A hometown home run

San Antonio's minor league baseball team scores new owners, including Texas sports legends

Alamo City's very own minor league baseball team is back to being locally owned.

San Antonio's very own minor league baseball team is back to being locally owned. Designated Bidders LLC has purchased the San Antonio Missions from longtime franchise owner David Elmore of the Elmore Group.

Designated Bidders LLC consists of a group of of San Antonio business executives, with notable members including David Robinson, Manu Ginobili, and Henry Cisneros, among others. Ryan Sanders Baseball, an organization founded by MLB Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, Reid Ryan (who is Ryan Sanders Baseball CEO), and Don Sanders will also join Designated Bidders as owners/operators of the San Antonio Missions, according to a press release.

Ryan Sanders Baseball has 25 years of experience in the sports industry at the minor and major league levels in baseball. "Our team's dedication to excellence and the fan experience is in great alignment with the Designated Bidders group of investors, their vision and energy. This partnership will ensure the future of professional baseball in San Antonio for generations to come and we couldn't be happier to be on board for the journey," said Reid Ryan in a statement.

Designated Bidders founders Bruce Hill, Randy Smith, Bob Cohen, Peter J. Holt, and Graham Weston all come to the table with a strong track record of investing in past projects with great returns. The San Antonio Spurs, for example, won five championships during Holt's tenure as chairman of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, while Weston's development firm, Weston Urban, has also helped with the development of iconic San Antonio landmarks like Legacy Park and 300 Main.

In other words, the San Antonio Missions are in capable hands moving forward.

The release also notes that the new owners of the San Antonio Missions are well aware that Nelson Wolff Stadium must be renovated in order to meet the MLB's standards for professional development league stadiums. Randy Smith, CEO and co-founder of Weston Urban, has high hopes for the future of Nelson Wolff Stadium.

"We believe our city needs a vibrant stadium where pedestrian-friendly business, recreation, public spaces, art and culture attract the talent of today and tomorrow," Smith said in the release. "An approachable, family-friendly venue is a key component of continuing to build the city our kids will call home."

schools with high achievers

These 7 San Antonio K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus

Congratulations are in order for the Dragons.

Several San Antonio elementary and middle schools are at the top of the class when it comes to educating and preparing the next generation for a successful life and career, according to U.S. News & World Report's list of 2025 Elementary and Middle Schools Rankings.

One such school – Basis San Antonio - Shavano Campus – is the No. 17 best middle school in Texas for 2025.

This November, U.S. News ranked over 79,000 public schools on the state and district level using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Schools were analyzed based on their students' proficiencies in mathematics and reading/language arts on state assessments, and tie-breakers were decided based on student-teacher ratios.

"The 2025 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings offer parents a way to evaluate how schools are providing a high-quality education and preparing students for future success," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The data empowers families and communities to advocate for their children’s education. Research continues to indicate that how students perform academically at these early grade levels is a big factor in their success in high school and beyond."

Texas' best middle schools for 2025
In all, five San Antonio middle schools achieved spots among the top 100 best Texas middle schools for 2025, according to U.S. News.

The Shavano Campus of the Basis San Antonio charter school has a total enrollment of 1,018 students, with 84 percent of the student population scoring "at or above the proficient level" in mathematics, and 90 percent scoring at that level of proficiency in reading. The school has a student-teacher ratio of 16:1, with 63 full-time teachers.

Students at this charter school performed far better with its test scores than the rest of Texas, U.S. News said.

Four additional San Antonio schools ranked among the top 100 best middle schools in Texas, including:

No. 53 – Eleanor Kolitz Hebrew Language Academy
No. 62 – Lopez Middle School, North East ISD
No. 80 – Idea Carver College Preparatory
No. 97 – Young Women's Leadership Academy, San Antonio ISD

The best elementary schools in Texas
Jesus A. Kawas Elementary school in Laredo was crowned the No. 1 elementary school in Texas for 2025, while two San Antonio schools made it into the top 100.

Basis San Antonio Primary Medical Center is the No. 75 best elementary school statewide, boasting 787 students, 48 full-time teachers, and a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. Students at this school scored 80 percent efficiency in math and 85 percent efficiency in reading.

Landing at No. 90 in Texas is San Antonio's Hardy Oak Elementary in North East ISD. Hardy Oak has a student population of 683 with 37 full-time teachers, and one full-time counselor. The school's student-teacher ratio is 18:1, and 77 percent of students are proficient in math, and 85 percent are proficient in reading.

U.S. News says student success at Hardy Oak is significantly higher than the rest of North East ISD.

"In North East Independent School District, 56 percent of students tested at or above the proficient level for reading, and 46 percent tested at or above that level for math," U.S. News said in Hardy Oak's profile. "Hardy Oak Elementary [also] did better in math and better in reading in this metric compared with students across the state."

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A hometown home run

San Antonio's minor league baseball team scores new owners, including Texas sports legends

schools with high achievers

These 7 San Antonio K-8 schools rank among Texas' best for 2025

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