THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,803 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,803 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Rankings | 4/17/2019

DII, NAIA, DIII rankings: Apr. 17

Photo: Utah Jones (NGU Athletics)

April 10 Rankings

If you look through the annals of college baseball history (or any sport for that matter), you’ll find that far more often than not the preseason pick to take home the title will end the season empty-handed. For whatever reason it simply rarely happens. Perhaps pressure plays a part. Maybe it puts too big of a target on a team’s back. Sometimes it’s probably just lazy voters recasting their vote for last season’s winner or selecting “name” teams rather than those with potential.

In the Perfect Game preseason rankings North Greenville, Georgia Gwinnett and Rowan were selected as their divisions top team headed into the season. So far each of the trio has been formidable. Each of the three have stayed in the top five the entirety of the season and the Crusaders and Grizzlies have reclaimed the top spot after temporarily surrendering their ground early in the season.

Along with this weeks rankings is a look at how each of the team’s are doing with an outlook of finishing the season as it began, the top-ranked team.

Rankings are based on games through Sunday, April 14.


NCAA Division II

North Greenville Crusaders
The Crusaders have met their lofty preseason expectations and have spent the entirety of the spring either first or second in the Perfect Game NCAA D-II rankings. They currently sit at an impressive 32-9 despite losing a big road conference series last weekend against perennial power Mount Olive. Although they lost the overall matchup with the Trojans, their win in the finale not only salvaged the series, but clinched the conference regular season championship. Consequently, head coach Landon Powell’s team still remains atop the national rankings based on their overall body of work. Aside from the first three games of the season and last weekend, NGU is 30-5 with quality wins over Newberry (a series sweep), Nova Southeastern (taking two of three), Catawba and a pair of tough Peach Belt schools, South Carolina Aiken and UNC Pembroke.

North Greenville was bestowed as preseason favorites largely due to the potential of their pitching staff, which has not only met expectations, but surpassed them as well. Tucker Burgess, who was a First Team All-American and Hero Sports National Pitcher of Year last season after earning 14 wins and a 2.98 ERA, is at it once again. His skillful numbers put him on pace to replicate last year’s statistics as he leads the team with nine wins and has a 2.40 ERA. He has continued to paint the plate with a brilliant strikeout-to-walk ratio, as after finishing with a 89-to-15 mark last season he has recorded a 78-to-10 difference this year. Ethan Garner, who was the Conference Carolinas freshman of year two years ago and an all conference selection last season, is also putting up numbers which mirror last season’s success, although his walk total has spiked from 13 in 69 1/3 in 2018 to a concerning 31 in 47 this spring.

Despite their accomplishments this season the dominant arm on the staff belongs to Michael Giacone. Last season’s California JUCO Pitcher of the Year has made 11 starts this season and earned a 7-1 record with a tiny 2.16 ERA. In his 58 1/3 innings on the mound he has amassed a robust 88 strikeouts and held opposition to a .161 batting average as he has only allowed a measly 33 hits. It is no wonder why Giacone had been recruited by such acclaimed D-I programs the likes of Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Oregon (his grades weren’t quite as sensational as his throwing ability which kept him off their rosters).

The trio of Burgess, Garner and Giacone have thrown just over half of the Crusaders’ total innings. The remaining staff conglomerate has performed admirably as well. The team ERA is 3.10 which puts them in the top five nationally. In addition to keeping runs off the board, they’ve been efficient as they are currently third nationally with a 1.20 WHIP, seventh with a 3.26 strikeout-to-walk ratio and have held opposition to a feeble .226 batting average.

Offensively the team has been strong as well. Among the holdovers from last season are Jeffery Chandler, Jared Williams and Utah Jones. Chandler is hitting .331, Williams is among the leaders at .358 while being a perfect 22-for-22 in stolen bases and Jones has raised his average to .387 after hitting .358 last season; Jones is also solid with the glove at shortstop. Nevertheless, as with the staff, it is the newcomers who’ve had the biggest overall impact.

Jeremy Whitehead struggled at East Carolina, but has been sensational at NGU.  He is batting .391 as the club’s leadoff hitter and has used his freakish speed to race to six triples. Adam Sasser, who was second-team All-SEC at Georgia last season, is now crushing it in the middle of the Crusaders batting order. He is hitting .317 and tied for third nationally with 16 home runs. Yet despite that pair’s excellence, the most impactful NGU debut in 2019 has been by freshman catcher John Michael Faile. Faile is leading the team in hitting with a .418 average and is also topping the team in RBI and slugging percentage.

