Conerly’s Region Rundown: Top Performers & Regional Favorites in D2 Baseball

Another wild week in D2 baseball. Big winners emerged from each region, but who are the real ‘winners’? I’ll break down the teams that stood out this past week and share my picks for who I think will take each regional as things stand now.

Join me, as we do every week, with the Regional Rundown through the Midwest, South Central, East, and Atlantic Regions, along with my current winners, super picks, and contenders as of now. Robert Frey, the leader of D2 baseball and Diviibaseball.com, has you covered for the other four regions.

MIDWEST

Will's Predicted Winner: Davenport

Will's Super Regional Matchup Prediction: Davenport vs Grand Valley

Other Contenders: Ashland, Quincy, UMSL, Lewis, Wisconsin-Parkside, Saginaw Valley, Drury

This would be a very close Super Matchup in my eyes right now. Though, it's pretty clear that the GLIAC has the two best teams in the Midwest Region right now. The only other Midwest team to enter that conversation right now is Ashland, who is playing well and I fully expect them to be in a Regional. A few other contenders on there to keep an eye on aiming to make a regional berth with the way they've been playing.

2 Midwest Teams in D2 Baseball's latest Top-25 Rankings

#20 Grand Valley State

RV Davenport

Midwest Winner #1 - Ashland's John Schaly Makes History

Ashland (G-MAC) Baseball Coach John Schaly becomes the winningest coach in D2 baseball history. We sat down with him this week on the D2 Baseball Podcast. Available now to Patreon members.

Midwest Winner #2 - The GLIAC

As mentioned before, Davenport and Grand Valley are the two teams from this region in the rankings, both from the GLIAC. Then, you also have the top-two hitters in the country in terms of batting average, come from the GLIAC.

As of March 17, 2025, Monday Morning:

Peter Fusek of Wisconsin-Parkside (GLIAC) leads the nation with a .531 AVG

AJ Reid of Purdue Northwest (GLIAC) is second in the country with a .514 AVG.

Midwest Winner #3 - Gunnar Wicklund (Upper Iowa, GLVC)

The Graduate student posted a five-home run weekend for the Peacocks this weekend as they took three of four against Truman State. This included a three-home run game. He has eight home runs in his last seven games, and 11 home runs in 18 games this season.

Other Notes Midwest

Barrett Rose of UMSL (GLVC) is hitting .400 with 15 doubles through 21 games. He's posted a double in four of his last five games. UMSL is looking like a dangerous team.
Robert Helt of Lake Erie (G-MAC) is 6'9, 240 and putting up some notable strikeout numbers. He already has 50 punchouts in just 30.2 IP across six starts. He's 3-1 with a 2.64 ERA.

#20 Grand Valley State at Wisconsin Parkside this weekend should be a great matchup. Both teams have won a lot of ballgames, and Parkside's Peter Fusek is hitting above .500, one of the top marks in D2.

SOUTH CENTRAL

Will's Predicted Winner: Angelo State

Will's Super Regional Matchup Prediction: Angelo State vs Colorado Mesa

Other Contenders: UT Tyler, Regis, West Texas A&M, St. Edward's, Lubbock

4 South Central in D2 Baseball's latest Top-25 Poll: https://www.diviibaseball.com/rankings

#4 Angelo State

#9 UT Tyler

#25 West Texas A&M

RV St. Edward's

South Central Winner #1 - Dylan Fesperman and West Texas A&M

After splitting with UT Tyler, they sweep Sul Ross State. Dylan Fesperman had a day to remember.

It's the second time he's gone 5-5 this season.

South Central Winner #2 - Adam Paniagua & Regis

This may just be on repeat all season long. Regis has now won seven in a row, and Paniagua is on a tear like no other.

Adam Paniagua, who hit .427 last season with 17 HR through just 38 games, was still an All-American after he posted a 1.490 OPS. Through 26 games this season, he has 19 home runs and a 1.607 OPS. He already has 59 RBI and 39 runs scored. He is going off.

