THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,397 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,397 MLB PLAYERS | 15,805 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
College  | Rankings | 1/26/2017

2017 Division II Baseball Preview

Photo: Tampa Athletics




2017 College Baseball Preview Index | @PGCollegeBall | @_eephuspitch (Nick Herfordt) |  @B_Sakowski_PGPG College Facebook Page

Listed below are the Preseason Top 25 teams at the Division II level followed by detailed capsules of each program and the top 30 D-II prospects in regards to the MLB Draft. The rankings and the first three capsules (teams ranked 1-3) are available for free, the rest is available with a College Baseball Ticket (CBT) subscription. To learn more about the College Baseball Ticket and to sign up today please visit this link.


Final 2016 NCAA Divisions II and III and NAIA Rankings

About a decade ago the NCAA developed a "Life in the Balance" initiative aimed at defining the D-II experience. Basically it’s a philosophy that intertwines academics and life skills with athletics. It seeks to find the happy medium between competition and education. That same balanced philosophy has seemingly seeped into the soil of baseball diamonds across the nation as never in my years in forecasting D-II baseball have I found the playing field to be so level.

Typically about 50 teams are seriously polled and evaluated in determining the preseason favorites with another dozen or so given a keen eye as well in deciding if they are among the nation’s elite. This season a true figure of how many teams received significant consideration is easily double that. Scores of pages of statistics from schools across the county were scrutinized, inspected, examined and asked to turn their heads and cough to pick the best of the bunch.

There are 25 teams listed below, but the number easily could have been much higher. There are several squads with national title talent not on the list. Two schools who advanced to the D-II Baseball Championship last season didn’t make the cut, nor did last year’s preseason No. 1 or half the teams which were in the final rankings.

It is because of that equilibrium that an extra effort was made to look at the teams from top to bottom. They weren’t judged on last year’s performance, but rather this year’s potential. Following are the schools determined to be most likely to making the trip to Grand Prairie, Texas this May to decide which school will top the list after the final dogpile and hoist the championship trophy above their heads.


2017 Perfect Game Division II Preseason Top 25 Teams

Rk. 2016 School ST ’16 Record
1 3 Tampa Spartans FL 41-10
2 1 Nova Southeastern Sharks FL 44-16
3 13 West Florida Argos FL 36-17
4 10 Cal Poly Pomona Broncos CA 42-19
5 16 USC Aiken Pacers SC 40-18
6 25* Lubbock Christian Chaparrals TX 37-19
7 NR Minnesota State Mavericks MN 36-18
8 8 Colorado Mesa Mavericks CO 43-13
9 25* Dixie State Trailblazers UT 40-14
10 NR Belmont Abbey Crusaders NC 39-16-1
11 NR Point Loma Sea Lions CA 32-16
12 NR North Georgia Nighthawks GA 32-20
13 NR Emporia State Hornets MO 39-19
14 5 Franklin Pierce Ravens NH 48-9
15 19 Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles IN 38-21
16 15 Mercyhurst Lakers PA 43-14
17 NR St. Mary’s Rattlers TX 32-21
18 2 Millersville Marauders PA 53-7
19 NR Wayne State Warriors MI 28-24
20 NR Florida Tech Panthers FL 29-21
21 20 Angelo State Rams TX 39-22
22 NR Augustana Vikings SD 37-17
23 NR Azusa Pacific Cougars CA 30-20
24 NR Henderson State Reddies AR 31-25
25 NR Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters TN 28-21


1. Tampa Spartans, Sunshine State Conference
The seven-time national champions spent last year firmly positioned in the top five for the duration of season and were the second-ranked club heading into the postseason. However a pair of surprising home upsets in the South Regional foiled their opportunity to bring home an eighty trophy. This season anything less than taking home a third title in six years will be a disappointment for the Spartans who somehow look even better than they did last spring. Leading batsmen Kevin Santa and Laz Riveria, who each batted well over .400 last season, return, as well as four other regular hitters who hit over .350. Christopher Williams was the team’s ace last season and will be back for another year on the mound. Despite winning 10 games with 72 strikeouts in 74 innings, his top spot in the rotation isn’t assured as he’ll be pushed by newcomer David LeBron, who excelled at the College of Central Florida. Garrett Cave, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, dazzled over the summer in the Cape Code League where he was an all-star, leading the league in saves while striking out 34 in 19 1/3 innings.

2. Nova Southeastern Sharks, Sunshine State Conference
Much of the meat of NSU’s sirloin caliber club is back on the menu and will be focused on being the first team to take home back-to-back titles in 10 years. Leading slugger Brandon Gomez, whose 21 homers and 75 RBI topped the team, will once again be firmly entrenched in the heart of the lineup. The everyday Shark lineup also has top performers back at the important shortstop and catcher positions – an absolute feather in any coach’s cap. D-I transfer Jeremy Vasquez was an everyday starter at Florida and excelled in the Cape Cod League over the summer and the presence of his bat makes an already potent offense more formidable. NSU will be without their top starter and closer from last season, but do have a pair of everyday arms who made a dozen starts apiece to solidify the staff while transfers establish themselves. Derik Beauprez and Devin Meyer both headed up I-95 from the University of Miami and are expected to play major roles on the staff.