Considering the Crusaders nearly advanced to Cary last season with a less talented team, they’ll unquestionably be a favorite to make the final eight this year. Aside from an unlikely complete and utter collapse, their spot in the NCAA postseason is already secure. They just need to continue to play loose, stay healthy and hope to get that extra juice for a deep postseason run.


Rk. Prev. School ST Record Week
1 1 North Greenville Crusaders SC 32-9 1-2
2 2 Colorado Mesa Mavericks CO 31-7 4-0
3 3 North Georgia Nighthawks GA 29-11 3-1
4 4 Quincy Hawks IL 27-8 3-1
5 5 Tampa Spartans FL 27-11 2-1
6 7 Lubbock Christian Chaparrals TX 29-9 4-0
7 11 Central Missouri Mules MO 26-11 4-0
8 13 UC San Diego Tritons CA 26-7 4-0
9 8 Columbus St. Cougars GA 24-14 2-1
10 14 West Texas A&M Buffs TX 32-8 4-0
11 6 Catawba Indians NC 34-12 1-3
12 15 Angelo State Rams TX 34-7 5-0
13 12 Texas A&M Kingsville Javelinas TX 25-14 2-1
14 10 West Florida Argos FL 28-13 1-2
15 21 Mount Olive Trojans NC 26-12 2-1
16 20 St. Cloud State Huskies MN 27-6 5-0
17 9 Mercyhurst Lakers PA 18-7 1-2
18 18 Nova Southeastern Sharks FL 26-13 3-0
19 24 Newberry Wolves SC 36-10 3-1
20 22 Minnesota State Mavericks MN 27-8 5-0
21 17 Southern New Hampshire Penmen NH 27-8 3-1
22 16 Ashland Eagles OH 27-7 1-3
23 NR Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars IL 24-11-1 4-0
24 23 Augustana Vikings SD 25-11 3-2
25 25 Metro State Roadrunners CO 25-11 2-2

Dropped out: Embry-Riddle (19).



NAIA

Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies
The Grizzlies reign at the No. 1 position was short lived. Their initial series was against the third-ranked and defending national champion Southeastern and they dropped the hotly contested series two games to one. Since then the Fire have remained in the top four since reclaiming the No. 1 position this week. Along the way they’ve earned red-letter wins against Webber International (a three-game sweep), a stealthy good Truett-McConnell club, Bryan, Indiana Tech and Lyon. Not only is GGC winning quality games, but they are beating teams in bunches as well. Their record is currently 36-8 and they have won their last 14 straight.

As with most top-level clubs, the Grizzlies are excelling on the mound. Despite accumulating a 50-12 record last season, their 2019 team ERA is nearly a run less than last season at 3.24 (down from 4.12). The statistical drop-for-the-better isn’t too much of a surprise as the staff is largely intact from last season and the arms have continued to develop.

Gregory Loukinen, who earned a 2.73 ERA and threw three shutouts (one of which was GGC’s first no-hitter) last season, is the staff ace once again. He has a 2.27 ERA and tops the team in innings pitched, wins and strikeouts and is holding opposition to a diminutive .173 batting average. Last year’s team leader in innings pitched, Hunter Dollander, has shined in limited action this spring. In seven appearances he is 5-0 with a team-leading 1.95 ERA in 32 1/3 innings. Jonathan McKinney and Hunter Caudelle wield a pair of arms that have substantially improved since last spring. Last year they had 5.23 and 8.44 ERAs respectively. This year they are down to 3.03 and 2.62 and have combined to earn a 10-2 record in 104 innings on the mound. Venezuelan import Pedro Garcia, who pitched in the junior college ranks last season, has been a pleasant addition to round out the starting staff. He has a 3.67 ERA and has 51 Ks in 41 2/3.

Like the pitching staff, much of the everyday lineup is experienced and improved this year. Usually when a player’s batting average drops 50 points it is cause for alarm, but not in the instance of GGC’s Cam Coursey. Despite that substantial dip he is still raking at .435 as he hit an astonishing and improbable .485 last season. In addition to his lofty average, he had 13 doubles, seven triples and 16 stolen bases. There are six other GGC players who are hitting at least .331 who have at least 90 at-bats and 30 start on the season. The most remarkable of those batters is Brody Wofford who transferred from Central Florida for his senior season. He is second on the team in hitting with a .374 average and is leading the team with seven home runs. Impressively, Coursey and Wofford have combined to strike out only 29 times in 298 at-bats.

Gwinnett made their deepest postseason run in school history last season when they reached the semifinal round in Lewiston. Both their pitching and starting lineup are better and deeper than last season so anything less would be a disappointment. With their roster and current aptitude they are well on pace to capture their first national title.


