Arlington, Texas— The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation today announced Rangers Youth Academy athletes Chandler Vernon and Daxton Macias as winners of the inaugural Young Family Scholarships. 

As part of the new program, Chris Young, Texas Rangers Executive Vice President & General Manager, and his wife Liz, who serves on the Rangers Foundation Advisory Board, will invest in the educational future of Texas Rangers Youth Academy athletes by awarding two $20,000 scholarships to one baseball and one softball player each year.

The Young Family, Vernon, and Macias will participate in a pre-game check presentation at Globe Life Field tomorrow, Tuesday, September 19, before the Rangers face the Boston Red Sox at 7:05 p.m.

To be considered for the award, eligible Youth Academy student-athletes were asked to complete a scholarship application that required two personal essays, two letters of recommendation, proof of college acceptance, a high school transcript, and information on their extracurricular activities. 

Vernon, a Cedar Hill High School 2023 graduate, will attend Texas A&M University this fall to pursue a degree in nursing. Vernon has been a dedicated softball player at the Rangers Youth Academy since 2018 and was selected to participate in several tournaments, including two All-Star team selections. She graduated eighth in her class while also obtaining an associate degree from the Early College Academy and participating in extracurricular activities like the National Honor Society, Student Council, and the City of Dallas’ Teen Court.

Macias, who graduated in the top 20% of his Braswell High School Class of 2023, will attend North Central Texas College this fall on a partial baseball scholarship. Macias joined the Texas Rangers Youth Academy in 2022 and has played in several baseball tournaments as a reliable backstop. He was also selected to participate in the Iván Rodríguez catching camp in June, and in July signed his National Letter of Intent at Globe Life Field as part of the Academy’s signing day ceremony. Macias plans to obtain a degree in computer science and eventually pursue a cybersecurity career.

The Rangers Youth Academy Scholarship Advisory Committee reviewed the applications with help from the Young Family. Awardees were selected based on several criteria, including the contents of the submitted written materials, overall academic achievement, and financial need.

The Young Family Scholarship will continue to fund the higher education dreams of athletes who participate in programming at the West Dallas Youth Academy, and eligible participants will be emailed directly with the annual scholarship application.