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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.
“I was comfortable to throw it in every count,” Hansford said. “But the two-seam (fastball), four-seam (fastball) and slider were also working. Today was kind of one of those days where I just kind of had it all. So it feels really good to be able to have command like that.”
After only producing one hit in the first four innings, the Cavs manufactured their runs with the help of some effective bunting.
Luke McBride led off the fifth with a walk, then Elliott Proppe laid down a bunt single, which drew a throwing error that allowed the runners to advance.
Elliot Su’s sacrifice fly put Lake Travis on the board, then after Kyle Brauchle’s bunt single, James Tudor ripped an RBI hit to center field.
A couple of Cedar Ridge errors on a pickoff attempt allowed the Cavs to score two more runs.
“We kind of knew coming in the short game could be there for us,” Rogers said. “Ten of our first 12 outs were strikeouts or weak pop-ups, so we had to put the ball on the ground and put some pressure on them. … We saw how well (bunting) worked (in Game 1), so you gotta go to it again until they show they can defend it. And that’s a credit to our guys being able to make adjustments.”
But it was Lake Travis’ pitching that was the key. Hansford retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced, then Luke McBride needed only eight pitches, recording two strikeouts in the process, to close out the game in the seventh.
“It’s crazy how much pitching depth we have,” said Hansford, referencing McBride and Cooper Webb, who had 10 strikeouts in six innings Wednesday. “We’re very blessed with all the talent that we have. … And it means everything just to be back in the semifinals.”
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