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College  | Rankings | 4/8/2015

DII, NAIA, DIII rankings: April 8

Photo: Seton Hill Athletics




April 1 Rankings

Baseball is unquestionably a team sport. No pitcher, no matter how dominating, can take to the mound without a solid defense behind him and a capable lineup for run support. Neither can any hitter, despite how many baseballs they’re able to blister, win a game without being able to stop the other team from scoring or the ability to put the ball over the plate in a fashion that keeps the other team from crushing pitches like a home run derby. Nonetheless, a single player can make a good team great. By leadership in the dugout or their play on the diamond they can motivate their team to be better.

This week, instead of doing a recap of action on the diamond, we’re going to take a quick look at some small school players who have been difference makers for their teams.

It’s important to note that being a lower division player doesn’t mean they are a lower caliber player. There are a number of players in professional baseball, including in the major leagues, whose career was boosted and benefited by time spent on D-II, NAIA and D-III fields.

J.D. Martinez, who had a breakout season for the Detroit Tigers last summer batting .315 with 23 home runs, starred at Nova Southeastern. Ryan Vogelsong, who now has a pair of World Series rings, pitched at Kutztown. Jordan Zimmermann, who threw a no-hitter for the Nationals in the final game of the regular season last year, was a pitcher for D-III UW-Stevens Point.

Sometimes the best fit for a player is a school closer to home or simply one that just feels like home. If a player is good they’ll be noticed. Scouts look under every rock and in every nook and cranny for talent, as professional caliber players will get a chance to play professional ball no matter whey they spend their college years.

With that being said, with each updated rankings are a handful of players from ranked teams to keep an eye on this season and beyond. They’ve helped elevate their clubs into the national rankings and if they continue to up their game you’ll be seeing them play at a professional diamond near you.



Rankings are based on games through Sunday, April 5.



NCAA Division II

Nick Sell, Seton Hill Griffins 
Ever since his freshman season Sell has been an absolute beast for the Griffs, helping SHU to its first ever D-II Baseball Championships last season, and they're well on their way for a second appearance this year as the top team in the nation. Sell has a thunderous 1.1071 slugging percentage, compiled on the back of a .469 batting average with 31 extra-base hits that includes a school single season record 17 home runs.

Brendan O’Rourke, Franklin Pierce Ravens
Franklin Pierce has a tradition of recruiting and developing top arms and O’Rourke is looking like he could be one of the best of the long line of top Raven hurlers. He started the season throwing 27 scoreless innings and has only allowed a pair of runs all season. For the year he has been the winning pitcher in each of his seven appearances thanks to his dainty 0.21 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings while only allowing a measly 18 hits.

Collins Cuthrell, UNC Pembroke Braves
Granted he was injured for most of last season, but Cuthrell’s 2014 highlights included walking twice in a game and compiling a .158 slugging percentage. This season Cuthrell has been posting monstrous numbers that not even Nostradamus could have anticipated. He’s led the Braves into the thick of the hunt for the top of the competitive Peach Belt standings and into the national Top 25 rankings with his .453 batting average and 18 home runs.

Justin Donatella, UC San Diego Tritons
Donatella has only allowed a run to score in three of the eight games he’s started this season. Twice he fanned 11 batters in a game, the first of which came during a one-hit complete game gem against Cal State East Bay. For the season he’s compiled a 0.70 ERA and only allowed 27 hits in 51 1/3 while holding opposing hitters to a .149 average. He also displayed great control, only allowing 11 walks while striking out 70 batters for a near 7-to-1 ratio.

Craig Brooks and Will Albertson, Catawba Indians
In just 68 1/3 innings this season Brooks has fanned 108 batters while only allowing 30 hits. In other words, for each hit allowed, the Catawba ace has struck out three. He has an 8-1 record with a 1.32 ERA and is also batting a handsome .304 as the team’s shortstop when not pitching.

Albertson is leading D-II in home runs by mashing 19 balls over the fence so far this season. Perhaps even more incredible is that he is doing it while batting .503 and earning his stripes on the diamond as the handles the pitching staff as the team’s regular catcher.
 


