Del Rio standout Wade Cooper transfers to Texas A&M pitcher role

Wade Cooper announced Tuesday on X that he was transferring from Texas State to Texas A&M for his sophomore season, giving Del Rio another hometown player headed into a Power Four baseball program. The move lands the former Del Rio Rams standout in College Station just as the Aggies are rebuilding their pitching staff after a 41-16 season and a College Station Regional loss to USC on June 1.

For Val Verde County, Cooper’s rise is more than a roster update. He is one of the most visible young baseball names to come out of Del Rio High School in recent years, and his path has been followed by families, coaches and youth players who have watched him go from local standout to college arm. At Del Rio High, he earned District 30-6A All-District First Team honors as a freshman, was named Newcomer of the Year, later picked up second-team honors at first base and first-team honors as a pitcher as a junior, and finished that season as team MVP.

Cooper arrived at Texas State with a profile that already reflected a long local pipeline. Recruiting listings identified him as a Del Rio, Texas product tied to the Texas Angels travel program, and Prep Baseball Report listed his Texas State commitment date as Aug. 28, 2024. Texas State’s official roster lists him as a freshman right-handed pitcher from Del Rio High School, while other profiles listed him at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds or 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. He also had three seasons of eligibility remaining when the transfer was announced.

His freshman season in San Marcos showed why major programs kept tracking him. Cooper posted a 4.72 ERA over 66 2/3 innings, went 7-3, saved five games and struck out 73 batters in 21 appearances. He worked mostly out of the bullpen as a true freshman and also had a strong outing against USC in the NCAA postseason, throwing three innings, allowing one run and striking out five.

That performance came at Blue Bell Park, where Texas A&M had already secured a home-field regional bid on May 24. The Aggies then fell to USC 7-1 in the regional finale, a backdrop that helps explain why head coach Michael Earley’s staff has been aggressive in reshaping the pitching group. Earley hired Barry Enright as pitching coach in June, and Nolan Cain returned to Aggieland on June 21 as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

The family connection adds another layer to the move. Cooper’s parents, Emily and Bill Cooper, are both Texas A&M graduates, turning the transfer into a college homecoming as well as a career step. For Del Rio, it is another reminder that the Rams pipeline is still producing players who can reach one of the state’s biggest stages.