2025 DII Rankings Debut

Nick Herfordt

Photo: Jaden Sheppard (Cal State Monterey Bay Athletics)

If you’re a fan of underdogs, this year's Division II baseball season may not be for you. The familiar names—Tampa, Angelo State, North Greenville, and Central Missouri—are once again poised to dominate. Tampa, which has claimed four titles in the last eleven years, might have its best team yet. Angelo State, which has reached the championship game in each of the past two seasons, shows no signs of slowing down.

Success breeds more success, and these powerhouse programs, which consistently appear at the top of the rankings, have developed a winning culture. They are hungry for more titles and won’t easily relinquish their spot at the table of eight in Cary.

However, these perennial contenders will face challenges from rising programs. Several schools, having stockpiled talent, are gearing up for a deep postseason run. While skill and athleticism are crucial, experience, determination, and grit also play a key role in deciding which team will ultimately prevail.

While Tampa, Angelo State, and Central Missouri remain formidable, watch out for programs like Slippery Rock and Regis, which have consistently fielded competitive teams and could be on the verge of something big in 2025.

Rank	Team	State	2024 Record	2024 Final Rank
1	Tampa Spartans	FL	52-8	1
2	Central Missouri Mules	MO	52-10	5
3	Angelo State Rams	TX	44-21	2
4	Point Loma Sea Lions	CA	46-13-1	3
5	East Stroudsburg Warriors	PA	43-14	16
6	Catawba Indians	NC	46-17	4
7	Colorado Mesa Mavericks	CO	38-18	17
8	North Greenville Trailblazers	SC	41-14	11
9	Augustana Vikings	SD	47-10	14
10	Cal State Monterey Bay Otters	CA	39-21	24
11	Millersville Marauders	PA	38-16	21
12	Georgia College Bobcats	GA	37-22	20
13	Westmont Warriors	CA	33-15-3
14	Ashland Eagles	OH	42-15	23
15	Texas Tyler Patriots	TX	29-23
16	West Chester Golden Rams	PA	43-9	13
17	Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils	AR	35-24
18	Young Harris Mountain Lions	GA	41-15	6
19	Missouri Southern St. Lions	MO	44-15	7
20	UNC Pembroke Braves	NC	43-14	9
21	North Georgia Nighthawks	GA	32-19
22	Minnesota State Mavericks	MN	37-20
23	Nova Southeastern Sharks	FL	26-21
24	Slippery Rock The Rock	PA	28-18
25	Regis Rangers	CO	32-24-1

1. TAMPA SPARTANS (52-8)

Tampa had yet another outstanding season in 2024 culminating in their ninth NCAA Division II National Championship. They are now tied with Florida Southern for the most DII baseball titles. Notably, the Spartans have claimed six of these championships since 2000, underscoring their dominance in the sport. They finished with an impressive overall record of 52 wins and only eight losses, and aside from a loss to conference mate Embry-Riddle in the opening game of the Super Regional, the Spartans outscored opposition 104-27 in the postseason. As impressive as they were last season, this year’s edition of the squad may be even better.

Mike Valdez, a starter in 58 of 60 games last season, returns to the lineup looking to improve on the already impressive .351/.431/.553 slash line he accumulated last year. Nico Saladino will also be back for his third season as a Spartan. He excels both at the plate and at second base where he had a .945 fielding percentage and was a part of 32 double plays. Santino Garavtio, playing his sixth season of college baseball, will earn the bulk of the starts at the catcher position. He has batted .307 in 95 games for the Spartans and was second on the team with 12 home runs last year. Brayden Woodburn and Jake Griffith, a pair of everyday starters from last season, who batted .303 and .292 respectively, will also be back.

Edgardo Villegas, who was a three year starter for Miami, where he posted a .264/.417/.423 slash line with 16 home runs and 87 RBI in 165 games, decided to take his talents to UT. He’ll likely bat at the top of the order along with his former Hurricane teammate JD Urso. Urso generated an All-American caliber stat line at Tampa in 2023, but spent last season wearing orange and green. He has returned home as a graduate student to finish his college career. Kevin Karstetter, who excelled at State College of Florida and earned a starting role at Arizona State in 2024, will play third and bat in the middle of the order. Lenny Ashby is another transfer looking to improve his professional prospects as a Spartan. He was a former starter at both Kansas and New Mexico. He batted .381 for the Lobos in 2023 and started 50 games for the Jayhawks last year.

Skylar Gonzalez threw 102 ⅓ innings last season with a 2.46 ERA to earn First Team All-American honors and will once again lead the staff. He finished as Tampa’s single season record holder in wins last year with a 16-0 record in 18 starts - 17 of which lasted at least five innings. Jake Stipp, who started 15 games and had a 3.14 ERA in 66 innings last season after transferring from Eckerd, and Eli Thurmond, who has excelled both as a starter and in relief, return to the roster as well. Former Florida Atlantic starter CJ Williams will join the UT rotation as a graduate student. He led the Owls with 82 ⅓ innings, 72 strikeouts and a 4.04 ERA.

2. CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES (52-10)

The Central Missouri Mules continued their longstanding tradition of baseball excellence with 52 wins, including a dominant 29–4 record in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. They not only earned their fifth consecutive MIAA Regular Season Championship and their 30th overall title in conference play, but also clinched their 20th NCAA Division II Regional Title which propelled them into the Division II World Series for the 20th time in program history. While they had a significant chunk of their offense move on after the season, their pitching staff is largely intact which should make them a national contender once again.

Chase Heath earned All-MIAA First Team honors last season as he batted .372 with 24 doubles and 16 home runs. He was also honored as the conference’s top fielding catcher. Fellow seniors Vance Tobol, a high end athlete who patrols centerfield, and third baseman Jacob Steel are also back in Warrensburg. Tobol hit .342 last year with 15 doubles, six triples and nine home runs. Steel hit .362 with 13 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Brett Grupe, who also serves as the kicker for the Mules’ football team, and Chase Wilcox who hit .380 in 92 at bats last season, both impressed in limited action last year and should be regulars in the lineup in 2025. Dayvin Johnson, an everyday outfield starter at Wichita State last year, could be a big difference making in the lineup. He hit .297 with a team leading 17 doubles, 41 walks and eight home runs for the Shockers.

Conner Wolf, Jack Kreisman and Jake Wilson combined to start 42 games and throw 218 ⅔ innings last season (over 40% of the teams’ total) and the trio will return to the mound in 2025. Wolf was the conference Pitcher of the Year with a 4.05 ERA over 97 ⅔ innings in which he limited opposition to 82 hits while striking out 90 with only 16 walks allowed. Kreisman earned a 4.36 ERA in 64 innings and Wilson appeared in 21 games with 11 starts and finished with a 4.26 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 57 innings. Jack Scott had an excellent freshman season in 2024 with a 3.71 ERA over 53 ⅓ innings which included six starts. JD McReynolds, who was a consensus All American in 2023 with a 1.08 ERA as a reliever, will also back in the bullpen. He had a 3.25 ERA last season with 49 strikeouts in only 27 ⅔ innings.