Rk. Prev. School ST Record Week
1 3 Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies GA 36-8 5-0
2 1 Southeastern Fire FL 39-7 0-3
3 4 Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs TN 37-7 3-0
4 2 Faulkner Eagles AL 34-10 1-2
5 5 Cumberlands Patriots KY 38-5 4-0
6 9 St. Thomas Bobcats FL 34-11 3-0
7 6 Freed-Hardeman Lions TN 34-11 2-1
8 9 Oklahoma City Stars OK 37-10 3-1
9 10 Bryan Lions TN 29-12 3-1
10 11 Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles OK 32-9 5-0
11 12 USAO Drovers OK 32-10 5-0
12 7 Middle Georgia State Knights GA 31-11 1-2
13 14 Texas Wesleyan Rams TX 37-8 4-0
14 16 Westmont Warriors CA 31-10 4-0
15 15 LSU Shreveport Pilots LA 36-9 2-1
16 21 Lyon Scots AR 33-13 3-1
17 13 Benedicine Mesa AZ 35-12 0-4
18 17 Central Methodist Eagles MO 26-9 2-1
19 18 Indiana Tech Warriors IN 25-13 3-1
20 24 William Jessup Warriors CA 25-11 4-0
21 23 Webber International Warriors FL 31-16 4-1
22 19 Warner Royals FL 31-17 1-2
23 NR Georgetown Tigers KY 34-10 4-0
24 20 The Master's Mustangs CA 28-14-1 0-4
25 25 William Penn Statesmen IA 28-7 3-1

Dropped out: Vanguard (22).


NCAA Division III

Rowan Profs
Of the three preseason No. 1 teams only Rowan isn’t currently in their division’s pole position. However, they are not far off. They have spent half the season in the No. 1 position (although admittedly not much action took place the first month) and are currently ranked third. After an uninspired performance at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitation in which they went 5-4, they fell to the fifth position, but have since gone a much more Prof-like 15-2 and are a game behind The College of New Jersey for first place in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Their current 21-6 record is actually ahead of last season’s mark in which they spent a good chunk of the season as the unanimous No. 1 team, won the NJAC tournament and were at the top seed in the Mid-Atlantic Regional before getting upset.

Anthony Harrold, Dillon Mendel and Alex Kokos were team’s top hitters in batting average last season and have been putting up admirable numbers once again, although each of their batting averages have taken a dip. Nevertheless, they are hitting .365, .354 and .316 respectively, which is more than apt. Two transfers have more than made up for any loss in production from the trio. Matt Woods was a solid player St. John’s last season, but his numbers have soared since playing for the brown and gold. He is leading the team in hitting at .409, home runs with seven, stolen bases with 10 and his .736 slugging percentage far exceeds any other player on the club. Another ex-D-I (UNC Central) signee who is coming up big for Rowan is Mitch Walker. He is right behind Woods in batting at .406 and playing error-free first base to solidify the infield.

Danny Serreino and Andrew DiPizaza had tiny ERAs last season at 1.25 and 1.49 respectively. Each are again pitching well this year with Serreino being absolutely devastating. In 41 2/3 innings he has only allowed 26 hits (.179 batting average) while striking out 70 batters. His 15.12 Ks per nine innings ranks third nationally. DiPiazza’s opponents are batting .202 and have struck out 47 times in 34 1/3 innings. It’s difficult to think of a more formidable pair of arms. They’ve been joined in the rotation by Justin Smith who is putting up numbers that are as daunting as his name is boring. He is leading the staff with a 1.34 ERA, holding opponents to a .172 batting average and has a 37-to-9 strike-to-walk ratio in 33 2/3 innings.

The coup de gras out of the bullpen is closer Andrew Cartier. He has appeared in 11 games, earned five saves and struck out 19 in 12 1/3 innings. What really gives this pitching stuff the extra je ne sais quoi is the fact that each of the four hurlers mentioned are seniors. One of the biggest constants in championship winning teams is a stockpile of experienced leaders looking to end their career on a high note.

The biggest (and perhaps only) question mark to Rowan’s ability to start and end the season as the No. 1 team is how well they will fare against stringent competition. While they have a good quantity of wins, they don’t have much in terms of quality. They don’t have a single victory over a ranked team this season. They’ve only played one team that is currently ranked, a 9-7 loss to Southern Maine in Florida. That could change this week as they will face The College of New Jersey in a pair of games. If they are able to tame the Lions it will do wonders to solidify their status as a title contender and propel them into the postseason with confidence.


