DII Report™️ — The Squeeze: A weekend of walk-offs
My new top 30, a look at the Power 10, and some odds and ends.
Welcome to March, DII baseball fans. While March is a place more commonly known for another sport, the DII baseball season is now in full swing (I’m a dad, that was too easy a pun to leave on the table). Every team has played, and that has shown both good and unexpected results for our top teams.
$50 for 50?
Before we get to The Squeeze, some quick housekeeping. Did you know yours truly turns 50 in just a few short weeks? This month, I am going to take $1 from every subscriber (this includes renewals, so if you are a paid subscriber, you are already helping!) and donate to one of my favorite charities, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). It is one of three charities I donate to annually. Last time in January, when I did a “Giving Tuesday” drive for Make-A-Wish, we raised $53, so I hope to do the same this time around.
If you don’t have the funds to subscribe for a month, I still have my Buy Me a Coffee page. You can click here and donate a dollar to my drive! I’d love to raise $50 for 50!
The Squeeze
In this week’s The Squeeze, you’ll get the first Power 10 of the season, a look at my top 30 for the D2 Baseball poll, and some quick hits from around the division. Tomorrow, we will get the first Field of 56 projection for the regular season. Baseball is back!
The first DII baseball Power 10 of the regular season
The first DII baseball Power 10 of the regular season dropped on Monday (and will continue to drop every Monday at NCAA.com for the rest of the season). Tampa and Angelo State keep their spots at the top, but three new teams debut in the Power 10, not just for 2025, but their first appearance ever in my rankings.
You can check out the full Power 10, five that just missed and three teams quickly rising right here for free at NCAA.com.
Saturdays are for alk-offs
Saturday was for walk-offs. I don’t know of anyone that keeps records of such feats, but we had to be close. Here’s a look at a few.
Mount Olive got one here to improve to 13-5 and get the weekend sweep.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/divIIbaseball/status/189597727531907527)
Washburn put up 21 runs in a mid-weeker and then carried that momentum into a weekend sweep of nationally ranked Missouri Southern. The Ichabods were my sleeper team in my preseason MIAA preview, and this past weekend showed why. They have some big bats in that lineup, like Cash Jay on this walk-off winner.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/wusports/status/1895977215738933687)
Here’s a pretty cool moment for Florida Southern’s director of athletics development, Kris Doorey. His son, Brady, laid down a bunt and then came around to score in walk-off fashion on Jevin Relaford’s game-winning single. The Mocs are off to a hot start, making their first-ever appearance in the DII baseball Power 10 rankings. The win gave the Mocs their fifth win in a row and a 14-2 start to the season.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/coachdoorey13/status/1896023417532698739)
You know a fun way to snap a 10-game losing streak? You walk it off… just like Colorado Christian did in a victory against Regis.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/divIIbaseball/status/1896414364372205732)
Jacob Nester has appeared in 20 career games for Emory & Henry. He hadn’t gotten a hit in the first 19. That streak, and the Wasps 14-game losing streak, came to an end in, yup, walk-off fashion.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/divIIbaseball/status/1896050442951668136)
There was an under-the-radar huge series out West this weekend. Cal State San Bernardino and San Francisco State went head-to-head. The Coyotes split the series with the Gators, and both of their wins… were walk-offs. Here was Saturday’s game-winner.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/divIIbaseball/status/1896037396631953557)
Chico State is still winning ball games. This week they picked up a series sweep against early-season giant killer Cal Poly Pomona. Jesse Gadd launched his second home run of the season, this one of the pinch-hit variety to walk it off on Saturday.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/divIIbaseball/status/1896035090146476349)
Riley Orr, have yourself a day. He went 5-for-6 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader against Lee. That last hit, a single, drove in his seventh run for the Warhawks and walked it off for the win.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/divIIbaseball/status/1896032246081188060)
Jared Ferguson went 4-for-4 with six RBI on Saturday for Kutztown. That last hit was a walk-off and drove in two for the Kutztown win.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/KUBearsBaseball/status/1895976391117848766)
Central Missouri had a huge series against Pittsburg State this weekend. The Mules took the series. Guess what. It was on a walk-off.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/divIIbaseball/status/1895981690981662914)
And let’s close this out (I can keep going) with some salami. A grand one, from Jefferson that once again walked it off.
(Full tweet: https://x.com/JeffersonBSB_/status/1895912735453692310)
My top 30
Now that I am a voting member for the D2 Baseball top 25 rankings, I am going to share my top 30 every week. Also, it will be pretty much without context, so if you disagree, certainly feel free to message me and start the conversation.
Tampa
Angelo State
Central Missouri
North Greenville
Point Loma
Westmont
UT Tyler
Catawba
SNHU
Florida Southern
Augustana (SD)
Lenoir-Rhyne
Millersville
East Stroudsburg
Minnesota State
West Chester
Young Harris
Mount Olive
West Florida
Ashland
Delta State
Missouri Southern
Cal State San Bernardino
GVSU
Chico State
Seton Hill
UIndy
Cal State Monterey Bay
Colorado Mesa
Molloy