Tampa is undefeated through the first three weeks of the year because it is DII baseball season and that's what the Spartans do. The two-time defending champions remain locked in at No. 1 in the latest Power 10 rankings. While there are no new faces this week, there was some movement among the top 10.
DII baseball prep: 8 for Cary |
Remember, the DII baseball Power 10 rankings are an attempt to combine selection metrics with the eye test and produce a ranking that falls somewhere in between the coaches and media polls and regional rankings. There is no voting panel, and the selection committee has no input. These are mine and mine alone, and I try to explain in detail why each team is where. It is still too early to rely too heavily on metrics, thus the reason for not much change this week.
DII baseball Power 10 rankings through Feb. 22
No. 1 Tampa | Previous: 1. There should be no ranking in which the Spartans aren’t the No. 1 team. They are now 11-0 after scoring 48 runs in three games this weekend. They are 118-18 over the last two-plus seasons with two national championships along the way. The pitching staff has a combined 2.34 ERA and 1.02 WHIP, already among the best in DII as it always is, and the lineup is hitting .359 with a 1.062 OPS. Sometimes metrics don’t matter this early in the season. Sometimes, when a team comes out doing what they’ve done for 20 years, you just know there is something special going on once again in Tampa.
No. 2 North Greenville | Previous: 3. The Trailblazers are now 13-1 and look like they will be a powerhouse right through May. The lineup is full of contact hitters and power hitters, combining for a .350 average, 1.071 OPS, 29 home runs (that’s more than two per game in a time of year where pitching is supposed to have the upper hand) and 161 runs scored. Matty Brown looked like the preseason national pitcher of the year, and thus far he has been great, now 3-0 with a 1.06 ERA and 1.18 OPS. However, it is his rotation mate that gives North Greenville the scariest one-two punch in DII right now. Bennett Roemer is also 3-0, with a 0.86 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, .160 batting average against and 31 strikeouts in 21.0 innings. Ben Leikam, Wyatt Evans, Kadan Roach, Thomas Skipper and Connor Brinson have all made at least four appearances out of the bullpen thus far… and not a single one of them have allowed an unearned run. This team seemingly has no weaknesses.
No. 3 UT Tyler | Previous: 2. The Patriots lost a game this weekend, but let’s look at the bigger picture: Julio Garcia tossed five shutout innings before allowing just two runs in the sixth. Baseball is not a sport where teams go undefeated, so competitive losses are just fine, especially when you bounce back and take the series like UT Tyler did. I really wish there was some room for LSC teams to play outside the conference so we can see how these Patriots match up against other teams, but there is no denying they are off to a hot 12-2 start against some very good teams.
No. 4 Central Missouri | Previous: 4. The Mules swept their third weekend series in a row and are now 11-2. Big 6-foot-8 righty Greyson Chappel is a real MLB prospect posting a 0.00 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with 14.8 strikeouts per nine innings to just two walks while touching 96 on the radar gun. The offense is hitting, posting a .336 combined batting average with 127 runs scored; however, there is a lack of power thus far. The MIAA looks stacked this season, so the Mules will be put to the test. Right now, it looks like they have the pitching to battle.
No. 5 Catawba | Previous: 5. It was very tempting to move the Indians up to No. 3 after another impressive weekend. The argument can be made that UT Tyler, Central Missouri and Catawba are all tied at No. 3 right now, or at the very least, interchangeable in the respective slots. Catawba picked up a massive midweek win over Belmont Abbey, one that will loom large come selections in May, before sweeping through Mars Hill with relative ease. The Indians have a deep starting rotation with Colt Wilkins, Parker Lakey, Kemper Nix and Casey Gouge, who have allowed just 15 combined earned runs over 68.2 innings pitched.
No. 6 Lenoir-Rhyne | Previous: 6. Carson-Newman was a sleeper entering the season with one of the better under-the-radar rotations in DII. The Bears swept right through the Eagles this weekend, handing star pitcher Kolton Casson his first loss of the year while improving to 9-1 overall. Transfer catcher Seth Christmas is fitting right into the Bears’ home run-happy barrage, hitting .394 with four home runs, while last year’s player of the year Mackenzie Wainwright has hit in all 10 games this year, posting a .361 batting average and 1.061 OPS. The Bears will go far with its lineup, which is hitting .336 with a 1.008 OPS through 10 games.
