What a first weekend of the DII college basketball tournaments. Minnesota Duluth stunned the DII basketball universe, seeded at No. 8 in both the men’s and women’s championship… and both teams advanced to their respective regional finals. The women’s team is still dancing, and is certainly the Cinderella at the ball.
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Despite that thrilling action, the tournament takes a break this weekend before it heads to Pittsburgh for another week of action. So, what do we focus on this weekend? Don’t worry, there is plenty of action throughout spring sports.
What Wayne’s watching: March 20-22
DII men’s lacrosse
Adelphi at Bentley, March 21. The two-time defending champion Panthers find themselves in a top 20 road battle with No. 19 (tied) Bentley. The Panthers are off to a torrid start, now 6-0 and outscoring their opponents 104-28, but this is just the second nationally ranked team they will face. They are also just one of two remaining undefeated teams, the other being Saint Anselm. Michael Durmin already has 21 goals — nearly four per game — and Noah Gibson isn’t far behind, averaging 3.0 goals per game. The Falcons enter the game at 3-3, coming off a Wednesday, one-goal heartbreaker of a loss. This is hands down their biggest test of the season by a wide margin. Getting back above .500 by beating No. 1 would send quite the statement.
Seton Hill at Pace, March 21. No. 5 heads to No. 11 in this top 15 weekend showdown. There are only seven one-loss teams remaining in DII men’s lacrosse, and come Sunday, that list will be shorter, as these are two of them. Seton Hill has been strong, their lone loss coming at the hands of Adelphi, and are rolling in after scoring 22 goals in their last game. Dexter Hannigan has been the man to stop, with 15 goals already in six games. The Setters have won six in a row since their opening, one-goal loss to Molloy. They are another high-scoring team, already with 100 goals in seven games. They are led by a pair of attackers with a nose for the net: Will Danowski has 24 goals and Matt Baldino has 21. Danowski has scored at least three goals in each game this season.
DII women’s lacrosse
Maryville put to the test: Tampa on March 20 and Florida Southern on March 22. The Sunshine State Conference has a pair of top 5 teams in Florida Southern (No. 2) and Tampa (No. 3). In the span of three days, Maryville has to play both. But the Saints are no slouches themselves, ranked No. 4 in the latest ILWCA poll. The Saints are full of stars on a national level, as Paige Murphy and Helen Bae have won national offensive players of the week this season, while goalie Gianna Guzek is the defending national defensive player of the week. The Saints are 6-0, have defeated three nationally ranked teams and are outscoring their opponents 105-41. Murphy has been on a whole other level, scoring 33 goals in six games. That includes three six-goal games and one 10-goal game. Florida Southern and Tampa can both score — in fact, Tampa is tied with Maryville for the fourth-best scoring offense in DII — however, it may be Maryville’s top 10 scoring defense that wins the weekend. The Saints will be put to the test trying to beat the two-time defending champion Spartans and their biggest SSC rival.
DII baseball
Wingate at Catawba, March 20-21. This is a big one. Wingate, a tournament staple of late, missed out last year after a surprising .500 finish. The Bulldogs are off to a 22-5 start with very meaningful wins over Millersville, Francis Marion, Lander and Belmont Abbey. Catawba, also a tournament regular, has a one-game lead on Wingate in the SAC. Both teams found themselves in the top eight of the latest bracket projection, so this series carries massive postseason implications, especially for tiebreakers, in a tightly contested Southeast Region.
East Stroudsburg at Millersville, March 20-21. This four-game tilt against PSAC heavyweights will also have some selection implications in the long haul. The Warriors are the defending Atlantic Region champs, but have gotten off to a slow start. Millersville is arguably the single most-consistent team in the Atlantic Region. The Marauders went through more roster turnover than any other season since their 2016 national runners-up finish. Despite that all, they are 15-4 and looking like strong PSAC contenders once again.
St. Mary’s (TX) at St. Edwards, March 20-22. Well, not many had this as the battle for first place in a loaded Lone Star Conference at the end of March, but here we are. Don’t be mistaken, both were likely tournament teams, but both are sitting atop the LSC ahead of UT Tyler and Angelo State. St. Mary’s has a big series win against Lubbock Christian, but lost a four-gamer to Angelo State. This is a much-needed series win against the Hilltoppers. St. Edward’s has one of the most potent offenses in the conference, second in batting average and runs scored, while tied for third in home runs. This should be an explosive series.
Also keep an eye on: Other key regional matchups include Slippery Rock at Seton Hill, Flagler at North Georgia, Young Harris at UNC Pembroke, West Alabama at Delta State, Eckerd at Florida Southern and Mississippi College at Trevecca Nazarene. It is an absolutely loaded weekend of DII baseball.
DII softball
Cal State East Bay at Cal State Monterey Bay, March 20-21. This is a big CCAA showdown, but also a top 25 matchup. The DII softball season has been wild, with several teams reaching No. 1 already this season. Should No. 4 East Bay sweep No. 20 Monterey Bay — and a few other series go its way — the Pioneers could rise to the top.
The CCAA has three top 25 teams, with Cal State San Marcos, currently No. 2, one of those teams that spent some time at No. 1. It is clear how important this series is for both. The Otters are the top-hitting team in the conference, hitting .341 with a .916 OPS and the second-most runs scored at 191. Cal State East Bay’s pitching has been superb, posting a 1.98 ERA and .207 batting-average against. We have a real chess match in store.