3. ANGELO STATE RAMS (44-21)

The Rams were the number one team in the 2024 preseason and appeared destined for a repeat trip to Cary following a strong 2023 in which they finished 56-9 and earned the national title for the first time in program history. The Rams had returned the bulk of the roster, but struggled to start the season with a ho-hum 10-8 record on March 1st and also floundered at the end of the year going 4-4 to end the regular season and 2-2 in the Lone State Conference Tournament. Nevertheless, ASU swept their way into super regional play and rebounded from a 12-25 loss to Lubbock Christian to earn their way back to the final eight. The Rams finished the season as the national runner up and were the first team to appear in back-to-back NCAA DII title games since 2007.

The Rams will be without Tripp Clark, their top slugger from last season, but do return six everyday starters, including Jacob Guerrero, a 2023 All-American and 2024 Lone Star Conference First Team outfielder. Last year Guerrero started all 65 games and was second on the team with a.361 average and 10 home runs. He also led the team with 30 stolen bases. Weston Valasek and Justin Harris, who play centerfield and shortstop, are two other proven starters back at ASU. Valasek has a .310 batting average over two seasons, and Harris excels at defense while maintaining a .306 batting average with three years experience as a starter. Tayten Tredaway, who hit .305 last season in 220 at bats with 25 doubles and three triples also returns. Austin Beck was limited to nine games last season, but earned All American honors in 2022 and 2023. He will be back healthy and hitting at the top of the lineup which is a huge plus for the program. In 2022 he batted .420 with 33 stolen bases, and he slugged .541 with a team leading 41 stolen bases in 2023. Lane Hutchinson, a 50 game starter at UT Tyler last year who hit .353, will likely take over the third base role on defense.

The Rams return two of three regular members of the rotation in Dax Dathe and Alizaeh Gutierrez. Dathe, who previously pitched at Texas Tech, led the team with 110 strikeouts in 85 ⅓ innings, and Gutierrez held opposition to a .222 average over 81 ⅔ innings with 74 strikeouts. Caleb Heuertz, who appeared in 25 games last season with a 2.29 ERA and Johnny Stacy who threw 51 innings primarily in relief, will also be back in the bullpen. Together they combined for 12 saves and 125 strikeouts in 104 ⅔ innings. An addition to the rotation will be Nick Wilson. In 2023 Wilson was a member of the Team USA Collegiate National Team and he won the 2023 SWAC Pitcher of the Year at Southern.

4. POINT LOMA SEA LIONS (43-13-1)

The Sea Lions spent the entirety of the 2024 season firmly positioned in the top ten of the rankings and earned their third consecutive PacWest conference title. They advanced to the NCAA DII Baseball Championship for the second time in three seasons, and with a mix of established starters and talented transfers, PLU is looking to once again be the west’s representative in Cary.

Jake Entrekin and Bryson Hashimoto are the leading offensive performers back on the team. Entrekin tied for the team lead with 15 home runs in 2024 while batting .365 as the team’s catcher. Hashimoto, who signed with Washington State out of high school, was the PacWest All-Conference third baseman last year after batting .299 with five home runs. Owen May is anticipated to have a breakout season in 2025, as is catcher Tommy Molina who hit .250 as a freshman.

To support the established offense, a trio of transfers should keep PLN scoring runs in bunches. Graduate second baseman Luke Reece was a three year starter at Cal State San Marcos. Last season he had a Cougar leading 1.076 OPS with 12 home runs and was named an All-West Region player. Chris Larkin from Bluefield State and Noah Meffert from George Fox will likely start at the corner outfield positions. Both were All-Conference players at their previous schools as Larkin batted .415 and helped BSU to win the 2024 Black College World Series, and Meffert batted a team leading .410 with 10 triples and 13 stolen bases..

The presence of Ray Cebulski on the mound is a big reason the Sea Lions are favorites to make the cross country trip to the finals once again. The senior who threw at East Lake High School about 30 minutes away from campus, had a 3.55 ERA last year and has earned All-Conference honors the last two seasons. Christian Williams and Branden Jackel combined to throw 82 innings last season. Williams entered games exclusively from the bullpen and will likely take over the closer role after earning a 2.55 ERA in 2024. Jackel could transition to be a full time starter after throwing in a dual role as a freshman.

Colin Riscoll, a transfer from St. Martin’s, is expected to enter the rotation and make an immediate impact. He had a 3.17 ERA over 71 innings last season for the Saints and held opposition to a .219 batting average. He earned GNAC Co-Pitcher of the Year honors last season. Transfers Brock Mayer and Bobby Brown are also expected to compete for starting roles. Mayer had a 2.56 ERA over two seasons for Chaffey College. Brown made 19 starts over the past two seasons at Biola. Graduate transfer Nathan Ward appeared in 20 games for Grand Canyon last spring, and will be an important part of the relief corp.

5. EAST STROUDSBURG STATE WARRIORS (43-14)

East Stroudsburg emerged as a national title contender midway through the 2024 season with the Warriors winning 25 games in a row before finally dropping a game in the 15th inning. ESU set a new program record with 43 wins and captured the PSAC East regular seasons title which will be a prelude to another successful season. The Warriors have an experienced and explosive offense and will be battle tested for the postseason as they compete in the PSAC.

The Warriors welcome back six regulars on offense who each batted over .300. Shanley Wall led the team in batting with a .401 average and added 16 doubles and 11 stolen bases. He also received honors for his defense in centerfield. Chaise Albus hit .342, tied for the team lead with five home runs and stole 16 bases. Third baseman Jack Rothenhausier started 56 of 57 games last season and has compiled a .343 batting average over three years with sneaky speed and power. On the other side of the infield, first baseman Parker Frey also had five home runs and batted .339. Cameron Hubbard and Walker Zampella are also proven hitters who will be back to help ESU score runs. Hubbard has received All-PSAC honors twice since transferring from Lehigh and Zampella hit .309 with 12 stolen bases.

Francisco Taveras hit .320 over two seasons as the shortstop starter at Lock Haven and has joined the team as a graduate student. Jackson Rutecki, who played sparingly at DI Campbell, will also reinforce the offense.

The Warriors will be without their top pitcher from last season, but have retained enough experience to make them tough to beat. Ryan Dewees had a 3.52 ERA over 61 ⅓ innings with a 1.13 WHIP and inherited the ace role. Gavin Sopko and Peyton Brannock both impressed as freshmen and should improve this season. Sopko appeared in 15 games with 11 starts and threw 55 ⅔ innings with 42 strikeouts and only 19 walks. Peyton Brannock had a 4.58 ERA over 39 ⅓ innings. ESU’s Caden Parker set multiple school records as the team’s closer last season and returns to the bullpen. He earned 12 saves and appeared in a team leading 21 games. He had pitched at DI Maryland Eastern Shore for two seasons before transferring to ESU.

6. CATAWBA INDIANS (46-17)

In 2023 the Indians only managed a 27-24 record, the fewest wins for a Jim Gatt coached Catawba team since 1998 (aside from the COVID shortened 2020 season when they were 19-3). Yet the team turned around and compiled one of the best seasons in school history last year with a 46-17 record and advanced to the NCAA DII Baseball Championship for the fourth time in program history. The Indians also won the SAC regular season title and finished with 12 more overall wins than anyone in the conference.

