By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
WIMBERLEY – It’s been a historic year with a lot of firsts for Wimberley’s athletic program.
On Friday, the baseball team will make its first appearance in a UIL baseball state championship game when the Texans face Longview Spring Hill (35-7) Friday in the Class 4A Division II final at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m.
Wimberley’s baseball team (25-8-1) is the latest from the school nestled in the Hill Country to reach the state level of the postseason, which includes the volleyball, football, boys track and field and women’s soccer teams. The boys basketball team reached the regional finals in February, which was also a first for Wimberley.
All that success on the athletic field means the Texans are playing for more than just a state championship.
“Of course, we’re looking to win a state championship, but it also comes with an underlying message of, if we win this game, we win the Lone Star Cup,” said senior Bryson Anderson, a four-sport standout at Wimberley.
Wimberley is one of three Austin-area schools – Cedar Park in 5A and Vandegrift in 6A – that could win the Lone Star Cup, which is awarded annually to six high schools, one in each of the six UIL classifications, based on their team performance in district and state championships in both academic and athletic contests. The winning schools in each classification will receive the UIL Lone Star Cup trophy and a $1,000 scholarship.
The Texans are third in the Class 4A standings with 86.5 points behind Canyon Randall (97.5) and Celina (98), which. doesn’t include points for baseball and softball.
If you include current baseball and softball points earned before this weekend’s baseball championships, Canyon Randall leads with 107.5, Wimberley is second with 106.5 and Celina is third with 106. The Texans will get four points with a win and claim Wimberley’s first Lone Star Cup since 2000.
“This is going to be huge, because it’s not just baseball, it’s everything combined, it’s representative of the whole school,” said senior Cody Stoever, who also led the football team to the state semifinals. “To be part of the senior class that could achieve that is pretty special and a great legacy to leave here.”
Wimberley’s run in the 4A-II baseball playoffs might have came out of nowhere. The Texans finished third in District 26-4A behind Davenport and Geronimo Navarro, meaning they would face a state-ranked Lago Vista team in the first round of the playoffs.
Wimberley defeated the Vikings in the best-of-three series and and rode that momentum through the next four round of the playoffs to get to the finals.
“I’ve always thought of Wimberley as a special place and always thought baseball could be something special here, it’s why I came,” said first-year head coach Jeremy Locke. “I tried to speak this into existence and look where we are.”
