Two teams debut as Colorado Mesa and North Greenville continue to battle for DII supremacy.
Colorado Mesa took yet another weekend series, extending its DII winning streak to 37 games. However, North Greenville took a huge weekend series against UNC Pembroke, a team on the cusp of the top eight in the Southeast Region. That big weekend win gives North Greenville the No. 1 KPI and NET in DII, and the No. 1 RPI and PI in the toughest region in DII baseball. Add that together, and North Greenville simply has to jump and become yet another new No. 1 team in the topsy-turvy season of the DII baseball Power 10 rankings.
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Tampa had an up-and-down week, losing its first two before closing it out with two wins in a row. The two-time defending champs are still DII baseball royalty but have shown to be a bit vulnerable this season. Pair that with the Spartans' metrics, and they fell a few spots this week.
Before we get to this week’s rankings, remember, the Power 10 rankings are compiled by myself; however, I do take other ratings into consideration — such as KPI, both of, RPI and PI and NET — to cast a wide net and help show you the metrics that make a Power 10 different than a poll that is voted upon. While close, it is very rarely identical to the national polls, so I try to explain the rationale in as much detail as I can.
DII baseball Power 10 rankings through April 12
No. 1 North Greenville | Previous: 2. The Trailblazers are just a well-oiled machine. They swept UNC Pembroke, putting a big dent in the Braves' postseason chances, and have now won 11 in a row. Josh Foulkes hit a three-run home run in his final at-bat last Tuesday to hit for the cycle, while CJ Dean remains a player-of-the-year candidate, giving the Trailblazers a horrifying heart of the lineup for opposing pitchers. Speaking of pitching, Matty Brown and Bennett Roemer continue to get it done, forming one of the best 1-2 punches in all DII baseball. Landon Powell has yet another potent team in all aspects of the game.
No. 2 Colorado Mesa | Previous: 1. That was close. The Mavericks were tied heading into the bottom of the eighth but rallied for four runs to keep their DII winning streak intact. The lineup is scorching hot with six everyday players hitting above .350, and the team has a combined 1.026 OPS. The pitching is holding up, and we’re late into the season, so a 3.92 combined ERA with a 1.32 WHIP is impressive in that thin Colorado air of the RMAC. To put it in perspective, the next closest ERA in the conference is MSU Denver at 5.93. This team has talent everywhere, and a slightly stronger strength of schedule would have kept them locked in at No. 1. It’s the only thing that holds the Mavericks back right now.
No. 3 Catawba | Previous: 4 (tied). Spoiler alert: The Southeast Region is once again insanely stacked. There are eight teams in the top 25 that hail from the region, and Catawba has the second-best metrics of them all in just about every category. What stands out even more is that the Indians have series wins against Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate, swept Belmont Abbey, split with Francis Marion, and are one up on UNC Pembroke. They aren’t simply winning; they are winning every series that is important for a tournament resume. What we see on the field matters, but in DII regionalization, metrics speak loudly… and Catawba has them all in its corner.
No. 4 Cal State Monterey Bay | Previous: 7. I continue to be very high on the Otters, and there is good reason why. They have been No. 1 in RPI and PI in the West since first pitch and have the big head-to-head advantage over Point Loma. Over the last two weekends, they have taken three of four against first Cal Poly Pomona and then Cal State San Marcos, two teams that are . The starting rotation is a solid three arms and James Starkus continues an All-American campaign. The Otters have been on the invite list for the ball falling in the West super regionals three years in a row. This could be the year they cut up the dance floor.
No. 5 Rogers State | Previous: Next up. This is one of the largest jumps in the history of the DII baseball Power 10 rankings, so perhaps there should be a bit of a detailed explanation. First, I am not the least bit surprised; back in October, in the , I said, “Don’t be surprised if Rogers State makes some noise. This may be a reach, but last year, the Hillcats finished with their best record since 2019. Four everyday lineup bats are back, including top hitter Andrew Ramirez (.335, 1.035 OPS, 13 home runs, 60 RBI)."
Well, here we are. Why did it take so long for the Hillcats to be ranked? Well, until late March, they really didn’t face any of the stiffer competition in the Central Region and had one of the lowest SoS in the region. So, how did they climb so high and surpass Pittsburg State? The Hillcats metrics are very close to the Gorillas — the Gorillas have a higher KPI, whereas the Hillcats have a higher NET, and the Gorillas are No. 1 in PI in the Central where Rogers State is No. 1 in RPI with very similar SoS. So, perhaps it is the common opponents that tell a better story, and even that is very close. Both teams won their series against Central Missouri and Emporia State, two teams vying for a tournament spot. Rogers State is 2-1 against Missouri Southern, Pittsburg State is 1-1. The Gorillas were swept by Northwest Missouri State, whereas Rogers State won that series, 2-1. When things are this close by the metrics, it is the littlest detail that helps, and Rogers State finally gets its well-deserved due in its Power 10 debut.