Sam Hunter and Dylan Driver are the top offensive talents returning to the team. Hunter played in every game last season and batted .355 with 23 extra base hits. Driver batted .370 with eight home runs and earned a second national Gold Glove award for his performance in the outfield. The duo also combined to steal 49 bases. They will be rejoined in the everyday lineup by fifth year seniors Cole Hales and Cooper Bryson and junior Ty Hubard. Hales hit .316 while also appearing in 20 games on the mound. Bryson batted .295 and Hubbard hit .253 in his first year playing full time.

New to the team is Nathan Crismon, a shortstop who spent the last two seasons at East Carolina, James Dunlap who led North Dakota State with a .320 average in 2023 and earned All-Summit League honors, and Hunter Atkins who redshirted at UNC Greensboro.

The strength of the Indians this season will be their pitching staff which returns Payne Stolsworth, Austin Fine and Hayden Simmerson. Stolsworth was the SAC Pitcher of the Year with a 3.63 ERA and team leading 86 strikeouts in 111 ⅔ innings after transferring from NC Wesleyan where he won USA South Pitcher of the Year honors. Fine has earned First Team All-SAC honors each of the past two seasons. Last year he had a 3.78 and led the team with 112 innings in which he struck out 83 batters and held opposition to a .241 batting average. Simmerson was the conference Freshman of the Year with a team leading 30 appearances, eight saves and a 3.98 ERA over 72 ⅓ innings.

7. COLORADO MESA MAVERICKS (38-18)

Despite starting the season ranked in the top five, CMU started 2024 with a very unmavericklike 10-9 record. Nevertheless the team did rebound to win their 12th consecutive RMAC regular season title and 22nd RMAC Tournament crown and finished the year with a 38-18 record. They advanced to the South Central Regional where they were eliminated by rival Angelo State who also defeated CMU in the 2022 and 2023 Super Regional series. The Mavs have a horde of upperclassmen talent, especially on the mound, and welcome back a pair of injured athletes which could propel them back to the NCAA DII Championship for the fifth time.

Kolby Felix had a terrific sophomore season in which he batted .414 with 15 home runs. His .931 slugging percentage was tops on the team and his 15 home runs were second on the club despite only starting 32 of 56 games. Ethan Nunez batted .366 as a freshman with 12 home runs. Christos Stefanos and Paul Schoenfeld both transferred to CMU from LA Mission CC prior to the 2023 season. Stefanos hit .371 last year and added another dozen home runs as the Mavs’ catcher. Schoenfeld batted .412 and was hit by a pitch (18) more times than he stuck out (15). Declan Wiesner, another catcher, will be looking to rekindle his 2023 swing in which he hit .335 with 24 extra base hits. Stevenson Reynolds missed last season due to injury, but hit .367 in 2023.

Almost every arm which threw a pitch in 2024 for the Mavs is back on the team. Caleb Ruter, Cole Seward and Liam Hohenstein combined to start 33 of the team’s 56 games last season (67% of team starts). Ruter struck out 62 batters in 55 ⅔ innings with a 4.53 ERA. Seward topped the team with 75 strikeouts and earned nine wins against only a pair of losses despite a Rocky Mountain elevated 6.40 ERA. Hohenstein’s ERA ballooned last season, but he held opposition to a .209 batting average and 3.06 ERA in 2023. Ethan Voss could be the team’s top pitcher overall. After transferring from Crowder College, Voss excelled in a relief role. He had a 2.98 ERA over 51 ⅓ innings last season in which he only walked 12 batters while striking out 57. Ethan Bunevich, who made a pair of starts and appeared in 14 games in which he amassed 48 ⅔ innings, will also be back. The Mavs have hopes that former Northern Colorado utility man Joey Mazzetti will be able to contribute both on the mound and at the plate after missing last season.

8. NORTH GREENVILLE TRAILBLAZERS (41-14)

North Greenville has fielded one of the top teams in DII during the decade. Last year’s senior class helped NGU amass four regular season conference championships, two conference tournament titles and the 2022 national title. This season the team only returns two of seven players from last year’s roster who generated 50 total bases of output. Nevertheless, with four former MLB players as coaches, North Greenville doesn't have difficulty developing new talent and recruiting transfers. It's difficult to project how well the revamped (and renamed) Trailblazers will be in 2025, but they will certainly be a national contender once again.

Bryce Roddey, Landon Shaw and Thomas Powell are the top performers from last season back on offense. Roddy is versatile on defense and can play in the infield or outfield. He has a .331 batting average over 404 at bats headed into the season. Shaw, a shortstop, batted .307 last season with 13 doubles and six home runs. Powell batted .303 in 119 at bats as a freshman. Landon Peavy and Jake Sears are other familiar faces back in the NGU dugout. Peavy batted .315 in 89 at bats as a freshman last season and Sears hit .277 in 30 games as catcher.

Four former DI players are looking to make an immediate impact are Gideon Antle, Tristian Salinas, Josh Foulks and Alton Gyselman. Antle spent the last two seasons at Ohio where he batted .338 and led the Bobcats in hits and home runs. Salinas attended South Carolina last season, but didn’t see game action. Foulks was on the team at Campbell, however he struggled to get playing time as well. Gyselman was the starting catcher at DI Grand Canyon last spring and played at Hawaii in 2023. He batted .261 for the Lopes last year.

The NGU pitching staff is in need of some players to step up as well. They will be without their ace Reece Fields who graduated as the winningest pitcher in DII. Jake Monroe established himself as a capable starter last season with a 3.86 ERA over 60 ⅔ innings. He’ll likely share the top pitching role with newcomer Bennett Roemer. Roemer was the 2023 SAC Freshman of the Year at Newberry when he had a 3.14 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 77 ⅓ innings. Brady Fowler, who redshirted in 2024, will also be back in action, as will Brent Stukes. Fowler appeared in 19 games and compiled 58 ⅔ innings of work in 2023. Stukes threw 31 innings and only allowed 19 hits with 34 strikeouts as a freshman last season.

Tyler Dean, who pitched last season at South Carolina and at Virginia Tech in 2023, gives the team another experienced, strong arm to compete in the ultra competitive Conference Carolinas.

9. AUGUSTANA VIKINGS (47-10)

The Vikings finished 2024 with a 47-10 record which earned them the second best winning percentage in school history. They also had an 18 game winning streak, won both their fourth NSIC regular season and tournament titles and set program records for runs and home runs. They also had the best individual season by a Viking offensive as Jack Hines hit .445 with 21 home runs and 17 stolen bases. Although Hines will be back for another season, many of his teammates in the everyday lineup graduated. The pitching staff however is largely intact and will keep AU among DII’s elite teams.

Jack Hines’ performance on offense earned him a slew of awards. In addition to being the NSIC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, he was named the National Player of the Year by the D2CCA and the NCBWA. Not only did he start every game, he earned 93 hits, six triples, 21 home runs and slugged .852. He also successfully stole a base in 17 of 19 attempts. Only two other Vikings return who started at least 35 games. Jason Axelberg batted .333 with seven home runs in 129 at bats, and Joe Kolbeck hit .292 in 130 ABs. Ryan Clementi, who hit .390 in limited action, and Trevor Winterstien, who has a .280 average over three seasons at AU, will also return.

