but rehab brought him back. Mitchell had already been visible in the community through a filmed interview with other Del Rio varsity players.