Welcome to March, where we are learning exactly why ranking DII baseball teams is so difficult prior to the middle of the month. There is simply so much fluctuation as more and more teams enter the mix with the sport’s rolling start. Pittsburg State continues its impressive climb up the rankings because we have seen more than enough to determine that the Gorillas are very much for real. However, some other teams have still only played five or six games. Is that enough to bump them from the rankings?
DII baseball prep: 8 for Cary |
The answer is not necessarily. If you were a highly ranked preseason team and have jumped out to a questionable start, there is still plenty of time to rebound, especially with conference play just getting underway and early season tournaments — like the ones in Florida and Myrtle Beach — are yet to be finished. Essentially, it is way too early to pull the plug on preseason contenders just because other teams are out to unexpected hot starts.
The DII baseball Power 10 rankings are an attempt to combine the eye test and selection metrics like strength of schedule, PI and others, for a ranking that is somewhere in between the regional rankings and national polls. There is no voting panel, and the selection committee has no input. It is a weekly look at the DII baseball landscape that continues to see some movement every week.
DII baseball Power 10 rankings through March 1
No. 1 Tampa | Previous: 1. The Spartans lost a game to Savannah State, which was absolutely shocking, but it doesn’t change anything for me. No, they haven’t played the toughest schedule in DII, but they are the two-time defending champs for a reason. The pitching is zoned in, posting a 2.95 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with two shutouts already. They have scored 156 runs (that’s slightly more than 10 per game) and are hitting .347. Will they lose again? Sure. Will they lose in May and June? I’m not so sure.
No. 2 North Greenville | Previous: 2. The Trailblazers went 3-1 this week, but it was a huge 2-1 weekend series win over Francis Marion that keeps them ahead of surging Pittsburg State. The Patriots are both nationally ranked and were leading DII in runs scored heading into the weekend, so this is a tremendous edge in a very tight Southeast Region. C.J. Dean and Josh Foulks continue to rake and Bennett Roemer, Matty Brown and the shutdown bullpen remain lights out. A team has to be absolutely stacked to take a three-game series from the Trailblazers.
No. 3 Pittsburg State | Previous: 8 (tied). The Gorillas took another series this weekend, routing Arkansas-Fort Smith 63-8 in the three-game tilt. This team is now 17-0 and is impossible to ignore. Dagen Brewer is the player of the year through the first month of the season. He’s hit in all 17 games, hitting .567 with a 1.821 OPS, 10 doubles, eight home runs, 41 RBI and, most impressively, has walked (15 times) more than he has struck out (9 times). Zach Voss and Preston Giltner have been nothing short of dominant in the rotation, making this a balanced team.
No. 4 Catawba | Previous: 5. Lenoir-Rhyne, , has the top RPI and PI in the Southeast Region. Catawba just took a huge weekend series against the Bears, and that’s exactly why I have the Indians this high. First baseman Brandon Crabtree is on a tear at the plate with seven multi-hit games in his last eight. He went 8-for-12 with five runs scored and five more RBI in the series. The pitching has been sharp as well. It is a bumpy ride in the Southeast Region, but for right now, Catawba has the edge in the SAC.
No. 5 Central Missouri | Previous: 4. That was a big week for the Mules. They had a midweeker against Maryville and weekend series against Newman in which they went 4-0 while scoring at least 10 runs in each game and pitching two shutouts along the way. The one worrisome mark is that the Mules' two losses have come to . Still, this team has a true ace in Greyson Chappel and are hitting .350 with a .955 OPS with 179 runs scored as a team. The MIAA is going to be an intense battle between two top 5 teams.
No. 6 Cal State Monterey Bay | Previous: 7. I don’t know exactly what to make of the West Region just yet this year, but I do know the three or four dominant teams at the top are very good. The Otters are the best of the bunch, now 11-3 after a sweep of Fresno State. Outfielder James Starkus had another huge weekend, going 6-for-11 with two home runs and 10 RBI, giving him 29 on the season. They have two very capable starters in Hayden Hall and Daniel Flores, so they should continue to roll in a four-game tilt at home this weekend against Cal State L.A.
No. 7 Colorado Mesa | Previous: First five out This was a big weekend for Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks took all four games against previously undefeated Augustana (SD) to improve to 14-2. Cameron Cartwright is still working back to full strength from his preseason injury, but he is hitting well in his 10 games back, posting a .351 average and .851 OPS. Once his power is back, this lineup becomes potent per usual. What is impressive is that the pitching seems to be stronger and deeper than in years past, with a 3.90 ERA. You don’t normally see numbers like that in the RMAC.
No. 8 Grand Valley State | Previous: 8 (tied). The Lakers were my pick to win the Midwest Region at the beginning of the year, and they have done nothing to change that opinion just yet. Now, they haven’t played the toughest schedule yet, but they are beating what they are given quite handily, outscoring opponents 112-29 on the season. That means good hitting and pitching abound. As a team, the Lakers are hitting .351 with a .951 OPS and pitching to a 2.15 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with a .218 batting average against.
No. 9 UT Tyler | Previous: 3. The Patriots lost their first weekend series of the season. However, St. Edward’s is a very good team, so to be 14-4 against a strength of schedule of .610 is still impressive. The reason the Patriots stick around the top 10 is not necessarily metrics (which they have good ones) but an experienced roster that seems too resilient to overlook. The pitching has been solid, so once the bats are back in form, this team should take off.
No. 10 (tied) Lenoir-Rhyne and West Florida | Previous: 6 and 10 (tied), respectively. The Argos stay locked in at the 10 spot after a wild 2-1 series win over Delta State, a win with massive South Region implications. Each game was competitive, so the Argos showed their toughness to take two of three. The starting rotation is solid, and this team just manufactures runs with timely hitting. The Bears dropped that series to Catawba, but let’s not kid ourselves. Lenoir-Rhyne is one of the best teams in the best region in DII baseball and has the bats to run with anyone.
First five out (in alphabetical order)
- Angelo State. That was a huge series win over St. Mary’s (TX), improving the Rams to 13-4. They are hitting .321 with a .937 team OPS and 164 runs scored.
- Minnesota State. The Mavericks had a rough weekend, losing two of three to UMary. However, they have a great chance to prove they are still contenders starting this weekend at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational against potential tournament teams in Saginaw Valley State, Seton Hill, Wilmington (DE), Wayne State (MI), Cal (PA) and Nova Southeastern.
- North Georgia. The Nighthawks pounded Middle Georgia for a three-game sweep, outscoring its in-state foes 44-12. They are now 15-4 and have a big midweek-er against Young Harris coming on Wednesday.
- Point Loma. The Sea Lions have won 10 in a row heading into Monday's doubleheader against Vanguard. Mason Cook is on fire amid an eight-game hitting streak in which he has 10 RBIs and raised his average to .412.
- Seton Hill. The Griffins are now 7-1 and look tough to beat in an Atlantic Region that is absolutely stacked at the top. They have some tricky competition on the Florida trip this week that will tell us even more about how much of a contender they are.
Just missed: Belmont Abbey, Drury, West Alabama, West Chester, Young Harris
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