The 2020-21 NCAA DII year is coming to a close and the final DII championships are set to begin. As both the golf and tennis tournaments are set to get underway this week, DII baseball, softball and lacrosse are heating up as selection shows near.
DII NEWS:
There were too many meaningful baseball games left to play this weekend, so we're going to bump the DII baseball Power 10 to next week. There was still plenty going on, and it's all right here in the DII Report.
Around the horn: What stood out in DII baseball
How about the offensive explosion in the GLIAC on Saturday? Early Saturday, Northwood set the GLIAC single-game record with 31 runs scored. First baseman Connor Kin had four home runs in the victory. But later that same very day, Ashland scored 32 runs in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader, breaking Northwood's record. Mike Fleming had a five-hit, seven-RBI day with three of those hits leaving the yard.
For good measure, Wayne State (MI) won its game 23-3. The Warriors slugged five home runs in the contest and Hunter DeLanoy was a single shy of a cycle in a six-RBI performance. That leaves Wayne State, Ashland and Northwood in quite the race atop the standings with just two weeks to the conference tournament.
- DII baseball record watch: Colorado Mesa is now averaging 14.2 runs per game, well ahead of the pace Savannah State set in its record-breaking 2000 season when they scored 12.59 runs per game.
- The Augustana (SD) Vikings had a big week. They took a huge two-game series against Power 10-ranked Minnesota State. Both victories came in shutout fashion, including a complete game, 14-strikeout performance by Ryan Jares.
- Central Missouri clinched the MIAA regular season title in a 16-1 victory on Saturday. The Mules next win will be No. 2,000 in program history. Mason Green improved to 10-0 on the year.
- West Florida, who has been just outside the Power 10 all season, may have found its way into the rankings. In the final series of the Gulf South regular season, the Argonauts swept our No.6 Lee in quite dominating fashion. West Florida outscored Lee 23-7 on the weekend.
- UNC Pembroke bounced back from a rough week to take two huge games from Columbus State with one more to go on Sunday. That win cements the Braves place atop the Peach Belt standings heading into next weekends conference tournament. UNC Pembroke hit .350 with runners in scoring position in both games of the doubleheader.
- Florida Southern had a huge doubleheader sweep over Tampa on Saturday to keep its tournament hopes alive. Shortstop Zach Scott had a huge day, driving in nine runs in both games to go along with a pair of home runs. He's now hit a homer in three-straight games.
- North Georgia launched 11 home runs in a doubleheader sweep of Salem on Saturday. Catcher Andres Perez hit one in each game and now has 17 on the season.
DII championship season is upon us
This past week, both the DII men's and women's golf selections were announced. Thirty-six teams and 16 individuals begin regional competition on May 3 for the women, while 64 teams and 24 individuals kick off play on May 6 for the men. DBU was the No. 1 team in the country for the women and West Florida enters tournament play as the top men's team.
DII GOLF: Women's selections announced | Men's
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021, the DII men's and women's tennis brackets will be filled out right here on krikya18.com. You can catch the men's at 8 p.m. ET and the women's right after 8:30 p.m. ET. Click the links below to watch:
DII TENNIS: Men's selection show | Women's selection show
No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in DII women's lacrosse
On Sunday, May 2, Lindenwood and Indianapolis will face off in the GLVC women's lacrosse championship. The two teams also came in atop the latest IWLCA rankings, with the 13-0 Lions holding down the No. 1 spot and the 13-1 Greyhounds right behind. It's the first women's lacrosse championship game in conference history.
Abigail Lagos leads the way for UIndy's top-scoring offense. Lagos has 56 goals, one of four Greyhounds with more than 30 goals, for an offense that's averaging a DII-best 20.92 goals per game. Erin McGuire has had a monster season for Lindenwood, leading the team in goals (32) and assists (40).
DII softball showdowns
Last week, krikya18.com's Brenden Welper took a look at nine pitchers to watch down the stretch this DII softball season. Two of those pitchers faced off Saturday.
IN THE CIRCLE: 9 pitchers to watch in DII softball
Maryville's Alyssa Callans went head-to-head with UIndy's Kenzee Smith. Maryville actually struck first, when Callans helped her own cause with a two-run bomb. But UIndy struck back, with three home runs of its own. Both pitchers went the distance with Smith improving to 17-2 on the season.
Alabama-Huntsville, which was one of the first team's out of Welper's latest DII softball Power 10 rankings, hosted No. 1 Valdosta State. The Chargers ended the Blazers' 21-game winning streak, sweeping a doubleheader on Saturday. The two face off one more time on Sunday.
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