Softball

For the 2nd year in-a-row, the Austin area is shut out of UIL state softball tournament

By Michael Adams
madams@austinsportsjournal.copm

For the second year in-a-row, the UIL state softball tournament will take place in Austin without a team from Austin.

In fact, this is the third time in the past five state tournaments that the Austin area has been shut out of the tournament. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there wasn’t a state tournament played in 2020.

It’s not necessarily time to sound the alarm as several of teams from the area that made deep playoff runs were full of underclassmen.

That includes regional finalist Liberty Hill, regional semifinalists Lake Travis, Thorndale and Leander, and regional quarterfinalists Bowie and Hays.

Yet, it feels strange that a region with such a strong softball pedigree doesn’t have a team in the state tournament for the second consecutive year.

It’s a lot like if Dallas was shut out of the UIL football championships.

An era of dominance: 2013-17

Dating back to 2013, the Austin area has had at least one team in the state tournament every year but 2018, 2023 and 2024.

However, only two schools teams have made the UIL state tournament in the last five years – Georgetown and Thorndale.

Georgetown reached the Class 5A state tournament in 2021 and 2022, making the state championship game in 2022. Thorndale reached the state final in the Class 2A tournament in 2019.

Before the Austin area missed the 2018 state tournament, there was a five-year era that included three state championships and nine state tournament appearances.

La Grange won Class 4A state championships in 2014 and 2016 and reached the state tournament in 2013. Hays won a Class 4A state championship in 2013 and reached the state tournament in Class 5A in 2014.

Bowie (6A) and Vista Ridge (5A) also reached state championship games in 2017 and 2015, respectively.

During this era, La Grange had the most state appearances with three, while Hays had two and Dripping Springs, Liberty Hill, Bowie and Vista Ridge all had one appearance.

Bowie’s Alyssa Lusk (1) runs to first base after getting a hit during a District 26-6A playoff game on Monday, April 22, 2024 at Cavalier Field in Austin, Texas. The Bulldogs are one of two teams from the Austin area to have ever made the state tournament in the largest classification. (Michael Adams/Austin Sports Journal)

The 6A anomaly

District 26 is always considered one of the toughest softball districts in Class 6A, yet only one team from the district has reached the state tournament in the last 10 years – Bowie.

Outside of La Grange, Bowie might have the richest softball pedigree in the Austin area. The Bulldogs have reached the state softball tournament four times since the sport was sanctioned in 1993, including back-to-back state finals appearances in 2007 and 2008 when Blair Luna commanded the circle. However, a state championship eluded Bowie each time.

Vista Ridge is the only other softball program to reach the state tournament in the state’s largest classification, doing so in 2009 when Taylor Thom was terrorizing opponents for the Rangers.

A tradition like no other

Elgin is one of two teams in the state to have made the playoffs every year since the sport was sanctioned in 1993. Despite 31 years of playoff tradition, the Wildcats have only made the state tournament once – in 2005.

So who is considered to be the Austin area’s best softball program? That title goes to La Grange.

The Leopards have the most state tournament appearances and most state championships of any school in the Austin area. La Grange has five state tournament appearances, making its first in 2000 and returning in 2005, 2013, 2014 and 2016).

The Leopards also have the most state championships with three (2005, 2014 and 2016) and are one of only two schools in the Austin area with a softball state championship. Hays is the other.