A Great Start

Nick Tepesch's sterling pitching debut makes Texas Rangers look smart

Shaving cream is a good thing in baseball. It signifies celebration. Not a World Series, mind you. But it’s the universal symbol in the game for personal accomplishment and public embarrassment.

Elvis Andrus made sure rookie pitcher Nick Tepesch received the shaving cream pie treatment after his gem of an outing against the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday night. Tepesch went straight from an interview with Fox Sports Southwest’s Emily Jones to hugs from his parents and didn’t bother wiping it off.

If Tepesch was nervous, it didn’t show. Not in a second inning in which he loaded the bases and then struck out Kelly Johnson to get out of the jam. Not in a third inning in which he gave up a leadoff double to Desmond Jennings and held the Rays to a run — their only run in a 6-1 Rangers win.

“He showed maturity for a young guy,” Ron Washington said of Tepesch. “He has awareness. He has pitchability.”

“He has a tremendous makeup,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said afterward. “He trusts his stuff. He knows what he can do. He’s never outside of himself. Those are the traits we saw in spring training.”

Even as he lined up to congratulate his teammates in the post-game handshake line, he didn’t smile much. Bewildered? Maybe. But it seems more likely that Tepesch, whom even the most educated Rangers fan might have had trouble recognizing a month ago, might just be that unflappable.

Those are the traits — along with a mean breaking ball and a trap-door slider — that launched Tepesch from little-known prospect to No. 5 starter on opening day. The Rangers felt he could pitch well enough to hold down the fort for the injured Colby Lewis and Martin Perez. Tepesch’s spring also left the Rangers believing they didn’t need to chase free agent Kyle Lohse.

It’s only one game, mind you, but Tepesch validated that faith with a sterling performance of seven-plus innings, three walks, five strikeouts and one run allowed.

A good omen
But here’s the piece that piques your interest if you’ve watched the Rangers for any length of time in Rangers Ballpark in Arlington: Tepesch recorded 14 groundouts.

That’s significant if it’s the way he normally pitches, because baseballs seem to jump out of this park like the fireworks that celebrate Rangers home runs. Keeping pitches down in the strike zone and inducing ground ball outs is key to success in Arlington.

Aside from the second and third innings, Tepesch worked low pitch counts, stayed ahead of hitters and kept out of trouble. In some cases, that’s more than you can ask for from a veteran No. 5 starter, much less a rookie who hadn’t pitched above Double A before a minor league prep start last weekend.

“He showed maturity for a young guy,” Washington said. “He has awareness. He has pitchability. He kept trusting [catcher] A.J. [Pierzynski] and executing pitches.”

The collective wisdom is that Tepesch is nothing more than a seat warmer for either Lewis or Perez once they’re healthy. Even after Tepesch’s sterling debut that may still be the case. As good as Tepesch was against the Rays, it’s just one start. The last Rangers starter to go at least seven innings in his MLB debut was Brian Sikorski in 2000.

Who? Yeah, exactly. I’ve followed the Rangers my entire life, and I barely remember him.

For every Roy Halladay, there are 12 Brian Sikorskis, players who get their cup of coffee in the bigs and are never heard from again.

But Tepesch lived out the dream on Tuesday night. He won his Major League debut in front of his parents and received a well-deserved standing ovation from more than 31,000 fans as he left the game in the eighth.

For one night, at least, Tepesch pitched like he belonged.

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for the win

Cheer on these Texans competing for Team USA in the 2026 Winter Olympics

Amber Glenn, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater from Plano

teamusa.com/

Plano's famous figure skater Amber Glenn is on the roster.

The XXV Winter Olympic Games, also known as the Milano Cortina 2026, are right around the corner, running February 6-22 in northern Italy. Out of the 2,900 athletes who will participate in this year's Games, 232 will represent the U.S., with four hailing from the Lone Star State.

North Texans will recognize two local athletes in particular: Ice hockey player Hannah Bilka, who grew up in Coppell, and Plano's record-breaking figure skater Amber Glenn. Another figure skater, Emily Chan, also has ties to Dallas-Fort Worth.

To catch these Texas-born athletes in the 2026 Winter Olympics, viewers can tune in to NBC and its affiliate networks, websites, and apps (like Peacock).

Without further ado, these are the Winter Olympians competing for Team USA with roots in Texas. (Note that there are other athletes with Texas ties, like Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars, who are competing in the Olympics but aren't considered Texans.)

Hannah Bilka, 24
Sport: Ice hockey
Texas tie: Bilka grew up in Coppell and is the youngest of four children. At age six, she followed in the footsteps of her older brother, Anthony, and started playing hockey. Due to a "lack of girls’ hockey teams in Texas," she grew up playing hockey with boys.
Fun facts: She won the 2024 National Championship in women’s ice hockey with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the same university where she earned a master's degree in sport management. Her two older sisters, Christina and Stephanie, were figure skaters.
When to watch: The women's ice hockey preliminary round begins on Thursday, February 5. The women's bronze and gold medal matches will take place on Thursday, February 19.

Hannah Bilka, 2026 Winter Olympics hockey player Hannah Bilka is one of two North Texans competing in this year's Games.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Emily Chan, 28
Sport: Pairs figure skating
Texas tie: Chan hails from Pasadena, a Houston-area suburb in Harris County, but she also calls Dallas home. She graduated from Texas Online Preparatory School as the valedictorian.
Fun facts: She loves to cook, bake, make jewelry, and dreams of opening her own café in the future. Her longtime skating partner, Spencer Akira Howe, is from Los Angeles. They both relocated to train at the Skating Club of Boston in 2019, where Chan now coaches young figure skaters. Chan is also pursuing a family and marriage counseling degree from Grand Canyon University.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The pairs figure skating competition begins on Wednesday, February 16.

Emily Chan, 2026 Winter Olympics figure skater In addition to being a top-notch figure skater, Emily Chan is also trained in Chinese modern dance and ballet.teamusa.com/

Amber Glenn, 26
Sport: Singles figure skating
Texas tie: She was born in Plano, and started skating at just five years-old.
Fun facts: Glenn is a mental health advocate and a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She came out as pansexual in 2019. She loves to play Magic: The Gathering, and her dog, Uki, is named after stalking shadow card Ukkima. She also enjoys anime and Star Wars. On Friday, May 29, Glenn will visit Allen during the 2026 Stars on Ice Tour.
When to watch: The figure skating "team event" kicks off on Friday, February 6. The women's singles free skate competition begins Thursday, February 19.

Amber Glenn, figure skating Plano's Amber Glenn will have the Dallas-Fort Worth crowd on its feet. Facebook/ISU

Boone Niederhofer, 32
Sport: Bobsledding
Texas tie: Niederhofer grew up in San Antonio, and later became a wide receiver at Texas A&M University. His father, Dan, played football for Abilene Christian University. Niederhofer and his family previously lived in Midland .
Fun facts: Niederhofer has a degree in petroleum engineering and worked in Texas' oil and gas industry while competing in bobsledding competitions.
When to watch: The bobsled competition begins on Sunday, February 15. The men's two-man heat will take place on Tuesday, February 17, and the men's four-man heat is scheduled for Sunday, February 22.

Boone Niederhofer, 2026 Winter Olympics bobsledder Boone Niederhofer is a former Texas A&M University football player.Photo courtesy of Getty Images

winter olympics olympics texas amber glenn figure skating