2025 High School Team Preview: Ridge Point Panthers
December 16, 2024
The 2025 Texas high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Texas.
Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Austin at the UIL State Tournament in June, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Texas. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 30 rankings that’ll carry us into the opening week of action.
Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our Players of the Week and updating the Power 30 rankings.
Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.
High School: Ridge Point
Head Coach: Mike Dutka
UIL Classification: 21-6A
Team Strengths: Pitching
2024 Record (Playoff Finish): 28-9-1 (Area Finalists)
Key Players Lost: N/A
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- LHP Jack McKernan (2025; Texas) - 2024 First Team All-District
- RHP/CIF Mason Murphy (2025; uncommitted) - 2024 Second Team All-District
- MIF Hayden Willey (2025; Dallas Baptist) - 2024 Honorable Mention All-District
- OF/LHP Jack Ward (2025; uncommitted)
- INF/RHP Logan Shields (2026; uncommitted)
TOP NEWCOMERS
- C Braden Durrett (2027)
FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW
- INF/RHP Travis Fiedler (2028)
- OF/RHP Milton Watkin (2028)
TEAM OUTLOOK
Coming off a strong 2024 campaign with a 28-9-1 record and an Area Finalist finish, the Panthers aim to build on their recent success with a roster that boasts a blend of proven talent and promising newcomers. Head Coach Mike Dutka’s group in 2025 will look to lean on their pitching staff to take them where they want to go as a team. With several standout arms returning, Ridge Point has the tools to contend with the region’s best and make another deep playoff push.
Leading the charge will be LHP Jack McKernan, a Texas commit and current No. 16 player in the state (No. 149 nationally), and 2024 First Team All-District selection. RHP/CIF Mason Murphy, an uncommitted but highly talented 2025 graduate (ranked No. 38 in Texas & No. 415 nationally), adds depth to both the rotation and the lineup after earning Second Team All-District honors in 2024. Hayden Willey brings versatility and consistency, while two-way contributors Jack Ward and Logan Shields (ranked No. 152 in Texas) round out a talented returning core. The team also features exciting new talent in C Braden Durrett (2027), who is ranked No. 108 in the state and was a recent standout at the Texas State Games: Underclass. Freshmen Travis Fiedler (INF) and Milton Watkin (OF/RHP) highlight the program’s bright future and are players to watch as the season progresses. Both were Prep Baseball Junior Future Games participants this past summer and showed to be high-follows in the Lone Star state moving forward. With its strong pitching staff and a deep lineup of versatile athletes, Ridge Point is poised to be a force again in the state’s 6A class in 2025.
Find more information on the 2025 Ridge Point program below:
+ Follow Ridge Point Baseball on X: @RPHSBaseball
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage