GAMES
RANKINGS
Some of the stars of 2024-25 Tomball Baseball
THE TIER LIST: Updated VYPE HOU Baseball Rankings; Kingwood, Tomball, Memorial, BH thriving
Just like that, we've already reached the first wave of district games in the Texas high school baseball season.
Suffice it to say, there have been numerous developments made thus far, which also entails some movement in our overall rankings.
Kingwood has skyrocketed since the preseason, as the Mustangs are now 19-1 on the year and show no signs of slowing down.
Trailing just behind are the Tomball Cougars, who still remain one of the city's most intimidating clubs, with a loaded bullpen to back that notion, and the same can be said for Houston Memorial.
Similarly, The Woodlands has been on a hot-streak throughout the entire spring, particularly turning heads in the tournament section and have a firm grasp on the lead in District 13-6A.
Don't sleep on other 6A contenders like Katy, Pearland, and Bridgeland, either.
In Class 5A, Barbers Hill (17-3) has been balling, though Friendswood, Lake Creek, and Kingwood Park are starting to make some noise as well.
With all that in mind, here's a look at the new VYPE Baseball rankings as we near the mid-way point of district-play in H-Town.
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*Parentheses indicates current district
*Last section indicates current overall record; district record
VYPE HOUSTON BASEBALL TOP-20 (Class 6A-4A)
1. Kingwood Mustangs (23-6A) -- 19-1; 3-0 in District
2. Tomball Cougars (15-6A) -- 13-3-1; 2-1
3. Houston Memorial Mustangs (17-6A) -- 13-3-1; 3-0
4. Barbers Hill Eagles (19-5A) -- 17-3; 3-0
5. The Woodlands Highlanders (13-6A) -- 16-4-1; 6-0
6. Katy Tigers (19-6A) -- 17-5; 6-0
7. Pearland Oilers (22-6A) -- 13-5; 5-1
8. Bridgeland Bears (16-6A) -- 13-3-2; 3-0
9. Atascocita Eagles (23-6A) --13-5-2; 3-0
10. Conroe Tigers (13-6A) -- 13-1-1; 3-1
11. Cypress Ranch Mustangs (16-6A) -- 15-3-1; 3-0
12. Friendswood Mustangs (20-5A) -- 10-4-1; 2-0
13. Magnolia West Mustangs (15-6A) -- 10-4; 3-1
14. Katy Taylor Mustangs (19-6A) -- 14-6-1; 5-1
15. Clear Springs Chargers (24-6A) -- 11-5-1; 2-1
16. Fulshear Chargers (20-6A) -- 13-5-1; 2-0
17. Magnolia Bulldogs (15-6A) -- 13-4-1; 5-0
18. Cypress Woods Wildcats (16-6A) -- 10-4-4; 3-0
19. Lake Creek Lions (17-5A) -- 8-5-1; 3-0
20. Kingwood Park Panthers (18-5A) -- 14-5-1; 1-0
Honorable Mentions: Summer Creek (23-6A), Ridge Point (21-6A), Stratford (17-6A), Seven Lakes (19-6A), Montgomery (17-5A), Klein (15-6A), FB Travis (21-6A), Deer Park (24-6A), Iowa Colony (20-5A), Grand Oaks (13-6A)
TRADITION NEVER GRADUATES: Tomball Has An Elite Core Of Juniors Eyeing Another Title
THE TOMBALL COUGARS WON ITS SECOND STATE TITLE A YEAR AGO, GOING UNDEFEATED IN DISTRICT PLAY AND 41-3 OVERALL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUGARS SAID GOODBYE TO FIVE DIVISION I SIGNEES TO GRADUATION, INCLUDING THE TEXAS GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR CADE ARRAMBIDE (LSU).
Some programs would push the reset button. For the Cougars, however, they live by the motto... “Tradition Never Graduates”.
Coach Doug Rush, who is right off of Hollywood’s central casting as a Texas high school baseball coach, doesn’t hand out very many compliments. He does, however, make an exception when talking about Class of 2026 stars - CJ Sampson (Florida), Karson Reeder (Texas), Catcher Hopkins (Texas A&M) and Harper Gates (Texas A&M).
“They have been on varsity as freshmen and played a huge role in our State title run a year ago,” he said. “They are all committed to SEC programs, and we haven’t seen anything like that before. They are really special.”
Reeder, the State MVP, and Sampson (son of MLB pitcher Chris Sampson) had a combined record of 27-1 on the mound. The battery-mate is Hopkins, who calls a great game behind the plate and is a big stick in the lineup. Moving from third base to shortstop is the slick-fielding Gates.
“Having a pair of Division I No. 1 pitchers is a blessing,” Rush said. “We are going to quickly fill some holes on defense, but nearly everyone has varsity experience. I think we are going to hit the ball well, too.”
Currently on a 31-game winning streak, Rush knows that his squad has a target on its back as big as Texas.
“We know everyone is gearing up to beat us,” he said. “We are going to see everyone’s No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers during the tournament season, but honestly, that helps us in the long run. We just know we are getting everyone’s best game when we step between the lines.”
So, what makes Tomball one of the best programs in the country? It goes back to the motto.
“To build a program, there must be peer tutoring,” he said.
“We can coach as coaches, but when the older guys are teaching the younger guys... it makes a bigger impact. We believe in that, and it builds on itself.”
Iron sharpens iron at Tomball, and for now, they are wielding the deadliest weapon going into battle in 2025.
Could they go back-to-back?