While the offense will get a makeover, the pitching staff is extremely experienced and deep, and should keep Augustana in the hunt for titles. Ashton Michek was the NSIC Pitcher of the Year after posting a 3.64 ERA over 71 ⅔ innings which included 86 strikeouts. He also set a program record with 11 pickoffs and threw a pair of complete games. Mariano Gomez and JD Hennen provide the team with another pair of effective arms. Gomez struck out 83 batters in only 57 ⅓ innings and Hennen held opposition to a .188 batting average in 56 innings of work. He only allowed 38 hits while striking out 70. Ethan Cole, who can also contribute at the plate (he has a .286 average over 28 ABs), struck out 57 batters in 36 ⅓ innings while making three spot starts in 16 appearances. Relief specialists Will Henry and Riley Rothschadl also return. Henry struck out 33 batters in 24 innings while only allowing 15 hits, and Rothschadl had a 2.88 ERA over 25 innings.

10. CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY OTTERS (39-21)

The Otters were three outs away from earning a trip to Cary last spring, but a ninth inning rally by Point Loma tied the game. CSUMB had the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning with only one out, but couldn’t score the winning run. They also nearly won in the 11th but a throw from right field beat a runner to the plate for the third out. PLU would end up winning the game and the subsequent winner-take-all finale to end the Otters’ season. CSUMB has a number of players back on both offense and on the mound from one of their most successful seasons which will make them a team to beat in the CCAA and West Region.

KW Quilici and Jaden Sheppard will lead the offense in 2025. Last year Quilici hit .349 with 16 doubles, six triples and 11 home runs. He also drew 44 walks and was hit by a pitch eight times to amass a .472 OB%. Sheppard hit .353 after transferring from Fresno State and led the team with 15 home runs. The pair were both honored as First Team All-CCAA performers. Senior slugger Cole Murchison raised his average to .333 from .358 last season and he’ll be looking to increase his average once again. Senior catcher Sergio Solis, who batted .355 last season will be back behind the plate. Andrew Lehman from Feather River College, and Javier Felix formerly of CSUN, are transfers who will be hoping to help the team win.

Nate Rohlicek and Ryan Platero are the top two starting pitchers back in action. Rohlicek threw 87 ⅔ innings with 80 strikeouts and only 18 walks, but had a couple of lackluster outings which inflated his ERA. Platero’s ERA was victimized in the offensive friendly CCAA as well, but he also struck out 63 batters in 63 innings while allowing 62 hits. Daniel Flores and Aidan Lee also have starting pitching experience. Flores had a 4.22 ERA over 16 appearances which included six starts, and Lee struck out 64 batters in only 41 ⅓ innings in a dual role.

A pair of DI transfers are hoping to join the Otter starting staff. Dylan Gardner spent seasons at Arizona State and Utah Tech, and Henry Proger previously pitched at USC Update. Proger threw over 153 innings at Update the past two seasons with 128 strikeouts and a 4.28 ERA.

11. MILLERSVILLE MARAUDERS (38-16)

The Marauders were having a typical Millersvile season piling up wins, but had a terrible finish to the season as they lost seven of their final eight games. They were swept by West Chester in their regular season finale, were winless in the PSAC Tournament and went 1-2 in the Atlantic Regional. Nonetheless, Millersville retained one of the longest active streaks of NCAA Tournament appearances and will undoubtedly reach the postseason once again. Their offense suffered few casualties in the offseason and they retained several pitchers which will keep them competitive in the PSAC.

Bren Taylor, a two-time PSAC East Athlete of the Year and All-American, has rejoined the team after graduating in 2023 to earn a master’s degree. In his previous four years he batted .409 with 48 doubles, 13 triples and 47 stolen bases. He also only struck out a total of 48 times in 623 at bats. Matthew Williams, Sam Morris and Jeff Sabater are the top returners from last season. Williams hit 17 doubles with a team leading eight home runs last season while batting .339. Morris batted .347, stole 20 bases and struck out only 11 times in 202 plate appearances. Sabater led all of NCAA baseball and set a conference record with 57 stolen bases. He also led the team in batting at .372 and struck out only 16 times. Keegan Soltis, who usually plays third base, switched to catcher half way through the season due to injuries. Despite having to learn a new position, he still batted .309 and had a .455 OB% thanks to a combined 40 BBs and HBPs. Jimmy Kirk hit six home runs in 81 at bats and should get increased playing time as well. Senior shortstop Amani Jones will also be back. He batted .264 in his first season after transferring from Stevenson.

Pitching for Millersville is a big question mark with them losing a pair of aces after the season. Conor Cook, who struck out 63 batters in 55 ⅓ innings and a 4.23 ERA, is the top returning starter. Joe Morrissey, who transferred from Barry where had a 3.89 ERA and 61 strikeouts over 76 ⅓ innings, will be expected to join the rotation immediately. Matt Seibert, who missed the entirety of 2024 due to injury, could be an important arm as well. As a freshman he had a 2.76 ERA over 32 ⅔ innings and held opposition to a .202 batting average. Evan Rishell has been one of Marauders’ most dependable relievers. He led the team with 19 relief appearances last season and had a 2.57 ERA in 28 innings with 26 strikeouts. In 2023 he topped the team with a 1.17 ERA over 38 ⅓ innings.

12. GEORGIA COLLEGE BOBCATS (37-22)

The Bobcats’ 37 wins last season were their most since 2018 when they won 44 games. They advanced to the NCAA DII Tournament for the 15th time in program history after winning the Peach Belt Conference Tournament, and reached the Super Regionals for the first time with wins over North Greenville and Mount Olive. Their season ended after dropping two games at Catawba. The outlook for 2025 is extremely optimistic as GCSU returns the bulk of production both on offense and on the mound. They should be the favorite to win the PBC and challenge for a trip to Cary once again.

Matthew Mebane tied for the Peach Belt Conference lead with 20 home runs last season and batted .318. He was the PBC Tournament MVP after hitting a game-winning home run in the title game and also hit 17 doubles during the season. Braeden Smith earned conference Freshman of the Year honors last season and was awarded a Gold Glove as he didn’t have a single error in 497 chances at first base. He batted .356 with 20 doubles and six home runs. Gabe Wuerth was the All-PBC shortstop in 2024 after batting .356 and starting all 59 games. His 90 hits topped the conference and he had a 24-game hitting streak. The team also returns brothers Evan and Mitch Cowan. Evan will be playing his third season at GCSU. He batted .284 last year. Mitch, a senior, batted .282 after transferring from Andrew College.

Notable transfers include Ben Hamacher and Carson Phillips. Hamacher joined the team after spending two seasons at the College of Charleston. Phillips batted .361 over two seasons at USC Bluffton.

John Luke Glanton was a First Team All-PBC pitcher in 2024 as he earned a 3.01 ERA and threw 119 ⅔ innings over 17 starts. He threw five complete games and struck out 66 batters while only issuing 22 walks. Bradley Wilson had a 4.96 ERA in his first season with the team after transferring from South Georgia State College. In 69 innings he allowed 77 hits with 35 strikeouts. Jake Beaver, who made eight appearances last season after transferring from Georgia State, and Mason Brown, who earned a 3.91 ERA over 25 ⅓ innings last season, are expected to compete for starting roles. Lex Kenny is an invaluable asset out of the bullpen. Last season he appeared in 22 games and threw 58 innings. He struck out 52 batters and was credited with seven saves.

