Texas UIL softball playoffs move to the area round with all nine of the Lone Star State's Top 50 teams still alive originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Texas UIL softball playoffs are off and running, and many of the best-of-three bi-district series are in the books.

The nation's No. 1-ranked team in MaxPreps – the Barbers Hill [Mt. Belvieu] Eagles – are one of the teams that has already clinched a spot in the Area playoffs this coming weekend by virtue of a two-games-to-none series win over the Angleton Wildcats. The Eagles are now set to take on the Cougars this coming weekend in the UIL Class 5A Division I playoffs.

On the opposite side of that bracket, the No. 5 Melissa Cardinals also advanced by virtue of a two-game series sweep over the Texas High [Texarkana] Tigers. Next up on the Cardinals' agenda is a weekend date with the Reedy [Frisco] Lions, a 2-0 winner over the Frisco Raccoons.

Both Barbers Hill and Melissa remain in the chase for at least a share of the national championship along with the No. 4 Lake Creek [Montgomery] Lions – a 2-0 winner over West Fork. The Lions will take on the Santa Fe Indians in the area playoffs next weekend.

Texas had at total of nine teams ranked in the MaxPreps Top 50 headed into the playoffs, and all nine of those teams advanced to the area playoffs.

The University Interscholastic League divides each of its classifications starting with Class 2A and up into two playoff divisions based on enrollment, and the those ranked teams are competing for state titles across nine divisions.

And, at the very least, the top three teams in the MaxPreps rankings – No. 1 Barbers Hill, No. 4 Lake Creek, and No. 5 Melissa – are also very much alive in the national championship race with the No. 11 Midway Panthers on the bubble.

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