For the second week in a row, we have a new No. 1 atop the DII baseball Power 10 rankings. North Greenville had a rough week, losing a pair of games to Trevecca Nazarene and then its weekend series to Belmont Abbey. That opened the door for Pittsburg State to capture its first-ever No. 1 spot in the DII baseball Power 10.
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There was quite a bit of change in this week’s rankings. Each week, I sit down with Robert Frey of D2 Baseball to help arrive at their top 25 rankings, and we both agree that this is the toughest top 25 to rank in quite some time. There are 34 teams that all deserve top 25 consideration right now, with about 26 of those 34 all part of the top 10 conversation.
While these Power 10 are my own and no voting body partakes in these rankings, I look to other ratings — such as , both of , and to get as much input as possible for a ranking that leaves no stone unturned and no metric ignored. 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 March 15
No. 1 Pittsburg State | Previous: 2. The Gorillas took a big three-game series from Central Missouri and not only staked their claim in the MIAA, but in DII baseball as well. They have played back-to-back weekends against nationally ranked teams and won both series. The offense is a run-scoring juggernaut, scoring 12.8 runs per game. The pitching showed it was human this weekend, but overall has been very tough thus far. Whichever rating you prefer — whether it is KPI, RPI or NET — the Gorillas own at least a top-three mark, if not the top. Another huge test awaits this week, with a midweeker against Drury and weekend series against Central Oklahoma.
No. 2 Tampa | Previous: 3. The DII baseball Power 10 rankings are a blend of the eye test and selection metrics. Tampa is No. 2 mainly because of the eye test, because the Spartans surprisingly don’t have those killer metrics they normally do… yet. Still, this is Tampa we are talking about, and while they have had some hiccups, they are still off to a 19-4 start with one of the best pitching staffs in DII, posting a 2.79 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a .233 batting average against. Leading the way is Robert Satin, who has been nearly untouchable through seven starts, going 6-0 with a 0.23 ERA, a 0.64 WHIP and a 12.36 strikeout-per-nine rate.
No. 3 Colorado Mesa | Previous: 6. While its record may not show it right now, CSU Pueblo is a tough baseball team in the RMAC. The Mavericks swept right through the ThunderWolves, extending their DII winning streak to 21-straight games. They did lose a midweek game, but that was to Division I Utah Valley… and they nearly pulled off the upset with a late rally. It is still the pitching that makes this team so dangerous, which is a sentence rarely spoken in the RMAC. On the season, the Mavericks have posted a combined 3.73 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with a .254 batting average against and 215 strikeouts in 198 innings. If they can maintain that kind of pitching in the RMAC, the conference race could be over by April 1.
No. 4 Catawba | Previous: 4. Catawba sits atop a tightly contested SAC with two other teams in the Power 10 conversation, Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate. The Indians have taken a series from Lenoir-Rhyne and have signature wins against Belmont Abbey and Francis Marion, boosting their DII status. As it always seems, Catawba just does a little bit of everything well: The Indians are hitting .314 with a .905 OPS and score just about eight runs per game, while posting a respectable 3.78 ERA and .251 batting average against. Wingate looms this weekend, so a series win there will solidify Catawba as a top-five team.
No. 5 North Greenville | Previous: 1. Perhaps this is still being too kind to the Trailblazers after a 1-4 week. However, they have played one of the toughest schedules in DII and are still a solid 20-6 with many metrics that fall into the top 10 of all DII baseball. They are also an extremely potent offense (.342, 1.003 OPS, 41 home runs and 274 runs scored) in a part of the country that is just loaded with potent offenses. They have a brutal week against Lander and North Georgia before a favorable weekend against Southern Wesleyan. Let’s see how they respond after their first losing weekend of the season.
No. 6 Central Missouri | Previous: 5. The Mules lost two of three to the best team in DII, so they don’t get bumped too far this week. Central Missouri is still 19-5against a tough schedule and can make a statement with a win on Tuesday against Northwest Missouri State. While the Mules have great stats (hitting .345 with a .958 OPS and 10.04 runs per game and a solid bullpen), their metrics lean more towards the top 15 than the top 10. This is where history and the eye test come into play, because with three trips to Cary in five years (along with two national runners-up finished), you can be sure that tournament time, this is one of the few teams to beat in the Central Region.
No. 7 Lenoir-Rhyne | Previous: First five out. The Bears are now 18-4-1 after a 4-0 week, which included a win over USC Aiken, which is in the tournament hunt. Now, it is important to remember that these Power 10 rankings are solely based on metrics, because if they were not, the Bears would be top 5 in DII. They are tops in the Southeast in both RPI and PI, have the No. 4 KPI in DII, and the No. 2 NET rating. Plus, they’ve done it all against one of the toughest strength of schedules in DII baseball while losing the majority of their home run, record-setting lineup. Having Mackenzie Wainwright back, who appeared on , certainly helps.
No. 8 Cal State Monterey Bay | Previous: First five out. It gets tricky here. Point Loma is on fire, winners of 20 in a row and may very well be the team to beat in the West. What plays in the Otters' favor is selection metrics, including a tremendous opening series win against the Sea Lions. The Otters are No. 1 in the West in both RPI and PI, while tied with Cal Poly Pomona for the toughest strength of schedule in the region as well. They are also top 10 in KPI and NET. The Otters are also 17-5 with a national player-of-the-year candidate in James Starkus, so this team literally checks every box of a tournament contender.
No. 9 Point Loma | Previous: 9. Some of the explanation has already been given above: The Sea Lions have great metrics, but as great as they are, they are behind the Otters. They also have DII’s longest winning streak at 20 games and two absolute stars of a player in outfielder Tristan Moore (.384, 1.247 OPS, 12 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 34 runs scored, 37 RBIs) and pitcher Derek Silva, who recently made the player-of-the-year watchlist.
No. 10 (tied) Rollins, UT Tyler | Previous: Just missed and 10, respectively. Rollins was a bounce-back sleeper in the SSC this preseason, and right now, the Tars are wide awake, with both a top 10 NET and KPI as well as the top RPI and PI in the South Region. UT Tyler, for all its early-season struggles, has not lost a weekend series yet. And that is against an excruciatingly tough schedule. The Patriots may be 18-8, but they still have signature wins and solid metrics to go with a lot of experience from their run to Cary a year ago.
Next up (in alphabetical order)
Typically, this spot is reserved for the “first five out.” There is an abundance of talent in DII baseball right now due to several recent rule changes, and the division is thriving. It is arguably deeper than any other sport, and narrowing down just five more teams was extremely difficult. Here are the next 10 teams that were considered.
- Belmont Abbey
- GVSU
- Minnesota State
- North Georgia
- Trevecca Nazarene
- Wayne State (MI)
- West Chester
- West Florida
- Wingate
- Young Harris
The best of the rest: Here are the rest of the teams that received consideration this week, giving us a grand total of 34 outstanding teams in DII baseball right now: Angelo State, Augustana (SD), Cal Poly Pomona, Emporia State, Florida Southern, Francis Marion, Millersville, Rogers State, Seton Hill, Slippery Rock, St. Mary’s (TX), UNC Pembroke, West Alabama, Westmont
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