13. WESTMONT WARRIORS (33-15-3)

In their first season after capturing the NAIA national title and joining the NCAA DII, the Warriors continued their winning ways with another successful season. Westmont finished second in PacWest conference, only two games behind Point Loma. Their offense slugged .469 as a team with 61 home runs, the third most in school history, and their pitching staff stuck out 8.71 batters per nine innings. Expect the Warriors to continue to be one of the top teams in the west as they accumulate themselves to DII. They had relatively few players move on after the season and have the ability to win the West Region.

Daniel Patterson’s 18 home runs last season set a school record with, as did his .746 slugging percentage. He batted .376 with 20 doubles. Second baseman Michael Soper’s .356 batting average was second on the team and he had 16 extra-base hits. Bryce McFeely batted .309 and earned 37 walks to generate a team leading .452 OB%. He also added 11 stolen bases. Trey Dunn batted .308 thanks in large part to a 14-game hitting streak in which he had 20 hits. Isaac Veal batted .304 as a freshman and could be a big contributor to the offense this season.

Ryan Humphreys and Bryan Peck are an excellent starting pitching duo. Humphreys had a team best 3.20 ERA and held opposition to a .188 batting average as he only allowed 39 hits in 59 innings. He also impressively struck out 87 batters and gave up just seven extra base hits. Peck led the team with 72 ⅓ innings and struck out 75 batters. He finished with a 3.48 ERA and has twice won annual awards for his defense on the mound. Joey Rico appeared in 14 games last season which included one start. He is likely to get a shot at being a fulltime starter this season. He had a 3.81 ERA and a pair of saves in 2024. He also will find his name written into the lineup as a designated hitter.

14. ASHLAND EAGLES (42-15)

The Eagles captured their first GMAC title since leaving the GLIAC in 2022 last season, and earned 42 wins, their highest total since 2019 when AU advanced to the NCAA DII Baseball Championship. The Eagles will be favorite to make the trip once again this season with a stocked roster with little turnover from last season.

Gavin Dobbles hit .367 in his first full season of college baseball. He started 56 of 57 games at second base and led the team in total bases with 14 doubles, a pair of triples and six home runs. Jeremiah Cangelosi topped the team in batting at .377 to earn First Team All-GMAC honors. Cam Miller led the team with 17 doubles and 19 stolen bases and batted .363. The team also returns Chris Franks who hit .330, Ben Peltz who led the team with eight home runs and Max Caron who hit .318 with six home runs. Billy Howard missed almost the entire 2024 season due to an injury, but should be back to contribute on offense this spring. He had hit .365 at McHenry CC in 2023 and was the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Player of the Year in 2022.

Marshall Leishman has steadily improved each year on the mound and was a First Team All-GMAC selection last year after striking out 94 batters in 86 ⅓ innings with a 4.27 ERA over 17 appearances which included 13 starts. He’ll be rejoined in the rotation by Cam Scott who topped the team with a 2.69 ERA in 14 starts and struck out 69 in 80 ⅓ innings. Returning to the rotation is Brandon Beaver who dazzled in 2023 as an Eagle when had a 1.96 ERA over 91 ⅔ innings. He transferred to Missouri State last season, but couldn’t achieve the same level of success as a Bear. Relievers John Essig and Ethan Stevans will be back in the bullpen. Essig struck out 55 batters in 37 ⅔ innings over 20 appearances last spring, and Stevens appeared in 18 games where he struck out 43 in 31 ⅓ innings.

15. UT TYLER PATRIOTS (29-23)

After winning the DIII national title in 2018, UT Tyler transitioned to DII and was an instant success. In just their second year, the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Pats were 20-3. In 2021 they had wins over two ranked teams, Angelo State and West Texas. They qualified for the LSC Tournament for the first time in 2022, earned 39 wins in 2023 and were nationally ranked the first half of the season last year with a series win over defending national champion Angelo State. The Patriots have a massive influx of transfer talent, and with Lubbock Christian and West Texas both rebuilding their pitching staffs, UT Tyler returns almost their entire arsenal of arms, including the reigning LSC Pitcher of the Year, and should challenge once for the top of the LSC and an NCAA postseason berth.

Kaston Mason’s average dropped from .341 to .260 last season, but he still kept the same strong swing which will make him the school’s career home leader before the season is over. The imposing 6’5” slugger has 24 home runs headed into the season. He’ll be back in the lineup with catcher Blake LaBuda and outfielder Kyle Atkison. LaBuda batted .318 in his first full season with seven home runs. His presence is integral to the Patriots at the plate and behind it as he threw out 17 attempted base stealers last year. Atkinson joined UT Tyler last season after spending two seasons at Texas State. He batted .336 with seven home runs. Speedy Connor Clark hit .301 as a freshman and will patrol centerfield.

The rest of the everyday lineup will consist of some extremely talented transfers. Mason Hammonds had two exceptional seasons at Tarleton State. He started 58 of 61 games and batted .318 with 25 extra base hits. Cade Conway was the Big South Newcomer of the Year and First Team All Big South selection as he batted .371 and stole 26 bases. Justin Williams played previously at both Louisiana Tech and Southeastern Louisiana. He batted .318 for the Lions with eight home runs in 2024. Second baseman Tanner Hornback hit .393 last year at Baton Rouge CC with 40 stolen bases. Lastly, Brock Bearden had a .699 OB% and .868 slugging percentage at Crowder College.

Every pitcher who threw a minimum of 20 innings for the Patriots last season is back on the roster -only three pitchers who accounted for 27 ⅔ innings are no longer on the team. The staff is led by Rawley Hector who pitched previously at Texas A&M and LA Tech. Last season he started 13 games and had a 2.95 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 73 ⅓ innings while only allowing 66 hits. His ERA was nearly a full run lower than any other full time starting pitcher in the conference. Other starters back include Josh Pelfrey and Garrett Arredondo. Pelfrey struck out 39 batters in 41 ⅔ innings with a 5.40 ERA, and Arredondo appeared in 11 games with six starts. Arredondo also had a 3.06 ERA with a pair of saves in 35 ⅓ innings. Dylan Bloomquist was limited to six starts last season, but made 27 starts the previous two years and struck out 135 batters in 148 innings.

An addition to the already stocked staff is Kyle Froehlich. Froehlich had a 2.70 ERA at Northwestern State in 2023 and earned seven saves in 23 appearances. Last season he appeared in 20 games in relief at Nebraska and had a 4.30 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 23 innings.

16. WEST CHESTER GOLDEN RAMS (43-9)

The Rams were one of the winningest teams in 2024 and only lost nine games - only national champion Tampa had less losses. During the season they had a program record 21-games hitting streak which broke the p[revious mark set by the 2012 National Championship team. After sweeping Millersville to end the season and going 4-0 in the PSAC Tournament, WCU earned the opportunity to host the first round of the NCAA Regionals, but were bested in both of their games for a much earlier than anticipated exit.

