RICHARDSON, Texas - UT Dallas Director of Athletics Angela Marin has announced that assistant coach Travis Graves has been promoted to head baseball coach. Graves has spent the previous seven seasons as the Comets' assistant coach. He replaces Shane Shewmake, who started the program and stepped down after 24 seasons.

Since joining the Comets in July 2018, UTD went 184-94 and won back-to-back American Southwest Conference titles in 2021 and 2022. Graves coached two All-Americans, 10 All-Region selections and 53 All-American Southwest Conference picks.

"Travis was a long-time assistant coach with a proven track record of success," said Marin. "I am excited for him and his family as I know how much being the next head coach at UT Dallas means to him. Travis recruits, retains, and graduates elite baseball student-athletes and I look forward to seeing the growth and continued success of our baseball program under his leadership. The Lone Star Conference is an elite baseball league and I know Travis will ensure we are competitive year after year."

"I am incredibly grateful to Angela Marin and the university for this opportunity," Graves said. "I also want to thank Shane Shewmake for his leadership and for building a winning culture that I've been proud to contribute to since joining the staff in 2018. We have a tremendous foundation of success, and I am eager to build upon that as we transition and compete at the NCAA Division II level."
 
A native of Mesquite, Graves came to the Comets after spending one season as assistant coach and recruiting coach at NCAA Division II Delta State University. In 2018, Graves was part of a coaching staff that led the Statesmen to the Gulf South Conference title with a 42-11 overall record.

Prior to DSU, Graves was the associate head coach at Dallas College-Eastfield, spending six seasons in that capacity with the Harvesters. While at Eastfield, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program and also served as the recruiting coordinator. Additionally, Graves made summer stops in the Coastal Plain League, spending a season each as an assistant coach with the Martinsville Mustangs (2015) and the Savannah Bananas (2016) before being named the head coach of the Florence Red Wolves in 2017.

A product of Horn High School, Graves began his playing career as an All-American catcher at local Eastfield before transferring to the University of Southern Mississippi, where he led the Eagles to the NCAA College World Series. While at USM, he was listed on the Johnny Bench Award List as a senior and led the squad to the Conference USA championship.

Following his collegiate days, Graves returned to Eastfield for two seasons as an assistant coach for the Harvesters, helping mentor the 2011 NJCAA Division I National Champions to a 40-22 overall record. Graves then headed back to Hattiesburg to serve as a graduate assistant with USM. 

Graves collected his bachelor's degree from USM in Interdisciplinary Studies with minors in both History and Sport Coaching in 2010 while earning his master's degree also from Southern Miss in Sport Management in 2012.