It was a wild final weekend of DII baseball, before the NCAA postseason. Bids were stolen, giants were taken down, and when the dust settled, 56 teams heard their names called to the 2026 bracket. Some big names lost, too, like North Greenville, West Chester, Catawba and others. How much did it change the latest DII baseball Power 10 rankings?
⚾🏆Follow the tournament, game by game, round by round
Spoiler alert: not too much, although Wingate does make its season debut, so there was some movement. Before we get to this week’s rankings, remember, the Power 10 rankings are a blend of metrics and on-the-field play, as there are instances where metrics don’t tell the whole story. They 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 May 12
No. 1 North Greenville | Previous: 1. Why do the Trailblazers remain locked in at No. 1 when they lost in the Conference Carolinas championship game and Colorado Mesa won the RMAC? Despite losing to a then-top-15 Young Harris in the championship game, North Greenville still owns the metrics. They have the best NET in DII, the second best KPI, and played a tougher schedule than Colorado Mesa in a conference with four of the top 15 teams in DII. The Trailblazers are very good at all facets of baseball.
No. 2 Colorado Mesa | Previous: 2. The Mavericks scored 20 runs to win its fourth-straight RMAC title, and 24th overall. Colorado Mesa IS RMAC baseball and earned the No. 1 seed in the South Central. The Mavericks had the No. 2 NET, the No. 6 KPI and the top RPI and PI in the South Central. Despite not having the multitude of sluggers they normally have, the Mavs are a run-producing machine, sixth in DII scoring 10.4 runs per game.
No. 3 Tampa | Previous: 3. The Spartans won the Sunshine State Conference… again. It was the sixth-straight SSC title, and now the Spartans turn their focus to the bracket and their third title in a row and fourth in seven seasons. The pitching is going to carry the Spartans, leading DII in both ERA and WHIP while compiling the second-best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the division. This coaching staff, that is used to quite a bit of roster turnover on an annual basis, simply knows how to win, and the Spartans continued to do that all season long.
No. 4 Pittsburg State | Previous: 5. The Gorillas partied like it was 1999, winning their first MIAA tournament championship of the new millennium. This was a team that held court from start to finish, and much of that was thanks to one of the best offenses in DII. The Gorillas are tied for first in batting average (.358), are fourth in slugging percentage (.576), tops in on-base percentage and lead DII in scoring with 11.7 runs per game. Having the potential DII player of the year in Dagen Brewer (.436, 1.541 OPS, 80 runs score, 24 home runs, 101 RBIs), who is seemingly setting a new MIAA record every day, helps.
No. 5 Grand Valley State | Previous: 6. The Lakers separated themselves in the Midwest, posting the best NET, KPI and RPI in the region. What gives them the edge is one of the best pitching staffs in DII. Collin Bradley, Owen Avery and Jackson Kees make for a deep rotation, which is huge in tournament play, and the entire staff combines for a 3.52 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, both of which are top five marks in all DII.
No. 6 Catawba | Previous: 4. Catawba drops just a bit, but this is still one of the best teams in all DII. The Indians have the No. 8 KPI and No. 4 NET and fell just short against a really good Wingate team in the SAC finals. Brandon Crabtree (.434, 1.282 OPS, 14 home runs, 60 RBIs) is a beast on a strong run-producing team, and starters Casey Gouge and Colt Wilkins should keep them in every ball game.
No. 7 UT Tyler | Previous: 9. The Patriots don’t have shiny metrics in the top 10, but this is a team now experienced with winning in big moments. They captured their first-ever Lone Star Conference tournament title by taking two in a row from Angelo State and look poised to contend for their second-straight trip to Cary. They have not lost a weekend series all season, and closed the season winning 18 of their last 20.
No. 8 West Chester | Previous: 7. Yes, the Golden Rams lost the PSAC tournament, but they reached the finals and lost to a very tough Millersville team in a 2-1 pitching duel. That is the secret to the Golden Rams success. They have the No. 11 ERA in DII (4.00), a top 10 WHIP (1.31) and the best strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.28). This region is loaded with good pitching, so being the statistical best is a big advantage. They also happen to have the top KPI in DII.
No. 9 Wingate | Previous: First five out. The Bulldogs simply can no longer be ignored from the top 10. They have the No. 7 KPI and No. 9 NET, and are the No. 3 seed in the toughest region in DII baseball. They had to avenge earlier season losses to Lenoir-Rhyne and Catawba to win the SAC and did just that. This team is heating up and has a lot of 2021 vibes going right now… you know, when they stunned the world and won it all.
No. 10 Young Harris | Previous: First five out. Beating North Greenville gets people talking. Beating the Trailblazers 13-0 to win the Conference Carolinas tournament jumps you from the first five out to the top 10. The metrics are there; the Mountain Lions are No. 12 in NET and No. 13 in KPI. They also have a lethal lineup with five players with at least 10 home runs and 55 RBIs. Nothing is easy in the Southeast Region, and Young Harris, arguably the toughest 6-seed in the whole bracket, shows why.
First five out (in alphabetical order)
- Augustana (SD): The Vikings are on a mission after being left out of the bracket last year. That showed when they swept through the NSIC tournament.
- Francis Marion: The Patriots are back in the tournament for the first time since 2012, have a high KPI and NET, and Charlie Bussey III leads one of the most potent offenses in DII.
- North Georgia: The Nighthawks were swept at home and lost the Peach Belt tournament, but this team is ahead of schedule and a force to be reckoned with.
- Point Loma: By the metrics, Cal State Monterey Bay may still be higher, but Point Loma took the PacWest while the Otters went two and out. The Sea Lions are coming in hot and know how to get to Cary.
- West Florida: The Gulf South Conference was one of the toughest top to bottom in DII… and the Argos took the GSC tournament crown. That’s top 15 in my book.
In the conversation: As I’ve said all season, this is the deepest DII baseball has ever been. Here are 15 more teams in alphabetical order to watch, giving us 30 that are all Power 10 worthy: Angelo State, Belmont Abbey, Bentley, Cal State Monterey Bay, Central Missouri, Lander, Lee, Lenoir-Rhyne, Millersville, Minnesota State, Northwest Nazarene, Rogers State, Southern New Hampshire, St. Mary’s (TX), Wayne State (MI).