The Rams return three of their top hitters from last season, but the overall offense will be a concern with four regulars who had over 200 at bats graduating. Graduate student Anthony Boccio led the team in batting with a .400 average and had 10 doubles, five triples and 17 stolen bases. He also walked 43 times and was hit by a pitch 15 times to generate a .553 OB%. Sean Szestowicki, another graduate student, batted .354 on the season with a team leading 23 extra base hits. His OB% was .476 as he had a total of 41 walks and HBPs. Avery Spencer batted .343 and was hit by a pitch 28 times to help amass a .479 OB%. He also added 10 stolen bases. Casey Vaughan batted .292 in 106 at bats and should see more time in the field in 2025.

Transfers include Austin Stalker, a two year starter at DI Radford, Joey Cicini from DII Regis, and Jake Welsh from DIII Dennison The trio will make up for some of the talent lost in the offseason. Welsh, a graduate student, hit .347 in four years for the Big Red.

Julian Costa and Nick Noga are the team’s top pitchers. Costa’s 3.41 ERA was tops on the team and he threw three complete games. In 71 ⅓ innings he struck out 73 batters. Noga had a 3.69 ERA over 53 ⅔ innings in which he struck out 48 batters and only allowed 15 walks. Drew Simpson is likely to fill a role in the rotation after an impressive freshman season. He made six starts over 19 appearances and struck out 63 batters in only 48 innings. Kyle Lazer will be back in the bullpen and has been the Rams’ closer in 2022 and 2024 (he missed 2023 due to injury). In his two seasons as a relief ace, he has thrown 73 ⅔ innings in 43 appearances with 84 strikeouts. David Ferguson, a big 6’6” hurler, struggled a bit last season, but has proven to be an invaluable asset on the staff. In 2023 he appeared in 21 games with 12 starts and earned eight wins and six saves in 80 ⅓ innings.

17. ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO BOLL WEEVILS (35-24)

Arkansas-Monticello won both the Great American Conference regular season and tournament titles last season. It was their first regular season title since 2019 and first tournament win since 2017. Their success carried into the NCAA Tournament where they bested conference rival Arkansas Tech and Missouri Southern to advance to Super Regional play for the first time. Alas their season came to an end in Warrensburg, Missouri as the Central Missouri Mules bested them the best of three series. Few teams return as many performers as the Weevils will in 2025. Only one regular won’t be back on the diamond and their pitching staff is largely intact as well. Look for the UAM to take home the GAC title once again and compete for a trip to Cary.

Camden Tanner established a new school record for hits with 90 as he batted .423 with a team leading 17 doubles and 13 home runs. He was the GAC Freshman of the Year and earned a number of All American honors. Chaz Poppy and Kirk Woolf will reunite with Tanner in the heart of the lineup. Poppy was named to the GAC All-Defense team for his work behind the plate, was the conference tournament MVP and was named to the All-GAC team. In 58 games he batted .313 with a team leading 16 home runs. Woolf hit .341 last season with 12 home runs and 10 stolen bases. Also returning to the team are Aidan Garrett and Cade Cancilla. Garrett batted .288 with 11 home runs in his first season after transferring from Arkansas Little Rock. Cancilla started 57 games and hit .293 with a dozen doubles and six home runs. Jaxson Anderson, who spent two seasons at ALR, has joined the team as a transfer.

Connor Irvine earned First Team All-GAC honors for his contributions on the mound last season. He had a 4.42 ERA and made 17 starts on the mound. In 99 ⅔ innings he struck out 90 batters and allowed 96 hits. Maxim Mrakovcic threw 70 ⅔ innings last season after transferring from Louisianna Monroe. He threw a pair of complete games and stuck out 66 batters. A terrible outing in which he allowed 11 earned runs in only three innings inflated his season ERA. Bryce Lewis from St. Louis Community College is expected to earn a spot in the regular rotation. He threw 64 ⅓ innings and gave up 68 hits for the Archers last season in 12 appearances. Nelson Mercado, Kyle Roop and Dylan Vail were invaluable assets out of the bullpen last season. Mercado appeared in 26 games and compiled 50 innings in which he only allowed 31 hits while striking out 59. Roop appeared in 22 games, earned four saves and struck out 34 batters in 29 ⅔ innings. Vail also appeared in 26 games and threw a total of 47 ⅔ innings. He limited opposition to a .203 batting average and struck out 43 batters.

18. YOUNG HARRIS MOUNTAIN LIONS (41-15)

Young Harris had high expectations for their baseball team in 2024 and they didn’t disappoint. They started the season positioned twenty-first in the Perfect Game rankings and quickly moved into the top ten with early series wins over West Georgia and Columbus State. Unfortunately they didn’t finish as strongly as they started as they had a series loss to Belmont Abbey to close the season and went 1-2 in the Conference Carolinas Championship. The Lions did advance to the Southeast Regional title game in the extended postseason, but were bested by Catawba in the winner-take-all matchup. They finished the season with 41 wins, three more than their previous high since joining the NCAA DII.

While they will be without a good chunk of last year’s offense, the Lions do welcome back their top two hitters from last season. Jack Enrico led the team in batting as a freshman with a .390 batting average and also paced the club with a 1.208 OPS and a .702 slugging percentage. He was named the Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year as well as the conference’s First Team catcher. Kade Smallwood, another freshman from last season, is expected to play a more significant role this spring. He batted .340 in 121 plate appearances last year. Jeremy Begora, an imposing 6’8” slugger, is also back on campus. He batted .370 with a team leading 14 home runs with 17 doubles. Drew Bray and Marco Colina are also seasoned starters who’ll be back this spring. Bray is a versatile infielder who led the team with 19 stolen bases while batting .289. Colina will be making his fourth season as a starter and had a .417 OB%. Luke Hatcher, who led West Georgia in multiple offensive categories with a .315 average, joined the team as a senior transfer.

The pitching staff will be without their two top starters from last season and could be a concern if the team is going to make another deep postseason run. They do return Ryan Cross and Zach Hart who combined to start 22 games last year. Cross had a 4.18 ERA and struck out 69 batters in 64 ⅔ innings. Hart had a 4.52 ERA over 75 ⅔ innings and only walked 23 batters while striking out 57. Graham Edwards, a graduate student who pitched sparingly at Liberty the last two seasons, is expected to fill one of the vacated starter roles.

Ryan Heishman emerged as one of the team’s top bullpen arms and will be back to provide relief once again. He had a 3.76 over 22 appearances last year.

19. MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE LIONS (44-15)

After starting the season positioned 24th nationally, the Lions climbed the rankings and entered the top ten midseason. They finished with a 44-15 record and won the MIAA Tournament. Their play earned them the second seed in the Central Region and hosting duties for the second consecutive year, but were bested by Arkansas-Monticello twice to be eliminated from the postseason. While their offense will be without some of their biggest performers, their pitching staff is largely intact and can claim one of DII’s top hurlers as they look to have another successful season.