Rk. Prev. School ST Record Week
1 1 Christopher Newport Captains VA 24-3 1-0
2 2 Southern Maine Huskies ME 19-4 3-1
3 3 Rowan Profs NJ 21-6 4-1
6 4 Concordia University Chicago Cougars IL 21-1 2-0
5 5 Texas Lutheran Bulldogs TX 24-8 3-0
7 6 Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets VA 17-6-1 3-0-1
4 7 Wooster Fighting Scots OH 15-6 2-2
9 8 Babson Beavers MA 22-4 5-0
8 9 Trinity Tigers TX 26-9 3-2
10 10 Chapman Panthers CA 23-7 2-1
13 11 Salisbury Seagulls MD 24-6-1 4-0
14 12 Spalding Eagles KY 21-7 3-0
12 13 Shenandoah Hornets VA 18-9 3-1
16 14 UW-Whitewater Warhawks WI 14-6 4-0
15 15 LaGrange Panthers GA 24-9 0-0
17 16 Piedmont Lions GA 26-7 2-1
18 17 Misericordia Cougars PA 22-9 3-1
11 18 Swarthmore Garnet PA 16-10 0-4
21 19 Wheaton Lyons MA 22-6 5-0
22 20 The College of New Jersey Lions NJ 22-3 5-0
19 21 Washington Bears MO 22-5-1 2-2
23 22 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays  MD 21-8 3-1
24 23 Webster Gorloks MO 20-8 3-0
25 24 UMass-Boston Beacons MA 15-9 4-1
NR 25 Denison Big Red OH 24-2 3-0

Dropped out: Cal Lutheran (20).




College | Story | 1/28/2026

Conference Preview: WCC

Steve Doherty
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Gonzaga  26  25 16 8  Loyola Marymount  27  27 14  10 Pacific  20  36 8  16  Pepperdine  12  42 7  17  Portland  22  29 13  11  Saint Mary's  36  26 15  9  San Diego  26  29 19  5  San Francisco  26  30 9  15  Santa Clara  20  30 7  17  Seattle U  20  32 8 16 Preseason All-Conference...
Press Release | Press Release | 1/28/2026

2026 Pacific Baseball Championship Set

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES VENUES, DATES FOR   2026 PACIFIC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP    Elite global talent converges in Southern California, December 26-29, 2026, at the Dodgers’ new ONT Field Stadium and October Empire Complex    Ontario, California (Wednesday, January 28, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced additional details surrounding the 2026 Perfect Game Pacific Baseball Championship (PBC), including official venues, dates and the various nations that players will be coming from,...
Juco | Rankings | 1/28/2026

JUCO Top 50: January 28

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Welcome to the 2026 Junior College baseball season. Once again, this year will begin for us with annual coverage of the PCB JUCO Classic in Panama City Beach, FL this week. With that we bring you our beginning of season JUCO baseball rankings. Perfect Game JUCO rankings combine all levels of JUCO baseball across the country into one overall ranking.  The top of this year’s beginning of season ranking begins where the D1 NJCAA World Series ended, with Walters State and Salt Lake. Walters State returns several contributing pieces from last season's team and will begin the year in the top spot. Defending D1 JUCO National Champion Salt Lake will slot in at number 2. This list shows the strength of junior college baseball around the country with programs from 16 different state represented in our initial top 25. Six teams from Florida make our initial top 25, four of which will...
Press Release | Press Release | 1/27/2026

Believe In Baseball Event Adds Stars

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    JAY LENO, NIKKI GLASER, TIFFANY HADDISH, DUSTIN YBARRA AND GARY CANNON ADDED TO PERFECT GAME   BELIEVE IN BASEBALL CHARITY EVENT     Laugh Factory hosts an all-star comedy lineup for Perfect Game’s charity gala    Los Angeles, California (Tuesday, January 27, 2026) - The Perfect Game Believe in Baseball Foundation today announced an all-star comedy lineup for its first-ever “In the Spirit of the Game” charity awards dinner and auction, taking place this Saturday, January 31, 2026, at the world-famous Laugh Factory in Hollywood to benefit youth...
College | Story | 1/27/2026

Conf. Preview: Conference USA

Geoff Billock
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L DBU 41 18 21 6 Delaware 28 25 12 15 FIU 31 27 13 13 Jax State 37 25 15 12 Kennesaw State 31 27 17 9 LA Tech 32 25 14 12 Liberty 30 27 10 17 Missouri State 30 25 17 8 MTSU 23 32 8 19 NM State 23 33 11 15 Sam Houston 12 43 6 21 WKU 46 14 18 9 Preseason All-Conference Team   Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Grayson Ashe Jax State .318/.435/.574; CUSA All-Conference Second Team honors last year. Highly productive offensive catcher who led team in average and home...
High School | General | 1/28/2026