Rk. Prev. School ST Record Week
1 1 Seton Hill Griffins PA 26-4 5-0
2 3 Colorado Mesa Mavericks CO 30-4 3-1
3 9 Nova Southeastern Sharks FL 29-6 4-0
4 5 Franklin Pierce Ravens NH 26-2 5-0
5 6 Mount Olive Trojans NC 28-9 4-0
6 4 Alabama Huntsville Chargers AL 26-6-1 4-2
7 8 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos CA 25-9 3-1
8 10 St. Mary's Rattlers TX 25-7 3-1
9 7 Minnesota State Mavericks MN 17-4 4-3
10 2 Tampa Spartans FL 24-10 0-3
11 11 St. Cloud St. Huskies MN 28-2 5-1
12 13 Columbus St. Cougars GA 25-11 4-1
13 17 Mercyhurst Lakers PA 24-1 7-0
14 22 Lynn Fighting Knights FL 27-8 2-1
15 18 St. Edward's Hilltoppers TX 27-8 3-0
16 19 Florida Tech Panthers FL 20-5 4-0
17 12 Emporia St. Hornets KS 22-9 3-2
18 14 UC San Diego Tritons CA 23-12 1-3
19 23 Dixie State Red Storm UT 24-8 4-0
20 16 UNC Pembroke Braves NC 26-9 2-2
21 21 CSU-Pueblo Thunderwolves CO 26-6 1-3
22 15 St. Leo Lions FL 28-8 1-2
23 20 Catawba Indians NC 30-7 3-2
24 24 Flagler Saints FL 26-8 3-1
25* NR Angelo State Rams TX 24-10 4-0
25* NR USC Aiken Pacers SC 24-12 3-1

Dropped out: Erskine (25)



NAIA

Orlando Olivera, Missouri Baptist
The anticipated offensive production of Olivera is one of the major reasons why the Spartans were the top team in the Perfect Game preseason rankings. Olivera hasn’t disappointed and has been the straw that stirs the MBU drink all year. He’s currently in the NAIA top 10 in hits, home runs and RBI per game and is just outside the top 10 in slugging percentage and batting average at .769 and .438 respectively.

Osvaldo Gonzalez, Bellevue Bruins
Gonzalez played at Appalachian State last season where he never quite found his groove at the plate despite supplying solid defense behind it as the Mountaineers’ catcher. After a transfer to Bellevue, the Bruins’ catcher has absolutely erupted offensively. He leads the NAIA in slugging percentage at .902 and is second in batting at .478. Thanks to his 10 home runs and 26 doubles, he’s also tops in total bases with 121.

Tremayne Hardin, Auburn Montgomery Warhawks
Hardin led Southern Poly State to the NAIA World Series last year, but when the school folded the baseball team following the season, the talented and speedy shortstop was left looking for a new team. The Hornets demise has been an absolute boon for the Warhawks. Hardin won SSAC player of the week recently and helped AUM improve to 20-1 as he is leading the club with a .376 batting average and has stolen 32 bases in 40 games. He also has a solid mitt, tallying 100 assists and 51 putouts at shortstop with only 13 errors.

Zac Grotz, Embry-Riddle Eagles
Grotz has bounced around from team to team during his college career looking to find a niche and make his mark on the mound. After a disappointing year at Tennessee last season he has flourished for the Eagles. He is in the top 10 in ERA at 0.84 and saves with seven and also has six wins. He hasn’t allowed a run in a month despite making 10 appearances and has limited batters to a .169 average while striking out over a batter per inning.

Tyler Mark, Concordia Eagles
After earning Northwoods League All-Star accolades over the summer, Mark has continued to impress for the Eagles after transferring from Cal State Dominguez Hills. He’s earned 16 saves this season and earned either the save or win in his last eight appearances. Mark has wowed scouts with his fastball and developing slider while holding the opposition to a .138 batting average and has fanned 40 batters in 28 2/3 innings with only five walks.


