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
THE POWER RANKINGS: Dripping Springs assumes top spot in Austin area baseball poll
It’s unwise to draw too many conclusions when teams play late-season Saturday afternoon non-district games. This usually happens when a team with a Bye week in district play schedules a game or two during the week against other teams with a similar gap to fill. They’re great opportunities to throw some other pitchers, get some reserves some at-bats, etc., so results from these non-district games come with a huge grain of salt.
All that said, top-ranked Round Rock took it on the chin twice last week against two very good 5A programs in Anderson and Georgetown. (By the way, this marks the second consecutive week Anderson has knocked off our top-ranked team). The Dragons will be just fine – but these two losses-with-asterisks have to count for something. Because #2 Westlake split with #4 Lake Travis, that’s a wash. So, we’re elevating Dripping Springs to the top spot -- why not? –- and can’t wait for their showdown with Westlake after Easter.
Round Rock only slipped back one spot since the Battle of the Lakes was a draw, while Liberty Hill remained in the Top 5 after a perfect week, (including another one of those Saturday afternoon wins over Anderson).
In fact, there was a lot of that Saturday afternoon stuff going on last week. Buda Johnson dropped a game to Reagan after two lopsided wins over Judson; Rouse fell to Lake Belton after sweeping Leander; along with Georgetown’s win over Round Rock that kept them in the Rankings after two tough district losses to Weiss. Surging Stony Point entered the poll after sweeping Hutto, even after a loss to a Westwood squad battling for its playoff life.
With two weeks left in the regular season and several rivalry series left on the schedule, things will likely change again. Here’s how they stand heading into Easter Week.
VYPE's Austin Baseball Rankings
1. (3) Dripping Springs Tigers (6A) 16-8 (Swept Del Valle)
2. (1) Round Rock Dragons (6A) 19-5-1 (L vs. #10 Anderson; L vs. #14 Georgetown)
3. (2) Westlake Chaparrals (6A) 19-4-1 (Split w/#4 Lake Travis)
4. (4) Lake Travis Cavaliers (6A) 14-8-3 (Split w/#2 Westlake)
5. (5) Liberty Hill Panthers (5A) 18-6 (Swept Lehman; def. #10 Anderson)
6. (6) Buda Johnson Jaguars (6A) 17-7 (Swept Converse Judson; L vs. Reagan)
7. (7) Cedar Ridge Raiders (6A) 16-8 (Def. Vista Ridge; swept #14 McNeil)
8. (8) Vandegrift Vipers (6A) 19-6 (Def. Manor; swept Hutto)
9. (9) Rouse Raiders (5A) 15-6-2 (Swept Leander; L vs. Lake Belton)
10. (10) Anderson Trojans (5A) 17-6 (Def. #1 Round Rock; L @ #4 Liberty Hill)
11. (11) San Marcos Rattlers (6A) 18-7-1 (Def. Salado; def. Austin High; L vs. SA Harlan)
12. (12) Hays Hawks (5A) 16-7-1 (Split w/Glenn; def. Seguin)
13. (15) Weiss Wolves (5A) 14-6-2 (Swept #13 Georgetown)
xx. (NR) Stony Point Tigers (6A) 14-12-1 (Def. Hutto; split w/Westwood)
15. (13) Georgetown (5A) 13-9-1 (Swept by #15 Weiss; def. #1 Round Rock)