DII Report ™️: Endings… and new beginnings
Tampa won a record-setting DII baseball championship ending the 2024-25 season… but we’re just getting started.
The 2024-25 NCAA Division II sports season is in the books. It ended in record-setting fashion as Tampa won its 10th DII baseball national championship, breaking the tie with Florida Southern for the most ever in the sport. But more on that in a few.
You may think that the final pitch thrown by All-American CJ Williams means the DII Report coverage will take a brief hiatus. Let me tell you something… we’re just getting started.
This year I took a big chance. I took the DII Report from a free model for the past four years and on Sept. 1 it became a subscription-based newsletter. The results were overwhelming. By January 1, you all helped The DII Report become a Substack Best Seller, and we cracked the top 100 sports newsletters.
That means you all not only want to know what’s going on with these hardworking, DII student-athletes, you DESERVE to get as much information I can provide for you.
So, this summer, we’re going to cook. I am going to take a week or so hiatus, but you can expect MLB Draft coverage, hopefully some interviews with some former DII athletes who are now pro, and continued insights from coaches. I have also spoken to the expert crew at D2Football.com and I am going to do quick conference previews with Matt Witwicki, Kris Ferguson, Chuck Bitner, and more of their writers later in July. Before you know it, it will be time to get the DII baseball fall reports started.
That’s just a taste, but know there will be summer coverage ahead, so I hope you stay the course, and if you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading.
Now, how ‘bout them Spartans?
DII baseball rankings and players of the year
In case you missed it, I released my final baseball Power 10 rankings for 2025. Obviously, Tampa and Central Missouri were No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, but how did the rest unfold?
Four years ago, I began naming the DII baseball player of the year, pitcher of the year, and freshman of the year. This year, the player of the year was a no-brainer, as Mackenzie Wainwright of Lenoir-Rhyne, atop the most dangerous lineup in DII baseball history, helped Lenoir-Rhyne make program and DII history on what seemed like an inning-by-inning basis.
Pittsburg State’s Kolby Dougan was pitcher of the year, but freshman of the year wasn’t so cut and dry. For a complete breakdown of the Power 10 and players of the year, please click below for the (free) article at NCAA.com.