Texas' UIL's playoff expansion creates some top-seeded casualties

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The UIL's expansion to four playoff teams per district in Class 6A through 2A in 2014, panned by many, is having a sizable impact on the baseball playoffs.

In last week's opening post-season round, 26 fourth-seeds defeated top-seeded district champions to advance to this week's area playoff round.

Class 4A and Class 3A shared the largest number of district-champion casualties with eight apiece. Class 5A and Class 2A each had four. Class 6A, the largest classification, saw two fourth seeds advance, Lamar from District 4 and Memorial from District 15.

However, the first round held form at the top. Teams ranked in MaxPreps Top 10 in each classification fared well with only one of the 50 suffering bi-district elimination.

The UIL playoffs will culminate with the state tournament set for June 7-10 at two sites, Dell Diamond in Round Rock and UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin.

Here's a look at which regions rate the strongest going into the second playoff round based on the MaxPreps Top 10 rankings in classifications 6A through 2A.

Class 6A
Region I
1. Flower Mound
7. Martin (Arlington)
8. Carroll (Southlake)
Region III
5. Lamar (Houston)
6. George Ranch (Richmond)
10. La Porte
Region II
2. Rockwall-Heath (Rockwall)
4. Round Rock
Region IV
3. Lake Travis (Austin)
9. Johnson (San Antonio)

Of the top 10 teams, only six are top seeds from their districts. Three finished as runner-up, including top-ranked Flower Mound. Johnson is the third seed from District 26.
Class 5A
Region II
1. Wakeland (Frisco)
2. Prosper
7. Waxahachie
9. Hallsville
Region I
4. Randall (Amarillo)
5. Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville)
8. Rider (Wichita Falls)
Region IV
3. Moody (Corpus Christi)
6. Tivy (Kerrville)
Region III
No. 10 Brenham

Two of the 10 failed to earn top seeds from their respective districts. Randall is a third seed from District 3 and Colleyville Heritage is runner-up from District 8.

Fourth-seed bi-district winners were Richland (North Richland Hills, Texas), Temple (Temple, Texas), King (Corpus Christi, Texas) and Medina Valley (Castroville, Texas).

Class 4A
Region III
2. West Orange-Stark (Orange)
5. Robinson
7. Liberty Hill
8. Silsbee
Region II
3. Argyle (Argyle)
4. Pleasant Grove (Texarkana)
9. Kilgore
Region I
1. Wylie (Abilene)
6. Godley
Region IV
10. Sinton

Silsbee, runner-up in District 22, is the only top 10 team that is not a top seed from its district in Class 4A.

Fourth-seed winners were Monahans, Stephenville, Liberty, Orangefield, Aubrey, Gilmer, Krum and Somerset.

Class 3A
Region I
2. Brock
3. Wall
4. Peaster
7. Clyde
Region III
1. Central Heights (Nacogdoches)
5. Troy
9. Clifton
Region II
8. Winnsboro
10. Gunter

Region III began the playoffs with four teams in the top 10, but lost one in the bi-district round when Clifton, fourth seed from District 19, eliminated 6. Rogers.
Other fourth seeds still alive: Newton, Frankston, Kountze, Ore City, Mathis, Johnson City and Santa Gertrudis Academy (Kingsville).

Class 2A
Region IV
2. Big Sandy
3. Refugio
6. Weimar
10. Shiner
Region III
4. Lovelady
5. Woden
8. Alto
9. Overton
Region II
No. 1 Muenster
Region I
West Texas (Stinnett)

Alto, runner-up in District 22, is the only top-10 team that is not a top seed from its Class 2A district.

Fourth seeds advancing to the second round: Anson, Detroit, Dawson, Ozona .