HS Baseball Playoffs: 13-6A Teams Prepare for Area Round Where Tough Opponents Await

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Following an across-the-board sweep of District 14-6A in the Bi-District Round of the UIL Baseball Playoffs, all four 13-6A squads ready themselves for tested squads in the Area Round.

Oak Ridge, Willis, Grand Oaks, and The Woodlands all handled business against their opening-round opponents despite the heavy downpour and the necessity to reschedule in some cases.

The dominant display demonstrated the deep talent pool of the Woodlands and Willis areas but their next tests will pit them against some of the best teams in the state. Tomball High School, Bridgeland, and Klein Oak all sit inside the state’s top 40 according to Maxpreps, so the road will not be easy to traverse.

Oak Ridge War Eagles

The Champions of 13-6A blanked the Spring Lions by a combined score of 7-0 through a back-to-back series played on Thursday. The two-straight wins easily clinched the series for the War Eagles and sets the team up with a matchup against the Klein Oak Panthers.

Klein Oak enters as the third team in the District 15-6A standings after defeating Cypress Woods in a three-game series. The 40th-ranked team in the state now faces a tough Oak Ridge squad in the following schedule:

7:00 Thursday, May 9th, @ Oak Ridge

7:00 Friday, May 10th, @ Klein Oak

(If Necessary) 2:00 Saturday, May 11th, @ Oak Ridge

Willis Wildkats

After rescheduling due to heavy rain and flooding, the Wildkats throttled Dekaney in two games. An 8-1 opening game win was followed by a 9-0 shutout to send the team into an Area Round against Klein Collins.

The Tigers just made the cut as the fourth-placed team in the ultra-competitive 15-6A. Their opening-round win over the Cypress Ranch Mustangs saw Klein Collins fight through adversity and win back-to-back games to clinch the series. Now they have to take down the runner-up Wildkats in a Thursday/Friday series.

7:30 Thursday, May 9th, @ Wildkat Field

7:30 Friday, May 10th, @ Klein High School

(If Necessary) 11:00 Saturday, May 11th, @ Wildkat Field

Grand Oaks Grizzlies

The Grizzlies’ sweep of MacArthur was fueled by a sensational offense that rarely skipped a beat on the team’s way to a clean two-game series. A combined score of 16-0 further highlights Grand Oaks’ dominance over the Generals, but their test in the Area Round will be against one of the best teams in the state and the entire country.

With only three losses on the year, the Tomball Cougars enter as the 3rd ranked team in the state and 10th best team in the nation according to MaxPreps. Their unbeaten streak has been intact since March 8th, and a perfect ensuing run through district play demonstrates the high caliber play of the Cougars when the games matter most.

7:00 Thursday, May 9th, @ Tomball High School

5:00 Friday, May 10th, @ Grand Oaks High School

(If Necessary) 1:00 Saturday, May 11th, @ Westfork High School

The Woodlands Highlanders

Despite the Aldine Mustangs being District Champions of 14-6A, the Highlanders managed to sweep the series in near-shutout fashion cleanly. Close affairs saw The Woodlands pitch a complete game shutout on Friday followed by a solo home run on Saturday to advance the hard-hitting squad into the area round, where they face a familiar foe.

Bridgeland and The Woodlands have a history against one another throughout pre-district play. In the first meeting of the season, the Bears secured a 3-0 win over the Highlanders but dropped the second game in March by a score of 9-4. The back-and-forth matchups between one another did not derail Bridgeland from finishing third in their district, with only Cypress Ranch and Woods ahead of them.

7:00 Thursday, May 9th, @ Bridgeland High School

7:00 Friday, May 10th, @ Scotland Yard

(If Necessary) 2:00 Saturday, May 11th, @ Grand Oaks High School