They are playing well now as a team, tied atop the RMAC with Mesa.

South Central #3 - Mesa

Colorado Mesa. RMAC play has started, which means the Mavericks will start to dominate. We've seen this before. They are 7-1 now in RMAC action, tied with Regis for the conference lead.

Other

Lubbock has won back-to-back series, and after beating Angelo last week, they take three of four this week on the road at Texas A&M International. The Chaps are 16-10 and 15-9 in LSC play, another team to watch. They're 10-4 on the road as well, and of course, have one of the leading players of the year candidates in Brevin McCool who's hitting .437 with 17 HR. Ryan Markwardt also is a great arm for this rotation, and has 43K-15BB through 7 starts, with two complete games. He went seven shutout allowing just two hits this past weekend.

Who do you think the player of the year is? It seems the South Central Region has the top-2 candidates:

East

The East has 7 bids, across three leagues (CACC, ECC, NE10)

Will's Predicted Winner: Southern New Hampshire

Will's Super Regional Matchup Prediction: Jefferson vs Southern New Hampshire

Other Contenders: New Haven, Bentley, Molloy, Felician

1 East in D2 Baseball's latest Top-25 Poll: https://www.diviibaseball.com/rankings

#21 Southern New Hampshire

There seem to be more contenders in the East this year, as of now. However, SNHU is the lone team from the Region that has made it out every year in the last half-decade. They have not got off to a great start, at 8-6, but it's hard to knock them out of the top 25 when they lose two of three to now No.11 ESU, including a game that went 21 innings in the series opener.

East Winner #1 - The Game of Baseball. 21 innings in a top-15 matchup. That's incredible, although came bewteen an East vs Atlantic squad, I'm putting it down as a winner here.

Insane:

Although SNHU dropped the series. They are still top-25, and top-5 in the country in ERA and Fielding Percentage.

East Winner #2 - Jefferson and a No-NO

The Rams have won 4-0, as they swept Lincoln to start 4-0 in CACC play. The Rams are 4th in D2 with 4.06 Stolen Bases per game. Post also started 4-0 in CACC play, they are opposite Jefferson, though, in the North Division.

Also, When you throw a no-hitter, you get some extra love. That's what Albert Bobadilla did this weekend for Jefferson. 7.0 IP, 11K, 1BB, 2R, 0ER, and did not allow at hit. It was one of the most dominant efforts in Jefferson's program's history.

East Winner #3 - Niklas Pavia

Niklas Pavia went off this weekend, he tossed 7.2 IP, with 1 ER, 15Ks and one walk as they picked up a 4-1 win over Molloy this weekend.

Other:

Sean Welsh of Molloy is hitting .373 and is 18-20 on SB through just 15 games!

ATLANTIC

Will's Predicted Winner: Millersville

Will's Super Regional Matchup Prediction: Millersville vs Seton Hill

Other Contenders: West Chester, East Stroudsburg,

4 Atlantic Teams in D2 Baseball's latest Top-25 Poll: https://www.diviibaseball.com/rankings

#10 West Chester

#11 East Stroudsburg

#12 Millersville

#18 Seton Hill

Atlantic Winner #1 - PSAC & Pitching, PSAC Pitching

Not only is the PSAC really strong (4 top-25 teams, more than any other conference in D2), but the top-3 pitching staff in ERA in D2 are all from this region, all from the PSAC to be specific with Seton Hill (2.43 ERA), East Stroudsburg (2.57 ERA), and West Chester (2.95) all top-3 in D2 in ERA.

Atlantic Winner #2 - East Stroudsburg

They take two of three against No.15 Southern New Hampshire, which is notable. Inclduing playing the second-longest game recorded in D2 history in the series opener.

Atlanitc Winner #3 - Millersville

Millersville posts a 6-0 week, and I think they are the best team in the Atlantic right now.