3. West Florida Argonauts, Gulf South Conference
The Argos spent the bulk of last season in the top 10 but faltered when the games really counted, bowling out of both the GSC and South Regional tournaments with narrow upset losses. The ’11 national champs will be looking to right their postseason wrongs with a team heavy on quality pitching combined with a plethora of potent bats which puts them on the short-short list of title contenders. The pitching staff is paced by J.T. Granat whose 2.49 ERA was among the best in the South Region. Granat and Walker O’Connor each earned eight wins and were All-Region selections. Also back is bullpen bully Jarrod Petree whose pitching prowess was profiled in the New York Times back in 2006 when he was a wee 12 years old. Petree only allowed 29 hits in 47 innings while striking out 45 after a move to the UWF bullpen. Noteworthy transfers to Pensacola include Brian Browning from Ole Miss, Jared Middleton – who redshirted at Florida State – and Brandon Harmon from the College of Central Florida.

This is PG 'DiamondKast' Level content.
You must be either an DiamondKast, Crosschecker Rankings & Scouting Reports, or Scout subscriber to read the rest.

Sign in Subscribe Now

College | Rankings | 4/1/2026

DII/DIII/NAIA Rankings Update: April 1

Nick Herfordt
Article Image
Welcome to another week of Perfect Game Small School baseball — and if you're looking for clarity at the top, you've come to the wrong place. Across all three classifications, the No. 1 spot is very much an open question, and nobody is sleeping comfortably right now. In NCAA Division II, Pittsburg State is stumbling at precisely the wrong moment, leaving the door cracked wide open for hungry challengers to come knocking. In the NAIA, defending national champion LSU Shreveport has dropped four straight and suddenly looks far more vulnerable than a program of their pedigree ever expects to be. And in NCAA Division III, the race for the top ranking is less a competition and more a ten-car pileup of elite programs, none of whom have done enough to pull away — and all of whom have done plenty to deserve it. Three classifications, three vacancies at the top, and a whole lot of...
Draft | Mock Draft | 4/3/2026

PG Staff Mock Draft

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
Welcome to another Perfect Game Mock Draft. This is not your typical mock draft as it features 15 different GMs drafting the first two rounds of the draft. Each member of the mock draft was assigned two teams and as such will be drafting all of the picks in the first two rounds for each responsible team. The actual draft order will be presented below and we will dive into how teams made their selections and how they feel about the players drafted. It is important to note that this is not how we think the draft will play out in almost any capacity. This is simply an exercise 4 months ahead of time with a large portion of the scouting staff and some picks fall under personal favorites, best available, and a multitude of other factors. Chicago White Sox 1:1 Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA | 1:41 Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame The White Sox don’t overthink here and select Roch Cholowsky, who has...
High School | General | 4/2/2026

High School Notebook: April 2

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
Lennex Minor (‘28 CA) absolutely destroys this offering to the PS for a 2-run shot. 2-4 on the day w/ 4 driven in. Athletic in the box w/ a quick stroke and strength throughout the frame. Also closed out the game running the FB up to 88 in a St. Bernard win #PGHS @PG_Scouting pic.twitter.com/KF7BsKGcm7 — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) March 29, 2026 Lennex Minor, MIF/P, St. Bernard (2028) Minor had a massive day in my look this past Saturday in a game being played at the University of San Diego.  The sophomore had a pair of hits, one which was a no-doubt homer, and drove in four.  Minor’s athleticism jumps out on the field with twitchy actions both at the dish and in the dirt.  He features a 6-foot, 170-pound frame with room to add and generates from a strong lower half and exceptionally quick hands.  Showing two-way potential, he made an...
High School | General | 4/2/2026

NHSI Scout Notebook

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
An extended look at ‘26 RHP Wilson Andersen… 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 6 K. @HailStateBB signee. #NHSI26 @JesuitBaseball @Florida_PG @PG_Draft @PGAllAmerican https://t.co/VLwECd2qZ8 pic.twitter.com/JbTFR3Gd2l — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 30, 2026 Wilson Andersen, RHP, Tampa Jesuit  Andersen got the ball on day two of the event and showed a quick tempo, pounding the zone with a power mix. He ran the fastball up to 97 mph, working comfortably in the mid-90s, with a power curveball/changeup mix he showed confidence in. He’s one of the top right-handers in the class that saw his stock rise in Cary. Andersen is signed with Mississippi State.    An extended look at ‘26 RHP Cooper Sides… 5 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. @LSUbaseball signee. #NHSI26 @olubaseball @PG_Draft @California_PG https://t.co/Ag1MfBAR5a pic.twitter.com/5wSszVjBn8...
All American Game | Story | 4/2/2026

