Familiarity skews most polls and that’s especially true in high school sports. While that partially explains why so many familiar faces occupy steps on the ladder in our first baseball Power Rankings of the season, the teams still have to back it up on the field.
Box checked for perennial playoff power Round Rock, as the Dragons dispatched their first three district foes enroute to a 14-1-1 start. Less obvious is #2 Dripping Springs. While always good, the Tigers figure to be exceptional this season with virtually everyone back from a team that just missed the fourth round in 2024. Half their losses came in the stacked Five Tool Invitational Tournament; their two 5-inning wins to open district play provided a clue as to just how good the Tigers may be.
Everyone else through at least Liberty Hill (if not lower) could make an argument that they belong on top. At this point we can’t really argue with any of them, so expect plenty of movement in the weeks ahead.
Spring Break is here to mess up the pitching rotations of pretty much everyone so it will be interesting to see how this week shapes out. And like the Hubble Space Telescope getting its “corrective lenses,” our poll will come into sharper and surer focus as the season wears on.
With all that said, here’s our first crack at the 2025 Austin area Baseball Power Rankings.
VYPE's Austin Baseball Rankings
1. (NR) Round Rock Dragons (6A) 14-1-1 (swept Vista Ridge; def. McNeil)
2. (NR) Dripping Springs Tigers (6A) 9-6 (swept Akins)
3. (NR) Westlake Chaparrals (6A) 11-2-1 (split with Lake Belton)
4. (NR) Lake Travis Cavaliers (6A) 7-5-3 (swept Bowie)
5. (NR) Rouse Raiders (5A) 11-3-2 (swept Glenn)
6. (NR) Vandegrift Vipers (6A) 11-3 (split with Stony Point)
7. (NR) Buda Johnson Jaguars (6A) 12-4 (swept New Braunfels Canyon)
8. (NR) Liberty Hill Panthers (5A) 10-4 (swept Leander)
9. (NR) Cedar Ridge Raiders (6A) 9-4 (swept Hutto, def. Westwood)
10. (NR) Anderson Trojans (5A) 9-5 (swept Austin LASA)
11. (NR) Weiss Wolves (5A) 9-3-2 (split with East View)
12. (NR) Hays Hawks (5A) 8-4-1 (split with Cedar Park)
13. (NR) San Marcos Rattlers (6A) 8-5-1 (swept by Clemens)
14. (NR) Lockhart Lions (5A) 7-5 (split with Lehman)
15. (NR) Georgetown Eagles (5A) 6-7-1 (swept Connally, def. Marble Falls)
