GAMES
RANKINGS
VYPE Live Series Spotlight: Dripping Springs vs. Westlake
When the UIL shrank District 26-6A from nine to seven teams in its latest round of redistricting, they moved out Buda Johnson and Anderson, both of whom are in this year’s playoffs from their new districts. Like a Red Giant star shrunk to a Brown Dwarf, the slimmed down district still maintained much of its power. That power was simply concentrated around perennial playoff contenders Westlake and Lake Travis, usually joined by Dripping Springs and Bowie.
In other words, not much changed.
Case in point is this year’s 26-6A baseball race – with a twist. For the first time in a while, someone not named “Westlake” or “Lake Travis” began the season with the biggest target on its back. Preseason favorite Dripping Springs will end the regular season trying to overtake Westlake and grab the district title when they clash in one of this week’s VYPE Series Spotlights.
Dripping Springs punched above its weight in 2024, apparently not realizing that a team loaded with juniors shouldn’t post a 26-11 record and reach the second round of the 6A playoffs. With virtually the entire starting lineup back, including a pitching staff anchored by Taylor Tracey (26-6A MVP, 1st Team All-State) and Cooper Rummel (26-6A Pitcher of the Year), along with seniors Connor Helms, Tristan Ciechanowicz, Traigh Perry, Dominic Hurley, Jack Tyndall, and Gavin Hoel, expectations were understandably soaring heading into this year’s campaign. Coach Chris Payne’s Tigers (18-8, 8-2) held their own at the prestigious Five Tool Tournament to start the season. Like Westlake, they split with Lake Travis in district play where their one unforced error was a loss to Austin High last month. That loss means they must sweep the Chaps to claim at least a piece of the district title.
Speaking of Westlake, it’s not as if the Chaps were awful last season. In fact, a lot of teams would love to go 19-11, as Coach J.T. Blair’s 2024 squad did. Unfortunately, seven of those losses were in district play, which was enough to keep Westlake out of last year’s playoffs. Like their rivals from the Hill Country, Westlake returned a healthy core of seasoned ballplayers, including All-District standouts Jack Casteel and Holland Page and seniors Luke Nogalski, Evan Lung and Hudson Byrd. An unheralded pitching staff has helped power Westlake to a 21-4-1 overall record, 9-1 in district play.
Both Westlake and Dripping Springs are locked into Division 2 for the playoffs, making this series important for seeding purposes – but both want that district title. Should Lake Travis sweep Austin High this week, Dripping Springs must sweep Westlake to keep pace and claim a share of the title; the Chaps can accomplish the same thing with a split – or win the title outright with a sweep.
Game 1 will be tomorrow (4/22) from Tigers Field at Dripping Springs High School before the series moves to the Westlake High School Baseball Diamond on Friday (4/25). VYPE Live will broadcast both games, courtesy of the Dripping Springs Baseball Booster Club and sponsors.
What: Dripping Springs vs. Westlake
When: Tuesday 4/22 and Friday 4/25 (7:15 Pregame, 7:30 First Pitch)
Where: Dripping Springs HS & Westlake HS
Who: Melvin Jones
Watch:https://www.vype.com/ AND http://vypelive.com/web/broadcast/index
VYPE Live Series Spotlight: Cedar Park vs. Glenn
It’s not unusual to see the Cedar Park Timberwolves in playoff contention around Easter time. The T’wolves, after all, are a perennial playoff contender prone to making deep post-season runs much like last year’s 28-8 squad that reached the third round. While the Glenn Grizzlies haven’t had the same success as Cedar Park in recent years, this year’s team finds itself in playoff contention.
With both teams tied for the final playoff spot, Cedar Park and Glenn will collide in an Easter Week showdown in this week’s VYPE Series Spotlight.
Senior pitchers Kyle McClure and Brice Schneider have provided a measure of stability for new Head Coach Ben Huffman’s Timberwolves (8-14 overall; 5-5 in District 25-5A). However, most of the other key players from last year’s club have graduated, leaving a host of underclassmen – such as sophomores Hudson Cuevas and Mack Galindo – to learn on the job. After a rugged tournament season, Cedar Park has stabilized since the start of district play.
Coach Zac Darling’s Grizzles (7-12, 5-5) have reached this point from the opposite direction. Glenn has multiple returning players back from last year’s team which struggled through a 9-23 campaign, including 1st Team All-district shortstop Chase Roberts and seniors Dominic Tanyag, Blake Rickmers, Aaron Wagner, Joe Brennan and Chance Newton.
Even as they battle each other, both teams know they’re just a game back of third-place Hays and – perhaps more important – maintain just a one-game edge over Lehman with four games remaining.
Game 1 will be tomorrow (4/15) from Cedar Park HS’s Matt Arellano Field at Jay Sevier Park before the series moves to the Glenn High School Baseball Field on Thursday (4/17). VYPE Live will broadcast both games, courtesy of the Cedar Park Baseball Booster Club and sponsors.What: Cedar Park vs. Glenn
When: Tuesday 4/15 and Thursday 4/17 (6:45 Pregame, 7:00 First Pitch)
Where: Cedar Park HS & Glenn HS
Who: Brad Cone and J.C. DeLeon/Holden Hudson
Watch:https://www.vype.com/ AND http://vypelive.com/web/broadcast/index