5A Bi-district: Abilene Wylie Bulldogs vs. Lubbock Monterey Plainsmen
6:15 p.m. Pregame, 6:30 First Serve, Snyder HS
Wylie Crew: Matt McGraw
Last season was one for the history books for the Santa Fe program, as coach Ronnie Wulf reached the 600-win career milestone, in addition to the team advancing to the fourth round of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
It’s almost a certainty that the Indians will make the postseason, given their track record, but they’ll have loftier ambitions down the line. First-team, all-district honoree Jayce Richardson (Sr. SS) and senior 3B Jackson Higgins (.325 BA, 25 RBIs in 2024) are expected to have starring roles in the team’s lineup.
Pitching-wise, the Indians will feature a skilled rotation of Ronnie Rouse (second-team), Noah Nelson (first-team), Jarret Williams (Lamar-commit), and JT Lewis (Baton Rouge CC) – all of whom are reliable hitters and can play multiple positions.
While they may be tempted to look ahead, the initial focus for Santa Fe will be to take care of business in District 20-5A, against a tough slate of opponents like Friendswood, Iowa Colony, and La Porte.
We’ll admit it if you will; there’s really not enough data – even after nearly a month of play – to accurately compile an accurate softball poll. District play has just begun for most of these squads and trying to determine a team’s strength from tournament games is about as accurate as drawing names from a hat.
Still, we’ve got to start somewhere, so here we go. Here’s our first crack at the 2025 Austin area Softball Power Rankings, based primarily on overall records and program pedigree.
So far, at least, Buda Johnson has set the early pace to grab the initial top spot. With district play underway, we’ve got some good matchups coming up this week – Westlake vs. Bowie; Liberty Hill vs. Glenn – that will help us dial things in. But for now, let’s put that digital hand into the digital hat and see what comes out!
VYPE's Austin Softball Rankings
1. (NR) Buda Johnson Lady Jaguars (6A) 13-1-1
2. (NR) Westlake Lady Chaparrals (6A) 10-5
3. (NR) Liberty Hill (5A) 12-2-1
4. (NR) Bowie (6A) 10-3
5. (NR) Dripping Springs (6A) 10-4-1
6. (NR) Georgetown Lady Eagles (5A) 11-3
7. (NR) Cedar Ridge Lady Raiders (6A) 7-3
8. (NR) Stony Point Lady Tigers (6A) 8-3-1
9. (NR) Del Valle (6A) 10-2-1
10. (NR) Austin High Lady Maroons (6A) – 11-5
11. (NR) Leander Lady Lions (5A) 10-6
12. (NR) Weiss Lady Wolves (5A) 8-5
13. (NR) Lake Travis Lady Cavaliers (6A) 8-6-1
14. (NR) Vandegrift Lady Vipers (6A) 6-3
15. (NR) Vista Ridge Lady (6A) 5-4
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