As softball season begins, Dripping Springs' move to Class 6A shakes up area districts
The high school softball season begins this week in Central Texas and around the state. Here's a look at our top-10 Austin-area teams:
1. Georgetown
No. 1 Georgetown is back for more: The Eagles (34-4 last year) have made back-to-back state tournament appearances, finishing second last season. They return their core, including pitchers Cambree Creager and Madison Hartley as well as All-Central Texas catcher Kennedy Miller and all-state shortstop Izzy Torres.
2. Round Rock
No. 2 Round Rock eyes district: The Dragons (24-8) claimed their second straight district title and advanced to the regional finals, where they lost 3-1 to eventual state champion San Antonio O’Connor. Southpaw Madi Azua returns and is one of the premier two-way players in the state as a pitcher and hitter.
3. Vista Ridge
No. 3 Vista Ridge makes its pitch: The Rangers (18-6-1) had a dynamic pitching duo of their own in Brooke Wells and Mikala Ham. Coach Lauren Myrick, a former prep standout at Westwood, has led the Rangers to a solid string of playoff appearances and is poised to battle Round Rock for the top spot in their district.
More: Hendrickson star Tatyanna Bailey's return to basketball should lift us all
4. Dripping Springs
No. 4 Dripping Springs set for 6A: The Tigers (27-11) return a talented lineup that should be ready to compete at the Class 6A level, in the same district with powers Lake Travis, Austin High and Bowie. Pitchers Jordan Cox and Haiden Anderson are back, and speedster Taylor Anderson is a tremendous hitter.
5. Bowie
No. 5 Bowie can hit: Star pitcher Emma Solis has graduated, but Bowie (24-9) returns a power-hitting lineup that includes player of the year Olivia Moreno and slugger Anya German as well as Valeria Feeney, perhaps the most talented hitter of the bunch. Bowie had four sophomores and six freshmen on the team last year.
More: Blind in one eye, Wimberley basketball's Luke Watts can see a bright future ahead
6. Pflugerville
No. 6 Pflugerville finished hot: The Panthers (18-17) roared back from a 4-14 start to a 14-3 finish. Pitcher Delilah Robles returns, along with standout hitters Emma Holmes, Paige Fulgham and Mckenna Ross. Behind the plate and batting fourth is Lauryn Jackson, the district's shot put champion, who hit several long-distance home runs.
7. Hyde Park Baptist
No. 7 Hyde Park returns a lot of talent: The Panthers (32-5) have been really, really good under the coaching of John Carpenter. Hyde Park returns standouts Carian Stout and Skye Perez as well as several other key players from a team that won 15 of its last 16 games before falling in the playoffs.
8. Thorndale
No. 8 Thorndale keeps rolling: The Bulldogs (20-11-1) have been softball royalty since coach Lance Betak took over in 2012, producing consecutive playoff appearances and a pipeline of college talent. Graduation losses stung, but Thorndale remains a regional favorite in Class 2A.
9. Hays
No. 9 Hays a playoff constant: The tradition-rich Hawks (22-7) haven't missed the playoffs since Lisa Cone took over as head coach in 2015 and have had 12 straight winning seasons. Graduation decimated the pitching staff, but there were several talented underclassmen last year, and dropping out of the competitive Class 6A Austin district and into Class 5A bodes well.
10. Leander
No. 10 Leander looks for a threepeat: The Lions (21-6) lost in the regional finals two seasons ago and then fell in a weird single-game playoff last year when injuries and illness struck the team. Leander has won back-to-back district titles but saw district runner-up Georgetown advance to state both years. The Lions graduated six starters but should challenge Hays in district now that Georgetown has been realigned out of the region.
Ten area players to watch
∙ Taylor Anderson, INF, Dripping Springs: The district MVP is a tremendous clutch hitter and even more clutch defensively. Her untimely injury in the playoffs probably cost the Tigers a regional berth. She hit .583 with 60 hits, 44 runs and 17 RBIs.
∙ Maddy Azua, P, Round Rock: She had 281 strikeouts with a 0.69 ERA in 162 innings and hit .489 with 11 home runs and 41 RBIs for the regional semifinalists.
∙ Jordan Cox, INF, Dripping Springs: Cox had 13 pitching victories with 143 strikeouts in 127 innings. She also played third base and hit .387 with 31 RBIs, 12 doubles and a pair of home runs.
∙ Anya German, INF, Bowie: The multitalented power hitter was the All-Centex newcomer of the year as a sophomore and hit .420 with six home runs and 40 RBIs while playing flawless defense.
∙ Madison Hartley, P, Georgetown: She's been a key part of the Eagles' back-to-back state tournament appearances. In two years she has 80 hits and 68 RBIs with 19 homers, and she is 16-2 in the circle with 201 strikeouts in 147 innings.
∙ Kennedy Miller, C, Georgetown: Miller anchored two of the premier junior pitchers in the state (Maddie Hartley and Cambree Creager) as the Eagles reached the state championship game. She hit .369 with 11 doubles and eight triples while driving in 33 runs, scoring 37 and playing superb defense.
∙ Olivia Moreno, OF, Bowie: The American-Statesman's player of the year hit .455 in district with four district home runs. A two-time all-district selection, Moreno also is a two-time undefeated state wrestling champion.
∙ Skye Perez, INF, Hyde Park Baptist: The district MVP had 67 RBIs while hitting .736 with 68 hits and a school record-tying 11 home runs. A versatile athlete, she plays multiple positions.
∙ Isa Torres, INF, Georgetown: A slick-fielding shortstop, the two-time all-state selection hit .473 with 20 doubles, two triples and four home runs while scoring 45 runs and driving in 42.
∙ Brooke Wells, P, Vista Ridge: The two-way standout pitched the Raiders to a second-place district finish and was dominant at the plate, hitting .575 with 18 home runs, 53 RBIs and 29 walks. As a pitcher, she was 25-6A's defensive player of the year and went 11-4 with a 2.00 ERA and 128 strikeouts.
Fab Fives
Class 6A
1. Round Rock
2. Dripping Springs
3. Bowie
4. Vista Ridge
5. Lake Travis
Class 5A
1. Georgetown
2. Pflugerville
3. Hays
4. East View
5. Liberty Hill
Class 4A and others
1. La Grange
2. Hyde Park
3. Thorndale
4. Blanco
5. Taylor
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin-area softball: As season opens, here are our top teams, players
