“Fixer Upper” star Chip Gaines has reached a new peak in his career, celebrating what he calls “a lifelong dream.”
Chip Gaines Celebrates His ‘Lifelong Dream’
Before he was one-half of the most famous HGTV couple, Gaines was a Baylor Bear, playing for the university’s baseball team in the 1990s.
Now, nearly 30 years later, the Waco, Texas, college has renamed its baseball stadium after the beloed couple.
“Proud To Introduce Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark,” Baylor Athletics announced via Instagram on Monday, January 12.
Thanks to a historic gift from @magnolia to support future capital projects and the next chapter of @baylorbaseball right here in Waco! ⚾️
The couple posed with the team, Chip in his No. 16 jersey, and wife Joanna Gaines holding up a No. 78 jersey to represent her birth year.
The couple shared a joint Instagram post shortly after the official announcement, gushing about the new partnership.
“It’s an honor and a privilege.. really to be honest, a lifelong dream to partner with @BaylorBaseball!!” they captioned the post. “We are incredibly proud to introduce @Magnolia Field at Baylor Ballpark!”
In the clip shared by the couple, the team unveiled the permanent marking in front of the home dugout.
“Magnolia Field at Baylor University,” it read.
“The consistent presence and generosity of Chip and Joanna through their time and resources have been invaluable to Baylor University over these past 12 years,” Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone said, according to KXXV. “We celebrate this gift, which will help us to widen our welcome and offer unique experiences for fans of all ages. We look forward to cheering for Baylor Baseball at Magnolia Field this spring.”
Baylor University Holds a Special Place for the Couple
Both graduates of Baylor University, Chip in 1998, and Joanna in 2001, the “Capital Gaines” author credits the university for his relationship with Jo.
“In college, one of my lifelong dreams of playing baseball didn’t quite play out how I’d hoped it would. But had it not been for that Baylor baseball team, I never would’ve fallen in love with Waco, Texas,” he wrote in his memoir, “Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff”. “And without Waco, I never would’ve met Jo. My point is that taking the first step toward a dream is the hardest part. The fear of failure will eat you alive if you let it. But even if it doesn’t play out, keep your head up. I find success is just around the corner.”
Upon revealing the stadium’s renaming, the couple said, “Baylor has always been more than a university to us—it’s a place that shaped who we are and continues to shape leaders who care deeply about people.”
“Baseball, in particular, has played a meaningful role in our family for generations,” the Gaineses continued, as reported by KXXV. “It’s where lessons are passed down, relationships are built, and memories are made—on and off the field.”