All American Classic Heading to Citizens Bank

Article Image
  667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923 www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   PERFECT GAME DICK’S ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC HEADED TO CITIZENS BANK PARK IN 2026   Perfect Game makes debut at iconic Phillies venue during America’s 250th birthday celebration   Former Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel named Honorary Chairman of All-American Classic   Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Thursday, April 2, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that the 2026 Perfect Game DICK’S All-American Classic will be played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, marking the first time a Perfect Game event has ever been held at the iconic home of the Philadelphia Phillies.   The game will take place on...
Juco | Story | 4/1/2026

JUCO Top 25: April 1

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
Another week of JUCO baseball and another week full of wins for No. 1 ranked Johnson County . The Cavaliers have won 18 games in a row and have swept through the Jayhawk Conference to this point, setting a new school home run record along the way. Walters State returns to the top 5 this week on the strength of a 12-game winning streak. Both McLennan and Pearl River are coming off of undefeated weeks and look like strong top 10 caliber teams, while Midland (now 30-3) continues to climb in the rankings for the third consecutive week. For the first time all year this ranking will feature 4 California schools as Palomar joins Ohlone, Fresno City and Santa Ana in the JUCO rankings. Check back in next week for an update as most of JUCO baseball is now past its halfway point in the 2026 season. RK School Week Overall 1 Johnson County (KS) 4-0 34-2 2 Gaston (NC) 2-1 35-3 3 Walters State (TN) 3-0...
College | Story | 4/1/2026

Collegiate Midseason All-Americans

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Collegiate Midseason Awards * denotes Midseason Award Winner - All-Americans chosen based on statistics, prospect status, future projection, among other factors - Only true freshmen considered for Freshmen All-American teams - All Statistics as of Monday, March 30th First Team Hitters Pos. Name School Class AVG OBP SLG R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB C Vahn Lackey Georgia Tech JR .423 .541 .845 36 41 9 1 10 36 7 1B Quinton Coats Cincinnati SO .360 .441 .896 38 45 8 1 19 46 7 2B Jarren Advincula Georgia Tech JR .411 .489 .563 31 46 2 0 5 30 5 3B Ace Reese Mississippi State JR .330 .417 .661 32 36 12 0 8 37 1 SS Roch Cholowsky UCLA JR .350 .493 .730 39 35 8 0 10 32 1 IF Dee Kennedy Kansas State JR .430 .549 .910 44 43 10 1 12 43 15 OF Will Gasparino UCLA JR .351 .468 .794 31 34 5 1 12 38 1 OF AJ Gracia Virginia JR .350 .504 .650 37 36 7 0 8 24 1 OF Landon Hairston* Arizona State SO .469 .551 1.027 44...
High School | Rankings | 3/31/2026

High School Top 50: March 31

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Another pair of weeks has gone by this high school season and with that we have another High School Top-50 Update. Southern states are within a few weeks of the end of the season while some northern states are just getting started this week. Through the end of the spring, we will be bringing you updates to the Top-50 along with state rankings updates coming soon. For the first time in 2026, we have a new #1 in the country as Orange Lutheran (CA) takes over the top spot after winning the NHSI. Venice (FL) came in second place at the NHSI after a thrilling game against Orange Lutheran and comes in at #2. Previous #1 team in the country St. John Bosco (CA) rounds out the top-3 and will have a big showdown against Orange Lutheran starting tonight. Barbe (LA) boasts a 26-1 record and comes in at #4 while Corona (CA) continues to string together wins and holds down the #5 spot in this update....
College | Story | 3/31/2026

PG Collegiate Midseason Awards

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
Midseason Awards  Perfect Game Midseason Player of the Year:  Landon Hairston, OF, Arizona State  The season sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston is putting together is generational, even amongst the Hall of Fame talent Arizona State has fielded over the years.  Hairston, the 5-11/195 sophomore outfielder from Queen City, AZ has his club on track for another postseason appearance and they will make plenty of noise in the Big 12 regular season.  To put things in perspective on Hairston’s season, he is currently 5th in the nation in batting average, 3rd in hits, 8th in hits per game, tied for 2nd in home runs, tied for 5th in runs scored and is 4th in runs batted in so far.  He holds a batting average of .469 while slugging 1.027 and reaching base over half the time with an OBP of .551.  Hairston walks more than he strikes out and has 12 doubles, 17...
Tournaments | Story | 3/31/2026

14u East Spring Opener Scout Notes

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
Roman Keister (2030, Dade City, FL) Could not miss the barrel this weekend tallying 6 hits including 2 triples and 4 RBI. Starts the load early and controls his body well, the up the middle approach really plays in game. Also worked from off the mound for an inning and picked up a punch out.  Colton Russo (2030, Coral Springs, FL) Showed off the power burning outfielders all weekend. 5 hits including two triples that carried over the CF and RF heads. Has a good understanding about using the lower half in the swing and the bat to ball skills really impressed.  Karson Blakney (2030, St. Augustine, FL) Made his impact in a big way this week, collecting the win in the quarterfinals. In his outing he went 5 shutout innings and struck out 5 while only allowing 2 hits. Worked in the mid 70s with the FB and topped out at 78. Also produced on offense driving in 5 RBI on 4 hits. ...
Loading more articles...