By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
The 2025 Texas high school softball regular season nears comes to an end on Thursday for most teams in the Austin metropolitan area.
Thirty-eight local teams have punched their ticket to the postseason, which starts in one week. A few teams will decide their fate Thursday.
One game in particular is Vista Ridge at Hutto. If the Hippos win, they are in. If the Rangers win, there will be a one-game playoff between the two teams to determine the final team from District 25-6A. Not only will the game decide who’s in and who’s not, it will also decide the fate of district champion Cedar Ridge.
The playoffs will look a little different this year. The new playoff format will be used in softball and basketball the way it has been used in other sports this school year.
The four teams from each district will be split into two divisions based on enrollment. The two schools with the highest enrollment will be in the Division I bracket, while the two with the lowest enrollment will be in Division II.
Due to the new format, Cedar Ridge’s fate is in Hutto’s hands. If the Hippos make the playoffs, Cedar Ridge and Stony Point will be in the Division II bracket and Hutto and Round Rock will be in Division I.
If Vista Ridge beats Hutto twice, the Rangers will be in Division II with Stony Point and Cedar Ridge will be in the Division I bracket.
Another change for the postseason is that teams that make the state semifinals have the option to play a best-of-three series or a one-game playoff.
Here is a look at potential first-round matchups for Austin area teams. The higher seed is listed first.
Bi-district round
Class 6A Division I
Region IV
Round Rock vs. Del Valle
Lake Travis vs. Hutto
Buda Johnson vs. Laredo Alexander/LBJ/United South
Class 6A Division II
Region IV
Cedar Ridge vs. Bowie
Dripping Springs vs. Stony Point
Class 5A Division I
Region III
East View/Hendrickson vs. McCallum/Anderson
Bastrop vs. East View/Hendrickson
Region IV
Leander vs. New Braunfels
Smithson Valley vs. Hays
Class 5A Division II
Region III
Georgetown vs. LASA
Crockett vs. Weiss
Region IV
Liberty Hill/Rouse vs. Alamo Heights/Boerne Champion
San Antonio Veterans Memorial vs. Liberty Hill/Rouse
Class 4A Division I
Region III
La Grange vs. Stafford/Fort Bend Crawford
Stafford/Fort Bend Crawford vs. Giddings
Burnet vs. China Spring/Gatesville
China Spring/Gatesville vs. Lampasas/Taylor/Jarrell
Region IV
Austin Eastside vs. Fredericksburg
Davenport vs. TBD
Class 4A Division II
Region III
Smithville vs. La Marque/Brookshire Royal
Salado vs. Lorena
Waco Robinson vs. Gateway Prep
Region IV
Lago Vista vs. Canyon Lake/Geronimo Navarro
Wimberley vs. Manor New Tech
Class 3A Division I
Region I
Llano vs. Tuscola Jim Ned
Class 3A Division II
Region I
Blanco vs. Clyde
Region III
Lexington vs. Buffalo
Elkhart vs. Thrall
Class 2A Division I
Region IV
Thorndale vs. Harper
Johnson City vs. Holland
Class 2A Division II
Region IV
Goldthwaite vs. Granger
