There is a five-way – five-way! – tie for first place in District 25-6A roughly halfway through district play. To the surprise of no pre-season prognosticator with a clue, Westwood and Round Rock are part of that scrum, (with Cedar Ridge, Vandegrift and Vista Ridge rounding out the quintet.) Suffice it to say, then, that the stakes and the drama could hardly be higher when these two longtime RRISD rivals clash in this week’s VYPE Live Series Spotlight.
It’s a return to form for the Westwood Warriors. Head Coach Casey Carter’s burnt orange brigade went on a lengthy post-season run in 2024 but endured a rough season last year with key injuries and a very young squad. Many of those veterans are back, another year older and more experienced. That includes seniors Antonio Martinez, Nathan Taparauskas, Kellen Szymanski, West Morgan, Justice Moore, RC Cowes, Will Bak and Weston Franz. Thanks in part to the first four listed bolstering a veteran pitching staff, the Warriors have surged back to a 17-7-1 overall record and 6-2 in the district.
The floor was much higher for Round Rock. Led by Head Coach John Carter, the dean of the district coaches, if not the longest-tenured baseball coach in the Austin area, the Dragons (7-3, 16-9) have picked up right where last year’s 29-win, defending district champion and regional semifinalist squad left off. With no fewer than 10 returning senior starters, including four All-District pitchers, the Dragons seem poised to challenge for another district crown.
Despite their solid records and so-far largely successful district runs, both of these teams have been challenged in the demolition derby that is this year’s District 25-6A. With the chances of either team sweeping the series roughly the same as a series split, this week’s Series Spotlight between Westwood and Round Rock promises to provide high intensity, playoff caliber baseball.
What: Westwood vs. Round Rock
When: Tuesday 4/7 and Friday 4/10, 6:50 pregame
Where: Tues. Warriors Field, WHS; Fri. Dragon Diamond, RRHS
Who: Michael Rose
Watch: Broadcast Lineup on https://www.vype.com/