No. 7 Cal State Monterey Bay | Previous: 9. Yes, the Otters have three losses and are above teams that have one loss or are even undefeated. That’s because of the quality of wins they have so far. The Otters opened the season with a series win over nationally ranked and tournament regular Point Loma, took three of four from Azusa Pacific and then took down the defending West Region champion Northwest Nazarene three games to one. James Starkus had another big weekend, closing out his final three games with seven hits, four runs scored and three RBI. They have a deep arsenal of pitchers that are getting it done both in the starting rotation and out of the bullpen. Up next is 10-4 Fresno Pacific that has stunned Cal State Dominguez Hills and Western Oregon to open the season. It doesn’t get any easier for the Otters this week.
No. 8 (tied) Grand Valley State, Pittsburg State | Previous: 7 and 10 (tied), respectively. The Gorillas are now 13-0 and they are clicking in both the rotation and lineup. Dagen Brewer has hit in all 13 games, extending his hitting streak to a MIAA-record 33 games going back to last year. He already has seven doubles, four home runs and 29 RBI. Eric Bacon, though not a power hitter just yet, has transferred in with ease, hitting .509 through his first 13 games in DII baseball. Zach Voss, Preston Giltner and Elijah Seitz have been a formidable conference rotation, allowing just 12 earned runs in 47.2 innings. There is no reason they should slow down this week against Newman and Arkansas-Fort Smith, but MIAA baseball is its own beast.
The Lakers swept Cedarville to improve to 6-1 on the season. The starting trio of Collin Bradley (0.96 ERA, 0.86 WHIP), Owen Avery (2.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) and Jackson Kees (3.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) have looked overpowering at times and are leading the way. And how about this start for Evan Morrison? He’s hit in all seven games this season, with six of those games being multi-hit performances. He has four doubles, three triples and two home runs (after hitting none a season ago) with a video game-like .606 batting average and 1.730 OPS. The Lakers are clicking on all cylinders.
No. 10 (tied) Minnesota State, West Florida | Previous: 8 and 10 (tied), respectively. There isn’t much to report on the Mavericks front. They opened the season at the MSSU Lion Classic two weekends ago and were idle this weekend. They went 3-1 there, including taking two from three-time Midwest super regional team UIndy. The Mavericks are loaded with experienced talent, but Augustana (SD) is off to an 8-0 start. The NSIC is going to be a tough battle, so every win matters now that conference play begins.
West Florida utterly dominated Christian Brothers, sweeping its second weekend series of the season by a combined score of 27-1. The Argos are now 10-2 on the season. Colton Dorsey (0.64 ERA, 18 strikeouts in 14 innings) and Elijah Roberts (2.65 ERA, 0.88 WHIP) have fared well in the starting rotation. A huge weekend against Delta State awaits
First five out (in alphabetical order)
- Angelo State. Am I still too high on the Rams? Maybe, but they keep winning with essentially an entirely new team. They are still 10-4 and not close to midseason form yet, so don’t sleep to much on one of the most consistent powers in DII baseball.
- Augustana (SD). The Vikings are off to an 8-0 start, which should explain plenty. A huge showdown against Colorado Mesa on the road awaits this weekend.
- Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks are set to host the Vikings, fresh off a weekend sweep of MSU Billings. They are 10-2 on the season, surprisingly with six home runs, which is what two or three players usually have by now. The starting pitching will have to be at its best against Augustana.
- North Georgia. That was a big series win over PBC rival and nationally ranked Lander this weekend. With so many new faces and new coaching staff, this 12-3 start is impressive, especially with wins against Embry-Riddle, Mississippi College, Young Harris and now Lander.
- Point Loma. The Sea Lions are good at baseball. They have been for quite some time and nothing indicates that changing, especially They have swept both weekend series to begin PacWest play.
Just missed: Barry, Belmont Abbey, Emporia State, Seton Hill, West Alabama
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