Will Doherty and Drew Townsend will lead the MSSU offense. Doherty received national All-American honors after raising his average from .297 in 2023 to .384. He also added 11 home runs, 24 doubles and three triples. Townsend, the team’s leadoff hitter, batted .333, and raised his OB% to a lofty .474 thanks to drawing a DII leading 58 walks. He also added 15 home runs to amass a .641 slugging percentage. Ethan Clark has put together two solid seasons for the Lions. In 2023 he was the conference Freshman of the Year as he finished with a .372 average. Last season he hit .333 and had 23 extra base hits. Treghan Parker will be making his fourth season as an everyday starter. In 2023 he hit .329 with 18 home runs.

Cy Darnell, a redshirt freshman shortstop, and centerfielder Braden Luikart, are expected to contribute on offense and defense. Luikart made nine starts last year at Wichita State where he batted .241.

Few DII pitchers are as formidable as Cole Gayman. Last season he was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week five times and finished the season with a 2.25 ERA over 100 innings. He only allowed 66 hits while striking out 90 batters. He will be rejoined in the rotation by Keaton Anderson and Trent Harris. Anderson was marvelous as a freshman with a 3.04 ERA and made six starts in 19 games. He’ll likely be a regular in the rotation this year. Harris made 14 starts and had a 5.97 ERA. Cole White, a transfer from Northeastern State, and Owen Schneider, who didn’t compete last season but made nine starts in 2023, are expected to bolster the staff.

20. UNC PEMBROKE BRAVES (43-14)

The Braves started 2024 with 11 straight wins to jump into the top ten of the rankings where they remained entrenched for the remainder of the season. The team was a juggernaut on offense as they shattered school records with 554 runs scored and 92 home runs. UNCP finished the season with 43 wins - one short of the school record, and won their first Conference Carolinas baseball title. This season the Braves will have to rely on their pitching staff a bit more as several of their most potent weapons at the plate moved on after the season.

Blake Hinson and Will Hood are the top two returners on offense. Hinson, the team’s centerfielder and leadoff hitter, batted .356 and topped the team with 26 stolen bases last season. Hood has hit .340 in two seasons on campus and stole 21 bases. Isaias Villarreal and Luis Ramirez are returners who coaches hope will elevate their games this spring. Villarreal will be the everyday starter at second base. He batted .295 last season after transferring from Wabash Valley CC where he helped the team reach the JUCO World Series. Ramirez saw limited action last season, but performed well at Bloomfield as a sophomore where he hit .302 over two seasons. Landon Lucas, who has spent time on the rosters of Clemson and College of Charleston, will be looked upon to restore the offense. Sophomore Jacob Smith was primarily a pitcher last season, but also hit .310 in 29 at bats.

Jonathan Jacobs earned First Team All-Conference honors last year with a magnificent season on the mound. In 14 appearances, primarily in a starting role, he had a 3.25 ERA and struck out 66 batters in 72 innings. Will Harris had flashes of brilliance last year, but also suffered some bad outings which inflated his ERA. He finished the year striking out 51 batters in 59 ⅓ innings and a 5.01 ERA. The aforementioned Jacob Smith and Kasen McCawley performed well in split roles. Together they combined for 29 appearances with nine starts. Smith had a 3.96 ERA and struck out 43 batters in 38 ⅔ innings while McCawley was second on the team with a 3.69 ERA and held opposition to a .173 batting average. HL Smith could emerge as an ace. He struck out 39 batters in 39 innings last season. In 13 appearances he had eight starts and a 5.54 ERA. He also enjoys eating deer stroganoff.

21. NORTH GEORGIA NIGHTHAWKS (32-19)

The Nighthawks flirted with the national rankings last season, receiving inclusion three weeks in the middle of the schedule. However NGU fell out and failed to make the postseason after losing both of their games in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament. Their season was plagued by injuries but showed promise of what could come in 2025 with a core of players who may make this year one to remember.

Andrews Opata, Phillip Ard and Brady Skipper make this team an exciting one to watch on offense. Opata has two excellent seasons under his belt and could become elite in 2025. The centerfielder batted .306 last season with 14 doubles, four triples and five home runs. He also led the team with 24 stolen bases. Ard spent two seasons at Georgia Southern before transferring to UNG. He batted .326 last season and led the team with 11 home runs. Skipper batted .303 in this first full season. He was second on the team with seven home runs and 22 stolen bases. Jace Bowen missed a significant part of the season, but batted .345 with 13 stolen bases in 2023. Riley Frost and Jorge Arispuro are other returners to campus. Frost hit .297 and has started 103 games over the past two seasons. Arispuro batted .282 and made 32 starts in the outfield.

Dylan Noce and Daniel Courtney combined to start 26 of the team’s 52 games last season and both will be back again. Noce had a 4.31 ERA over 79 ⅓ innings with 51 strikeouts. Courtney will be spending his fourth year in a Nighthawk uniform and has logged 137 innings over the last two years. His ERA was 4.52 last spring. Graduate student Piece Williams has appeared in 37 games for NGU and has been effective both as a starter and in relief. In 16 1/3 innings last year he struck out 19 and had a 1.10 ERA. Luke Earnhardt, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State, will compete for a starter role, as will Matthew Heard who has appeared in 34 games the last two seasons with 18 starts.

22. MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS (37-20)

The Mavericks rebounded from a lackluster 6-9 start of the season to earn their 42nd all-time appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament. The Mavs finished only behind Augustana in the NSIC regular season standings and also placed second to the Vikings in the conference tournament as well. MSU lost close games to Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma to have their season conclude in the Regional Tournament. Head Coach Matt Magers returns a wealth of talent which will allow them compete regionally, as well as nationally, as they aim to advance to Cary for the first time since 2014 when they made four trips in five years to the final eight.

Aidan Byrne was the NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year as he tied school records for hits (93) and at bats (236) in a season. The shortstop started all 57 games for the Mavericks and hit a team-high .394 with a .464 OBP. He also had 18 doubles, three triples and seven home runs. Louis Magers, the son of the head coach, batted .296 and led the team with 15 home runs. He also had a 4.32 ERA and threw 41 ⅔ innings as a starting pitcher. Zach Stroh hit .347 with 12 doubles and seven home runs and also stole 12 bases. Second baseman Matthew Fleischhacker batted .288 and drew a team-high 51 walks to compile a .444 OB%.

Additions to the team include a pair of former DI graduate students. Brady Jurgella is extending his playing career after two seasons at Minnesota. Ben Palmer played two years at Southeast Missouri State.

Nathan Culley was an All-NSIC honoree following the 2023 season when he had a 3.16 ERA and struck out 104 batters in 79 ⅔ innings; however he didn’t pitch last year due to injury. He will be back this season along with six pitchers who started at least a half dozen games last year. Mitch Gutknecht earned 74 strikeouts in 64 ⅓ innings last year, and Spencer Wright tossed 62 ⅓ innings in which he struck out 55 batters. Both are seniors who have been with the program their entire college career. Sam George held opposing hitters to a .211 average in a mixed role as a freshman. In 14 appearances he made six starts and struck out 44 batters in 41 innings. Hunter Day pitched previously for DI schools Tarleton State and Missouri State and provides additional depth to the already bountiful pitching staff.