Rk. Prev. School ST Record Week
1 1 Faulkner Eagles AL 35-7 3-1
2 4 Missouri Baptist Spartans MO 27-6 3-2
3 2 Oklahoma Baptist Bison OK 33-4 3-2
4 6 Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles OK 32-7 5-0
5 5 Davenport Panthers MI 31-2 6-0
6 7 LSU Shreveport Pilots LA 27-9 4-1
7 3 Tabor Bluejays KS 34-7 2-3
8 8 Oklahoma City Stars OK 30-8 3-1
9 9 Northwood Seahawks FL 34-7 3-0
10 10 Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies GA 35-7 5-1
11 12 The Master's Mustangs CA 34-7 3-0
12 11 Lewis-Clark State Warriors ID 26-9 3-2
13 13 Point Park Pioneers PA 24-5 4-0
14 15 Bellevue Bruins NE 31-7 5-0
15 14 St. Thomas Bobcats FL 30-12 4-2
16 16 Doane Tigers NE 23-8 5-1
17 17 Campbellsville Tigers KY 20-5 3-1
18 18 Tennessee Wesleyan TN 29-8 4-0
19 19 Auburn Montgomery AL 29-11 3-1
20 21 Northwestern Ohio Racers OH 27-7 5-1
21 23 Embry-Riddle Eagles FL 27-13 3-0
22 NR Southeastern Fire FL 30-14 5-0
24 20 Concordia Warriors CA 33-11 3-2
24 NR William Woods MO 23-7-1 3-1-1
25 NR Mount Vernon Nazarene Cougars OH 18-6 8-0

Dropped out: Judson (22), Bryan (24), British Columbia (25)



NCAA Division III

Mikole Pierce, UW-Whitewater Warhawks
Pierce played all of last season with a torn labrum in his arm yet still was one of the best hitters in the country and helped UWW win the D-III national title. A mended Pierce is back to blistering baseballs this spring as the Warhawks look for another title for their trophy case. In 17 games he has 13 extra-base hits good for a .839 slugging percentage that puts him in the top 25 nationally.

Blake Stevens, Birmingham Southern Panthers
The Panthers have been ranked in the top four all season and a big part of their success has been due to hurler Blake Stevens. In eight starts he’s tossed 54 innings while only allowing 36 hits yet has fanned 66 batters, which puts him in the top three nationally. Twice he has thrown shutouts and his 0.83 ERA is second for pitchers who have amassed at least 50 innings pitched for the year.

Derek Hendrixson, Heidelberg Princes
The Princes were one of the last teams left out of the initial D-III rankings to start the season, but if it had been known what kind of increased impact Hendrixson would have on the mound they most definitely would have been squeezed in somewhere. The sophomore impressed last season, but has been absolutely ridiculous out of the bullpen in 2015, going 3-0 with six saves in nine appearances. In 21 innings he has only allowed 12 hits and three walks while fanning 34 batsmen.


Rk. Prev. School ST Record Week
1 1 Cortland State Red Dragons NY 18-1 3-0
2 2 UW-Whitewater Warhawks WI 14-1 6-0
3 3 Salisbury Seagulls MD 18-0 6-0
4 4 Birmingham-Southern Panthers AL 24-5-1 2-2
5 5 UW-Stevens Point Pointers WI 12-4 3-1
6 6 Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets OH 13-4 2-0
7 10 Shenandoah Hornets VA 16-4-1 4-1
8 8 Concordia Tornados TX 21-6 1-1
9 11 St. Thomas Tommies MN 13-5 5-1
10 9 Rhodes Lynx TN 23-8 1-2
11 15 Kean Cougars NJ 19-6 4-2
12 12 Heidelberg Princes OH 16-2 1-1
13 23 Misericordia Cougars PA 14-2 4-1
14 14 Emory Eagles GA 19-10 3-1
15 7 Rowan Profs NJ 13-7 2-2
16 16 Linfield Wildcats OR 21-9 3-0
17 NR Frostburg State Bobcats MD 21-3 4-1
18 17 Cal Lutheran Kingsmen CA 20-9 2-1
19 13 Southern Maine Huskies MA 11-6 2-1
20 18 Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets VA 17-6 1-3
21 22 Pacific Lutheran Lutes WA 20-8 1-0
22 19 Warburg Knights IA 21-4 4-2
23 24 Trinity Tigers TX 19-9 2-1
24 NR Webster Gorloks MO 15-8 5-1
25 20 Washington Bears MO 18-7 3-2

