We are at crunch time in the DII baseball season. Some conference tournaments are set to begin this week, while other conferences have one more week of regular-season baseball left to tie up loose ends. The second regional rankings are set to drop, which means we will see how close the Field of 56 projections have been to what the bracket looks like now.
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 26
No. 1 North Greenville | Previous: 1. The Trailblazers closed the regular season with a surprising one-run loss to Emmanuel (GA), snapping their 17-game winning streak. They are still the top NET in DII, the second-best KPI in all DII, and the No. 1 PI and RPI in the Southeast Region. This all equates to the best team in DII baseball right now. C.J. Dean (.423, 1.238 OPS, 20 doubles, 14 home runs, 62 runs scored, 62 RBIs, six stolen bases) and Josh Foulks (.403, 1.243 OPS, 15 doubles, 19 home runs, 58 runs scored, 74 RBIs, 11 stolen bases) are two of the very best in DII at hitting baseballs, and they hit back-to-back in the heart of the lineup. Have fun with that, opposing pitchers.
No. 2 Colorado Mesa | Previous: 2. The Mavericks were idle this week, but nothing has changed. Cal Poly Pomona remains the only DII to beat them this season. They have a tough regular-season finale this coming weekend against MSU Denver, which has been in the top 25 this season, but was somewhat surprisingly left out of the regional rankings last week. If the Mavs sweep, they’ll have closed the season on a 45-game winning streak against DII competition.
No. 3 Tampa | Previous: 3. The Spartans have won eight in a row and had a big April. They won a series against Florida Southern, Nova Southeastern and Rollins, three teams in the bracket conversation. This past weekend, they swept Florida Tech and have a tricky Eckerd team on deck that is looking to enter the regional rankings conversation. This is, per usual, one of the most balanced teams in DII, leading the Sunshine State Conference with 45 home runs while piling up 367 runs scored, and they are also one of the best pitching staffs in DII with a 3.11 ERA, .232 batting average against, a 1.15 WHIP, and 3.31 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
No. 4 Catawba | Previous: 4. There are very few teams that have delivered consistently on a weekly basis than Catawba has this season. That is why the Indians are locked into the No. 2 seed in the Southeast and would likely be the No. 1 in most of the other regions. They have only lost twice in a row this season and have yet lost a series. Catawba has always been able to manufacture runs a variety of ways, so it really will come down to how this pitching staff holds up against the monster lineups of the Southeast Region.
No. 5 Pittsburg State | Previous: 7. The Gorillas rollercoaster ride continues this week, now back on the uphill run. Heading into the first seeded regional rankings, sweeping Rogers State should lock the Gorillas in at No. 1. They have the best PI and RPI in a region that has seven MIAA teams in the regional rankings. They have a top six NET and KPI and have done it all against the second toughest schedule in the region. And now that Dagen Brewer is getting the Barry Bonds treatment (he’s been walked 15 times in his last five games), they are figuring out how to score runs with his explosive bat taken out of the equation. In short, this team is really strong.
No. 6 Grand Valley State | Previous: 8. The Lakers just took three of four from Davenport. While on the surface, that may not sound important with Davenport 21-24 overall; however, the Panthers have some of the best metrics in the Midwest Region and have been the victims of some tough-luck losses. This win boosts the Lakers, who are the likely No. 1 seed in the Midwest. The pitching continues to dazzle as one of the best rotations in DII, and Caleb Estrada’s breakout 2026 has been key to the lineup. The third baseman is hitting .397 with 11 doubles, a GLIAC-best 13 home runs, 56 runs scored and 60 RBIs.
No. 7 UT Tyler | Previous: 9. The Patriots had a big weekend, taking three of four from St. Mary’s (TX) to claim sole possession of first place in the Lone Star Conference. This team has been supercharged down the stretch winning 22 of its last 24 games, and while they have split a few, they have yet to lose a series in the season. Metrics may tell another story, but again, metrics can sometimes be taken out of context. The Patriots, due to the magnitude of the LSC, do not have the opportunity to play games out of conference or region, thus holding back some of their selection criteria. This is the best team in the LSC, leading the way in runs scored, ERA and fielding percentage as a well-rounded machine.
No. 8 West Chester | Previous: First five out. The Golden Rams have been in and out of the Power 10, but coming off a dominating series sweep of Bloomsburg, which was just in the regional rankings, helps them jump back into the mix. In fact, taking all four games from the team that had the best SoS in DII helped boost the Golden Rams to No. 1 in overall KPI. This is another team backed by strong starting pitching, but they have a balanced lineup that blends the ability to barrel up for timely hits with over-the-fence pop. They are the clear No. 1 in the Atlantic Region.
No. 9 Francis Marion | Previous: 10. The Patriots move on up once again, coming off of a sweep of King (TN) to close the regular season. The midweek loss to USC Aiken does more good for the Pacers than harm to the Patriots, as this team is top three in RPI, top 10 in NET and top 16 in KPI, all metrics that add up to their first tournament berth since 2012. The lineup is insanely powerful, with Charlie Bussey III leading the way hitting .497 with a 1.501 OPS, 19 doubles, 18 home runs, 101 runs scored, 71 RBIs and 38 stolen bases, and outside of his 19 doubles (which are ranked 20th in DII), is top five in every offensive category.
No. 10 Cal State Monterey Bay | Previous: 5. All of the national polls have Point Loma in the top 10, but it is important to remember that these are a power ranking. The difference is national polls do not necessarily take metrics into the equation, but instead, on-the-field play and overall record. The Otters may have salvaged a series split over Chico State this past weekend, but the metrics are undeniable: They are No. 1 in both RPI and PI in the West, they are No. 7 in NET and No. 9 in KPI, all while playing the fifth-toughest schedule in all DII. That is the very definition of a top 10 team, and the clear-cut No. 1 out West.
First five (ish) out (in alphabetical order)
There remains six teams right on the outside looking in this week. Rogers State slips out of the Power 10, perhaps unfairly on the surface, but the sweep to Pittsburg State had them Hillcats fall just outside the top 10 in both NET and KPI. Minnesota State had another big week, taking four of its five games, and while the KPI is still lagging from a rough start to the season, the other metrics are catching up. Point Loma continues to be weekend warriors, taking another series against a sneaky good Jessup team, and now sit at 38-9 and would be the No. 11 team in these rankings. Right behind them would be North Georgia, which took a must-win series from USC Aiken in a Peach Belt Conference that may send just one team to the bracket in a deep Southeast Region.
- Central Missouri
- Point Loma
- Minnesota State
- North Georgia
- Seton Hill
- Rogers State
In the conversation: The parity in DII baseball still runs deep, so there were several teams in the conversation this week. 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.