23. NOVA SOUTHEASTERN SHARKS (26-21)

NSU finished third in the always competitive Sunshine State Conference last season, which was Head Coach Adrain Morales first as the top Shark. As the former head coach at Miami-Dade College, where he led MDC to multiple championships, and a former star at South Carolina where he played on a pair of national title winning teams, Morales will be able to quickly recruit and restore NSU to the elite level they were ten years ago when they annually flirted and surpassed 40 wins and challenged Tampa for SSC supremacy.

Boris Peña joined NSU last year after three seasons at Bethune-Cookman. He batted .305 in 2023 at the DI level, and the hits kept coming last summer with the Sharks as he batted .346 with nine home runs. Justin Wachs struggled to put the ball in play his first two years at NSU, but blossomed last spring as he hit .353 with seven home runs and a .476 OB%. Also back on campus are Zeth Rodriguez and Ryan Cainzos. Rodriguez slashed .293/.415/.471 with seven home runs - three of which were grand slams, and Cainzos made 27 starts in 2024 in which he hit .278.

If the NSU does return to the NCAA postseason, newcomers to the team will play a large part in that success. DI transfers Roylan Quevedo, Matthew Corpas, Ty Torti and Jack Cue are all expected to be integral parts of the Shark offense in 2025. Both Quevedo and Corpas transferred from Florida International where they played two seasons. Quevado played in 50 games with 34 starts over two seasons and Corpas appeared in 10 games last season. Both play middle infield. In two seasons at Penn State, Torti had a .355 batting average in 31 plate appearances. Cue spent a season as a redshirt at Louisiana Tech before spending two seasons at Cisco College. He batted .326 with five home runs last season for the Wranglers. Another new addition to the lineup is freshman Anthony Stinson who can play all the infield positions as well pitch in a pinch.

The Sharks’ pitching staff has been overhauled over the offseason as well. Carlos Nolasco and Kader Rabagh, who both transferred from Miami-Dade CC prior to last season, have seen the most action in an NSU uniform. Nolasco who appeared in 14 games with nine starts with a 5.64 ERA. Rabagh was a spot starter who made 16 appearances and totaled 39 ⅔ innings with a 4.99 ERA. Two Sharks impressed as freshmen and are likely to earn starting opportunities this season. Edwin Alicea appeared in 13 games last season and struck out 25 batters in 14 ⅔ innings with a 3.07 ERA. Keyler Gonzalez had a 2.51 ERA over 46 ⅔ innings and held opposition to a .196 batting average. Another freshman, Christopher Perez, didn’t appear in any games last season, but may be a starter this year.

Transfer Kyler Heyne pitched previously at Kansas State and Arizona. He had a 4.15 ERA in 25 relief appearances with 31 strikeouts in 26 innings last year for the Wildcats. Federico Zapata, who spent two seasons as the closer at Barry, will join the NSU bullpen. He appeared in 46 games for the Bucs the past two seasons and earned 18 saves. He had a 2.25 ERA last season in 28 innings.

24. SLIPPERY ROCK THE ROCK (28-18)

The Rock are an intriguing team to watch out of the always competitive PSAC. In 2024 SRU’s pitching staff easily led the conference, and was third in the nation with a 3.45 team ERA. They have a more-than-respectable offense as well which includes a handful of players with the ability to break out for big seasons. Look for Slippery Rock to have one of their most successful seasons ever under head coach Jeff Messer who is entering his 40th season in charge of the SRU baseball program.

Cam Panyko and Michael Kitko will lead the SRU offense. Panyko Morris took over as the team’s everyday centerfielder. He hit .284 in his first full season and led the team with six home runs. Kitko batted .350 as a corner outfielder and also made seven appearances on the mound. He led the team in batting average and hits. Gage Gillott will play the remaining outfield position when he’s not on the mound. He hit .341 in his first year after transferring from USC Upstate. Third baseman Brandon Butler and Joe Purcell give the team two more dangerous bats. Butler started 36 of 37 games played as a freshman and hit .339. Purcell batted .319 and also was an integral part of the pitching rotation.

As mentioned, Gillott, Purcell and Kitko contribute on the mound as well as at the plate. Gillott was the 2024 PSAC West Pitcher of the Year and consensus All-Region as he had a 2.44 ERA and only allowed 56 hits in 73 ⅔ innings while striking out 70. He also threw six complete games and only issued 18 walks. Purcell had a 3.10 ERA, limited opposition to a .206 average and threw three complete games. Kitko appeared in seven games on the mound and struck out 21 batters in 18 innings while only allowing a pair of runs to score. Nate Mallak and Parker Hogge are also experienced starters. Malak appeared in nine games with six starts. He had a 2.21 ERA over 36 ⅔ innings and only allowed 27 hits while striking out 35. Hogge has appeared in 24 games over the past two seasons with 10 starts. He has a 4.74 ERA headed into the season. Gino Marra, who began his college career at DI UNC Asheville will also be back in the bullpen. He had a 1.74 ERA last season over 20 ⅔ innings.

25. REGIS RANGERS (32-24-1)

The Rangers had their third highest win total in program history in 2024 as they won 32 games, had a 20-12 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and advanced to the conference tournament title game for the second straight season. Their winning ways were especially significant considering that the team only had two full time position players back from the previous year and underwent a head coaching change when Pat Jolley was promoted before the season. The Rangers, who’ve consistently been a “good but not great” team, appear to have turned a corner and could be a team which annually challenges Colorado Mesa for RMAC supremacy.

The offense returns a plethora of players who batted .338 as a team and slugged .528. Adam Paniagua had a strong season in 2023, but really became a force in 2024. He batted .427 with 10 doubles and led the team with 17 home runs as the team’s catcher. Paniagua and shortstop Clayton Conn are an enviable duo to have in a lineup. Conn batted .354 and added a combined 60 walks and HBPs to amass a .500 OB%. Once on base, Conn stole a team leading 34 bases. Garrett Rede and Maxim Fullerton hit for average with power and speed. Rede batted .388 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Fullerton hit .347 and had 16 doubles, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases. Peter Gold and Matt Graf also return to the team. They batted .353 and .362 respectively as the team’s corner infielders. Zach Barnano, who was an offensive lineman at Grambling and played club baseball at Grand Canyon, hit .413 with three home runs in 46 at bats last season and should get more time in the field this spring. Jack Moulin, played in 29 games as a freshman and batted .301, but missed last season. He will be back in the lineup this year.

As is expected from a team based in the thin air of Denver, the Regis pitching staff put up some numbers that look a bit inflated, but they have some arms that can get batters out regardless of the elevation. Wyatt Zsidisin and Mason Ashcraft both started 14 games last season and will be back on the mound this year. Zsidisin struck out 63 batters in 67 ⅔ innings after transferring from Western Nebraska CC. Ashcraft pitched two seasons at New Mexico before transferring to Regis. He earned All-RMAC honors in 2023 and struck out 50 batters in 61 ⅓ innings last season. The team also returns four other pitchers who made at least five starts last year. The two who put up the best numbers were Griffin Bruder and Nick Jacobs. Bruder struck out 53 batters in 43 ⅓ innings with a 6.65 ERA and appeared in 15 games with six starts. Jacobs struck out 37 batters in 46 ⅓ innings with a 7.96 ERA. The Rangers do need to replace their closer who was their best pitcher in 2024.

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