Dropped out: Case Western (21), Marietta (25)


College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams
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Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
High School | General | 12/19/2025

Huntington Beach HS World Series Recap

Steve Fiorindo
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MVPitcher: Duncan McLeod The uncommitted junior toed the slab in three of the four games for Team Mick, tossing 3 2/3 innings.  Zero walks, zero hits and 6 punchouts for the lefty who was used both as a starter in the series clinching game 4 and he closed out game 3 on Friday in quick fashion.  McLeod was very efficient as well, needing just 42 pitches over all his outings.  In the game 4 start, over two innings he punched out 3, with one strikeout with all of his offerings.  The mid 80’s fastball regularly played up, set up with efficient use of the secondaries, with the breaking ball 73/74 and fading change-up 72-74.   Owen Bone (2026) at it again... Solo shot in the 5th to tie things up. Back to back days with a home run for Bone. #PGHS pic.twitter.com/2JC9qETI5h — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) December 13, 2025 MV Hitter: ...
Tournaments | Story | 12/19/2025

13u Tourney All-American Team

Jheremy Brown
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What a year it was in 2025 on the national landscape at the 13u level as Perfect Game continues to expand its reach around the country, providing an even bigger schedule of events coast-to-coast which has allowed players all over show out and gain their deserved recognition. Whether in Texas for the Houston 1000 or the 13u WWBA in West Palm Beach, we saw huge, eye opening performances from the players placed below, knowing that we could EASILY build a third team and likely a fourth without much effort.  As we do every year with this exercise, it's worth pointing out the trickiness of this age group and putting the teams together with the 13u group. While the players are all members of the Class of 2030, some are younger for the grade, which allowed them to play at the 12u level where's it's a smaller field, shorter mound distance and different bats, so we'll separate them out and...
Tournaments | Story | 12/18/2025

14u Tourney All-American Team

Tyler Russo
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Player of the Year: Asher Williams It was an incredible year for Williams that was rewarded with a trip to the 14U Select Fest, before some more impressive play in the fall. He came to the plate almost 250 times in PG tournaments throughout 2025 and reached base in well over half of them, hitting to a .500 AVG while slugging a 14U circuit best 12 bombs and driving in 113 runs. The numbers on the surface are ridiculous, but when you look at the high-level events he put them up in, it makes it even more impressive. Pitcher of the Year: Tristan Blalock Blalock earns this honor after a dominant 2025 where he struck out 85 batters in just 48.2 innings of work with a minuscule 1.58 ERA. This included several strong performances at many national level tournaments and showcases where he was able to bully some of the best hitters in the country. It’s hard not to fall in love with...
Draft | Story | 12/18/2025

PG Draft: Gut Feel Guys

Tyler Henninger
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While we are nearing the turn of the calendar to the 2026 year, that means we are just inching closer to the beginning of the season for many high school players and college baseball is on the horizon. We are prepping for a reshuffle of the 2026 MLB Draft Board as well here amongst the PG Draft staff. But before we get to that, we sat down and have each picked a couple of players who are in the mix to get selected in a couple of different buckets.  We have prospects who could go into the Top 30 picks or so, prospects who could be selected in the Top 5 rounds, and prospects who could go inside of the Top 10 rounds. With the draft quite far down the road and a lot of re-shuffling to be done as these players play themselves into certain spots on the draft board, our scouts picked some players who fit into these “buckets” who are gut-feel guys. These are the guys that our PG...
Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips
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Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...
Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny
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Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
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There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
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Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
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Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
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