Last week’s DII baseball Power 10 rankings highlighted 10 elite baseball teams. We can confirm this because they went a combined 32-4 this past weekend.
That included a huge series sweep for Tampa over nationally ranked Rollins, which helped the Spartans jump back up the rankings after last week’s metrics saw them slip a bit.
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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 Faktor Sports KPI, both of Inkblot Sports, RPI and PI and Pear Ratings 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 19
No. 1 North Greenville | Previous: 1. That’s 15 in a row for the Trailblazers after pummeling poor Chowan by a score of 35-10 in a three-game sweep. They are one of two teams with 40 wins in all college baseball. They are the No. 1 team in DII in KPI and NET, have played the eighth-toughest schedule in the entire division and are No. 1 in RPI and KPI in a region that has 10 30-win teams. Any questions?
No. 2 Colorado Mesa | Previous: 2. After a four-game sweep of Regis, the Mavericks have now won 41 straight games against DII competition. Kolby Felix is on a heater, currently amid a 14-game hitting streak in which he is hitting .500 with 11 home runs and 18 RBI. The pitching staff lowered its ERA and WHIP this weekend. Not to sound like a broken record, but any team that is posting a sub 4.00 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in Colorado, where the air is thin and the ball flies far, is an impressive feat.
No. 3 Tampa | Previous: 6. This is what the Spartans needed: A signature weekend sweep over a top-25 team. They didn’t just beat Rollins, they won convincingly, winning each of the first two games of the series by a score of 6-1. This pitching staff looks unbeatable in any sort of lengthy series, especially in a tournament format. Having an ERA of 2.83, a WHIP of 1.13 and a .225 batting average against this late in the season is wild and means the Spartans’ deep pitching arsenal is firing on all cylinders. The only thing that was holding the Spartans back was the metrics, and this weekend’s sweep boosted them into the top four in both KPI and NET.
No. 4 Catawba | Previous: 3. Catawba did nothing wrong, but Tampa simply surpassed them in several key metrics. The Indians dropped a midweek match against a Mount Olive team that is way better than its record indicates, so that really has little to do with falling a spot. This team has been a DII staple for the last several years, and at 35-8, that remains the case. They are top-5 in both NET and KPI, have the second-best RPI and PI in the Southeast Region and have signature wins up and down their schedule. It’s incredible that with all those numbers, the Indians aren’t even the best team in their region, but that speaks to how challenging the Southeast Region is.
No. 5 Cal State Monterey Bay | Previous: 4. The national polls continue to favor Point Loma, but the metrics favor the Otters by a landslide. They are No. 5 in KPI, No. 6 in NET, hold the No. 1 RPI and PI in the West Region, have played the sixth-toughest schedule in DII baseball and hold a head-to-head advantage over Point Loma.
No. 6 Rogers State | Previous: 5. Well, this weekend we will find out who reigns supreme, not only in the Power 10, not only in the MIAA, but likely who holds the No. 1 spot in the Central Region. The Hillcats travel to Pittsburg, Kansas to take on the Gorillas in a top-10 showdown with a lot on the line. Pittsburg State has a slightly better KPI, while Rogers State has a slightly better NET. Rogers State has the top RPI in the Central Region, while Pittsburg State has the best PI. Their strength of schedules are separated by .010 points. What has Rogers State ahead right now is how the Hillcats have handled common opponents, but that edge will change after this weekend’s series. It is so significant that with other teams surging, the loser may very well drop from the Power 10.
No. 7 Pittsburg State | Previous: 7. Much of what you need to know is discussed above. So, how about a Dagen Brewer appreciation post? The outfielder is now hitting .458 with 20 home runs and 86 RBI and has a very real chance to win the DII triple crown as he is currently in the top four in all three categories.
No. 8 Grand Valley State | Previous: 8. The Lakers improved to 33-7 ahead of a big weekend series against a tricky Davenport team. They are No. 10 in KPI and No. 12 in NET and no other team in the Midwest Region is particularly close, sans Wayne State (MI), which is still several spots behind. The key is that they have three starters who have each made 10 starts and have a combined 2.39 ERA. Collin Bradley has a 0.83 WHIP and a .194 batting average against as one of the best in DII, and they have a pair of relievers that can close the door in high-leverage situations. That kind of depth is invaluable this time of year.
No. 9 UT Tyler | Previous: 9. The Patriots have won nine in a row — and they are cooking. Despite having so much returning talent from last year’s Cary team, like Tanner Hornback and Drew Schmidt, it is South Alabama transfer Cole Ketzner that has led the way with the bat, leading the team with a .423 average, 1.274 OPS, 12 home runs, and 62 RBI. This is the No. 2 team in the South Central, and the metrics are starting to reflect that.
No. 10 Francis Marion | Previous: 10. These Patriots had a big midweek win against Wingate and are now 37-9 with four games to go. Charlie Bussey III and Ethan McAnally give them two of the best hitters and an almost unfair advantage to opposing pitching. Bussey III is hitting .506 with 17 doubles, 17 home runs, 93 runs scored, 67 RBI and 36 stolen bases and is near the top, if not THE top, of the DII leaderboards in each of those categories. Not to be outdone, McAnally is hitting .406 with 14 doubles, 17 home runs, 69 runs scored and 75 RBI to go with 15 stolen bases. That is quite the punch.
First five (ish) out (in alphabetical order)
The teams are starting to separate themselves, but this year is still incredibly deep. This week, we can narrow it down to six teams that fill out the next five spots. Minnesota State is surging, and that three-game sweep over Augustana (SD) has them in contention for the Central Region No. 1 seed. Point Loma is a fine-tuned machine, and winners of 35 games. West Chester and Seton Hill should duke it out for the top spot in the Atlantic. The Golden Rams went 5-0 last week, while the Griffins were an equally impressive 4-1. The Mules are a DII baseball institution, and essentially have a spot reserved in the top 15 on an annual basis. With a top 20 NET and KPI, nothing has changed.
- Central Missouri
- Point Loma
- Minnesota State
- North Georgia
- Seton Hill
- West Chester
In the conversation: The parity in DII baseball still runs deep, so there were several teams in the conversation this week. The team to watch most closely is Lee. Since the calendar flipped to April, the Flames swept West Florida, took a series from West Alabama and have a midweek win against Young Harris. If they sweep Trevecca Nazarene this coming weekend, they are top 15-bound.
Here’s who to watch: Angelo State, Augustana (SD), Belmont Abbey, Florida Southern, Lee, Lenoir-Rhyne, Millersville, Northwest Nazarene, Rollins, St. Mary’s (TX), Wayne State (MI), West Alabama, West Florida, Wingate, Young Harris.