No. 6 Tampa | Previous: 3. First of all, the Spartans are just fine. However, if the tournament started today, they would be the third or fourth seed in the tough South Region. Despite having lower metrics than West Florida, West Alabama and Rollins, Tampa is still the South Region school in the Power 10. Why? Have you watched DII baseball? It isn’t how you start, but how you finish. Tampa’s pitching is elite, now with a combined 2.95 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, .226 batting average against and 3.47 strikeout-to-walk ratio, all stats that either lead DII or are in the top three. They are now 30-7 and face off against Rollins this weekend in a series that, depending on the outcome, could boost the Spartans right back to the upper echelon of DII baseball.
No. 7 Pittsburg State | Previous: 4 (tied) Yes, the Gorillas swept 13-24 Northeastern State this weekend, but they are also 5-5 over their last 10 games. That includes a sweep to Northwest Missouri State and a midweek loss to Missouri Southern, two teams right in the MIAA hunt. All that said, this team still has a top 10 KPI and NET, as well as the No. 2 RPI and top PI in the Central Region. The offense carries this team, having scored nearly 100 more runs than the next closest team in the MIAA and second most in all DII. Dagen Brewer extended his hit streak to seven games this weekend and is now hitting .446 with a 1.556 OPS and 19 home runs with 81 RBIs, putting him in contention for the DII Triple Crown.
No. 8 Grand Valley State | Previous: 9. The Lakers put the crescendo on a big weekend sweep by scoring 22 runs on Sunday, the second time in the four-game series they scored 20-plus runs. They are neck-and-neck with Wayne State (MI) in both the GLIAC and Midwest Region for the top spot, and the two split that big series against each other. Grand Valley State has the edge in KPI and NET, and that’s what puts the Lakers this high in the rankings. The pitching trio of Collin Bradley, Owen Avery and Jackson Kees — who are a combined 20-1 with a 2.21 ERA and 1.07 WHIP — is going to make it difficult to take down the stretch and especially in a tournament.
No. 9 UT Tyler | Previous: 10. Yes, it was Sul Ross State that has a mere three wins this season, but the Patriots scored 69 runs in a four-game series this weekend. This is the reigning South Central champions and they are 16-1 over the last month. The metrics may not agree, but what you see on the field is undeniable. The Patriots have experience from last year’s run to Cary and have yet to lose a weekend series all season. Sometimes metrics don’t tell the whole story. This team had a brutal schedule out of the gates, and they took some bumps and bruises and have been playing like one of the best teams in DII ever since.
No. 10 Francis Marion | Previous: Next up. It’s a Patriot party in the Power 10. These Patriots are the second team this week to make their DII baseball Power 10 program debut. Francis Marion has a top 20 KPI, and top five NET and both a top six RPI and PI in the Southeast Region, giving it plenty of metrics to support this jump. The Patriots also have Charlie Bussey III, who has been one of the best all-around players in DII, hitting .494 with a 1.440 OPS, 17 doubles, 13 home runs, 79 runs scored, 58 RBIs and 34 stolen bases. They also have meaningful series wins over Young Harris, UNC Pembroke and Lander, split with Catawba, and can even the season series with Wingate this week. The pitching will be a bit worrisome in tournament play, but this team has the firepower to hang with plenty of teams in DII.
Next up (in alphabetical order)
With how deep this baseball season has been, no one seems to be separating themselves. So, instead of the traditional “first five out,” we are taking a deeper dive each week into those just outside the top 10. This week, we have 17 teams to consider.
West Florida had an interesting week. The Argos picked up a big midweek sweep against Columbus State but then lost two of three to West Alabama. Despite that, the Argos remain atop the RPI in the South Region, with the second-best PI, but the series loss to the Tigers could loom large at the selection show.
Last week, Shippensburg was on the cusp of the Field of 56 conversation, and after taking three of four from both Millersville and West Chester in back-to-back weekends, the Raiders are in the mix. While they don’t enter the Power 10, they did knock West Chester from No. 6 to this next up. The Raiders do leap into the “just missed” category this week.
The Missouri S&T Miners jump into the conversation this week after a huge sweep of GLVC favorite, Illinois Springfield. Since being swept by Grand Valley State to open March, the Miners have gone 19-3, splitting with Quincy, all but ending Rockhurst’s tournament hopes in a four-game sweep and this past weekend, knocking off the Prairie Stars. This is the No. 2 or 3 seed in the Midwest right now.
I still think people are sleeping on Minnesota State. You look at the Mavericks 25-8 record, and it looks just fine, but not elite. However, the Mavericks played their first 21 games not only on the road, but outside the state of Minnesota entirely. Of their eight losses, six came during that stretch, and to some very good baseball teams like Wayne State (MI) and Seton Hill. This week is the big matchup between Minnesota State and Augustana (SD) for first place in the NSIC.
- Augustana (SD)
- Belmont Abbey
- Central Missouri
- Lenoir-Rhyne
- Minnesota State
- Missouri S&T
- North Georgia
- Northwest Missouri State
- Point Loma
- Rollins
- Seton Hill
- Wayne State (MI)
- West Alabama
- West Chester
- West Florida
- Wingate
- Young Harris
Just missed: Angelo State, Eckerd, Emporia State, Florida Southern, Millersville, St. Mary’s (TX), Shippensburg, Trevecca Nazarene
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