DII Report™️: The latest super regional and field of 56 predictions
We are one week away from the regional rankings. What does the bracket look like?
The first DII softball regional “rankings” dropped this week and that means we are one week closer to the first DII baseball “rankings” of 2025. While these first rankings are merely alphabetical, it will give you a taste of the top 80 teams fighting for the 56 spots to fill the bracket.
Which 56 teams will make it? Well, if you have been following along each week this season, you’ll know we’ve been keeping track. Let’s get to the latest bracket predictions, shall we?
Current field of 56 projections
The DII baseball championship consists of 56 teams, eight of which find themselves in Cary, N.C. for the tournament finals. As a reminder, here is the breakdown of the 56 teams by region:
Atlantic, 6
Central, 8
East, 7
Midwest, 7
South, 8
South Central, 6
Southeast, 8
West, 6
Remember, this is NOT a look at how things stand at the moment. It is how I expect them to look when the bracket is filled in May. There is a lot of baseball left to be played, and meaningful baseball at that. I look at the current selection committee metrics (things like RPI, KPI, strength of schedule, record vs. winning/ranked teams) but I also look ahead, and judge what could happen if things go the way I project they will.
(* = changed from last projection)
Atlantic — No. 1 seed: Millersville
Super Regional prediction: Millersville/East Stroudsburg*
Winner: Millersville
East Stroudsburg
Frostburg State*
Millersville
Seton Hill
Shippensburg
West Chester
Just missed: Cal (PA), Concord (WV), Slippery Rock
Notes: The MEC shuffle continues this week as Frostburg State, which slipped out for a week in the last projections, is back in. Not much else changes: Cal (PA) and Seton Hill split this past weekend, so if there is one spot I’m wrong, I could see it being there. Because of that, I removed Seton Hill from my super regional prediction and put the Warriors in… for now.
Central — No. 1 seed: Central Missouri
Super Regional prediction: Minnesota State/Central Missouri
Winner: Central Missouri
Arkansas-Monticello
Augustana (SD)
Central Missouri
Central Oklahoma
Fort Hays State
Harding
Minnesota State
Pittsburg State
Just missed: Arkansas Tech, Missouri Southern, Southern Arkansas
Notes: Not one thing changed this week. I still have Augustana (SD) in barely over a tough Southern Arkansas squad, but that can change when the Vikings face off against Minnesota State in a few weeks. They need to win that series or they are in trouble.
East — No. 1 seed: Jefferson
Super Regional prediction: New Haven/SNHU
Winner: Southern New Hampshire
Bentley
Goldey-Beacom
Jefferson
Molloy
New Haven
Southern Connecticut State
Southern New Hampshire
Just missed: Dominican (NY), Wilmington (DE)
Notes: Like last week, things are fluid. Right now, I can see a way Bentley takes the No. 1 spot, but it will take winning roughly 80% of its remaining games, sweeping New Haven, and winning the NE10. Jefferson has series wins against its CACC heavyweights, but the kicker is that the Rams swept Franklin Pierce and Bentley lost the series 1-3. Common opponents could be the deciding factor, and that is a big one.
Midwest — No. 1 seed: Davenport
Super Regionals prediction: Davenport/GVSU
Winner: Grand Valley State
Ashland
Davenport
Grand Valley State
UIndy
Illinois-Springfield
Lewis*
Northwood
Just missed: Maryville (MO), UMSL, Saginaw Valley State
Notes: Last week, there was a ton of change here, but this week it is relatively timid. Right now, I have Lewis in there, but it was really hard to overlook red-hot Maryville (MO). That could be the team I am wrong on, but it also may be too little, too late for the Saints. UIS has beaten Maryville twice this year, so if it comes down to those two for the final spot, UIS has the edge. Lewis does still have UIndy left right before the GLVC tournament, so there is a ton that can change, but after sweeping Davenport, you have to feel that the Flyers are safe.
South — No. 1 seed: Tampa
Super Regionals prediction: Tampa/Florida Southern*
Winner: Tampa
Delta State
Florida Southern
Lynn
Montevallo*
Rollins
Spring Hill
Tampa
West Florida
Just missed: Mississippi College, Valdosta State
Notes: Last week, I said the final spot is going to be a race between Mississippi College, Montevallo and Lynn. This week I flip-flopped Montevallo and Mississippi College because Montevallo has the season advantage over the Falcons. I also changed my super regional matchup. Florida Southern is simply too good at baseball right now, and if the Mocs are the No. 2 seed on the other side of the bracket and can avoid Tampa, they can very well make it.
South Central — No. 1 seed: Angelo State
Super Regionals prediction: Angelo State/UT Tyler
Winner: Angelo State
Angelo State
Colorado Mesa
Lubbock Christian
Regis (CO)
St. Edward’s (TX)
UT Tyler
Just missed: CSU Pueblo, West Texas A&M
Notes: Zero change here. That’s not to say the ThunderWolves or Buffs are out of the picture, but both had some setbacks against regional competition that hurt their chances for now.
Southeast — No. 1 seed: North Greenville
Super Regionals prediction: Lenoir-Rhyne/North Greenville
Winner: Lenoir-Rhyne
Belmont Abbey
Carson-Newman
Catawba
Coker
Lenoir-Rhyne
North Georgia
North Greenville
Young Harris
Just missed: Flagler, Lander, UNC Pembroke, Wingate
Notes: Nothing changed. Not one thing.
West — No. 1 seed: Westmont
Super Regionals prediction: Westmont/San Francisco State
Winner: Westmont
Cal State Monterey Bay*
Chico State
Northwest Nazarene
Point Loma
San Francisco State
Westmont
Just missed: MSU Billings
Notes: Well, here we are, this is maybe the tightest race of them all. Point Loma and CSU Monterey Bay are so close that you have to dive into the tiniest of details, and while they don’t have many common opponents, the Otters have handled winning competition better, giving them the edge. Both Point Loma and CSUMB have remaining schedules that are pretty similar in strength, allowing for even more scrutiny between the two. Let’s not forget, this CSUMB team was the team I predicted to make it to Cary in January, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise it worked its way back into the hunt.
However, it is MSU Billings that I see getting bounced this week. The GNAC does not have an automatic qualifier, and I don’t know if two GNAC teams can make it. MSU Billings has three teams remaining on its schedule and two of them have a combined 12 wins which will hurt their SoS. Now, Northwest Nazarene and MSU Billings have split this year, making it even more difficult to differentiate the two. If you look at a common opponent outside the GNAC, NNU split with Colorado Mesa while MSU Billings lost the series. It could very well come down to who wins the GNAC tournament, but right now, if Point Loma and CSUMB take care of business and NNU wins the GNAC, MSU Billings may be left out. The West is a region that truly suffers from having only six teams.