UIL playoffs: Lake Travis advances to high school baseball state semifinals

Lake Travis Cavaliers pitcher CJ Hansford (8) fires a first‑inning fastball against the Cedar Ridge Raiders. He finished with 11 strikeouts in six innings during Lake Travis' 4–0 win in Game 2 of the Class 6A D1 Regional Final on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Tornado Baseball Field at Concordia University in Austin, Texas. (John Gutierrez/John Gutierrez for Austin American-Statesman) Lake Travis didn’t mind the wait.

After all, a regional championship is worth it. Delayed from starting Game 2 of their Class 6A Division I regional finals series against Cedar Ridge on Thursday until almost 10 p. m.

due to storms, the Cavs returned to the state semifinals for the second straight year with a 4-0 win at Concordia University after sweeping the series. CJ Hansford struck out 11 and scattered three hits in six innings and Lake Travis scored all four of its runs in the bottom of the fifth in a game that took roughly 90 minutes. “It’s huge to be back in the semifinals, and this group kind of keeps setting program firsts,” Lake Travis coach Ryan Rogers said.

“It’s the first group to make back-to-back regional finals and now the first to go back-to-back to final fours. ” Hansford was brilliant from the start and only allowed two runners past first base. A night after earning the save in a 3-2 win in Game 1 , he mostly credited an effective changeup for a stellar outing that lasted 94 pitches.