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THE POWER RANKINGS: Chaparrals charge to top of Austin area baseball poll
For those who love parity in sports, there is no game better than baseball. A hot pitcher here, a tricky bounce there and enough good players who can make enough of the routine plays gives any decent team a chance to knock off a favorite. All of which explains why polling in baseball – and particularly high school baseball – is nothing more than intriguing thought exercise.
But we like to do it anyway. Especially since teams moved up and down this week’s Power Rankings as if they were joy riding the Frost Bank Building elevator. And at the end of a wild week, it was Westlake – the safest choice after two shutouts over Akins – that climbed atop the poll.
The Chaps replaced Round Rock, who dropped their second game to an improved McNeil club, then fell again to sleeper-no-more Cedar Ridge. The Dragons slipped to #2 and all eyes will be on their Tuesday (3/25) rematch. Dripping Springs would have replaced their district rival, were it not for a dramatic walk-off loss in game two of their series against Austin High. Liberty swept a good Rouse team to climb into the Top 5.
It’s a mess everywhere else, with nearly every team below the Top 5 moving up or down a spot or two as mentioned. Add to the mix McNeil and Bowie, who are new to the Rankings. While neither has stellar overall records, they’re both holding their own in tough 6A districts.
Strength of schedule matters a lot when parity rules.
VYPE's Austin Baseball Rankings
1. (3) Westlake Chaparrals (6A) 13-2-1 (Swept Akins)
2. (1) Round Rock Dragons (6A) 14-3-1 (L vs. McNeil; L vs. #9 Cedar Ridge)
3. (2) Dripping Springs Tigers (6A) 10-7 (Split w/Austin High)
4. (8) Liberty Hill Panthers (5A) 12-4 (Swept #5 Rouse)
5. (9) Cedar Ridge Raiders (6A) 11-4 (Def. Westwood; Def. #1 Round Rock)
6. (4) Lake Travis Cavaliers (6A) 7-7-3 (Def. #6 Vandegrift; L vs. Steele; Def. Bowie)
7. (7) Buda Johnson Jaguars (6A) 13-4 (Def. SA Taft)
8. (6) Vandegrift Vipers (6A) 12-4 (L @ #4 Lake Travis; Def. Vista Ridge)
9. (5) Rouse Raiders (5A) 11-5-2 (Swept by #8 Liberty Hill)
10. (10) Anderson Trojans (5A) 11-5 (swept Crockett)
11. (12) Hays Hawks (5A) 11-4-1 (Swept Leader; def. Bastrop)
12. (13) San Marcos Rattlers (6A) 11-5-1 (Swept SA East Central; Def. SA Churchill)
13. (NR) McNeil Mavericks (6A) 7-6-2 (Def. #1 Round Rock; Def. Stony Point)
14. (NR) Bowie Bulldogs (6A) 8-8 (Swept Del Valle; L vs. #4 Lake Travis)
15. (11) Weiss Wolves (5A) 9-5-2 (swept by Elgin)
THE POWER RANKINGS: Round Rock tops initial Austin area Baseball poll
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)