High School Top 50: 30-21

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
High School Preview Index Top 50 Breakdown: 50-41 | 40-31 30. Calallen (Corpus Christi, Tx.) 2025 Record: 35-2 Head Coach: Steve Chapman Notable Prospect(s): OF Drayton Mitchell (Texas State), LHP Coll Carroll (Texas State), SS Drayson Gamez (Midland College), 3B Lucas Saenz, OF Jimmy Tipton The 2025 season was one that saw the Wildcats win their fourth state championship under legendary Texas high school coach Steve Chapman. They were dominant from start to finish, ending the year with a 35-2 record and bring back most of their offensive production and the offense will be headlined by a pair of seniors who had great springs a year ago in Drayton Mitchell and Wyatt Duke. Mitchell was also one of the arms that they relied upon a year ago and dominated on the bump. Rounding out the rotation is another senior in Coll Carroll, a left-hander who’s been into the upper-80s in PG...
High School | General | 1/27/2026

High School Top 50: 40-31

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
High School Preview Index Top 50 Breakdown: 50-41 40. Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Tx.) 2025 Record: 25-5 Head Coach: James Vilade Notable Prospect(s): RHP Savion Sims (Oklahoma), RHP Trent Vilade (Texas A&M), OF Austin Smith, C Cruz Banuelas, RHP Harrison Hilliard, OF Lash Henderson (Texas A&M), SS Max Bachmann, SS Frantz Guignard, 3B Aiden Moffitt, C Chance Kidd Prestonwood Christian is coming off a successful season a year ago that saw them rattle off 25 wins, but they come up just short of a state title, losing 2-0 in the championship game. They lose a pair of senior power arms but also bring back one of the top right-handers in the state in Trent Vilade as well as adding one of the top flamethrowers in the nation in Savion Sims. Junior outfielder Lash Henderson, a Texas A&M commit and a top-25 talent in the class, headlines the group of position players along with...
High School | Blog | 1/26/2026

High School Content Index

Tyler Russo
Article Image
With the High School season about to pick up and kick off in the warmer states in the not-so-distant future, make sure to bookmark this index with all the dates of upcoming content so you can be in the know, beginning with a breakdown of every team in our Top 50 countdown.  Date Content Monday, January 26 HS Team Breakdowns: 50-41 Tuesday, January 27 HS Team Breakdowns: 40-31 Wednesday, January 28 HS Team Breakdowns: 30-21 Thursday, January 29 HS Team Breakdowns: 20-11 Friday, January 30 HS Team Breakdowns: 10-1 Friday, January 30 National High School Top 50 Monday, February 2 HS Top 50 All Prospect Team Monday, February 2 Top Team in Each State Tuesday, February 3 Florida Region Top Teams/Prospects Tuesday, February 3 Florida Region Preview Wednesday, February 4 Georgia Region Top Teams/Prospects Wednesday, February 4 Georgia Region Preview Thursday, February 5 Pacific Region Top...
High School | General | 1/26/2026

High School Top 50: 50-41

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
50. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) 2025 Record: 19-12 Head Coach: Gary Remiker Notable Prospect(s): SS Alex Harrington (Stanford), OF Hunter Harrington (Stanford), RHP Kaden Kuhn (Cornell), OF Xavier Nady (NYU), RHP Shoei Darvishsefat, SS Trey Kotsay (Princeton), OF Nick Ruder (University of Chicago), SS Jonas Nalu (Colorado School of Mines), OF Joshua Priest (Arizona State), LHP Jose Partida (Arizona State), 1B Maxwell Stewart, OF Dj Sweeney Cathedral Catholic has been one of the top programs in the San Diego area over the past handful of years and brings back not only one of the best rosters in their area, but one of the top rosters in the country. Headlining the group is twin brothers Alex and Hunter Harrington, both Stanford commits and bring dynamic athleticism mixed with a good bit of experience. The Dons also return seniors Xavier Nady, Trey Kotsay, Nick Ruder and Jonas...
College | Story | 1/26/2026

Conference Preview: Big South

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Charleston Southern 31 22 14 10 Gardner-Webb 17 36 6 18 High Point 39 19 18 6 Longwood 14 38 8 16 Presbyterian 17 35 9 15 Radford 28 28 13 11 UNC-Asheville 15 35 8 16 USC-Upstate 36 25 19 5 Winthrop 31 29 13 11 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C  Preston Lucas USC Upstate 1st Team All-Big South performer in 2025. Hit .337 with 25 XBH and the 5th most RBI (63) in the conference. 1B Landen Johnson High Point 2nd Team All-Big South...
Loading more articles...