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The D2 Baseball (@Diviibaseball) Preseason Top-25 

Writer's picture: Will Conerly Will Conerly

Our D2 Baseball preseason Top-25 rankings are out. As expected, they showcase powerhouse programs, and here we look at some of the squads poised for dominance this season. Let’s start with Tampa, as the defending national champions are atop the list, while several other teams look to make their mark en route to Cary, North Carolina for the D2 Baseball Championships. 


Here’s a brief breakdown of the preseason top-25 rankings, composed by our team of two here at D2 Baseball (Robert Frey and Will Conerly). The factors we used to create our preseason top-25 were based on: Last year’s performance (as all preseason rankings are), returning production (available on our team sheets page), and then conference/region/and program/history/coach traditions and prestige. Of course, this will all get played out on the field, and between us each week as we unveil our top-25 rankings.


For our “Regional” Patreon members, one benefit you receive is exclusive access to our top-25 debates, where you can see the behind the scene of the who/what/when/where/how/and why we rank teams where we do, along with exclusive insights about each team and program.


Join our Patreon today to get exclusive and early access to our D2 Baseball content all season long: https://www.patreon.com/diviibaseball/membership


Well, let’s get into it. Let’s break down some of our preseason top-25 rankings: 


Full Video Breakdown: https://youtu.be/aekoMrPPtAc


First Up, Tampa Sets the Standard…Aims to Defend their Title

Tampa (SSC, South Region) enters the season as the unanimous top-ranked team by us and would suspect any publication will agree. The Spartans are off a historic 52-8 campaign led by legendary head coach Joe Urso and are primed to be the first D2 baseball team ever to have 10 national titles after claiming their ninth last year. They return Skylar Gonzalez (16-0, 2.46 ERA), the reigning D2 Pitcher of the Year, as a cornerstone of their rotation, alongside a stellar group of transfer additions on both sides of the ball. 


Angelo State Eyes Redemption

Ranked second, Angelo State (LSC, South Central Region) remains a perennial contender after back-to-back national championship appearances. Kevin Brooks’ Rams return 65% of last year’s production have bolstered their lineup with strategic portal additions and have been to Cary four years in a row. They will be a tough out as always in the Lone Star Conference and the South Central Region. More on that later. 


Pitching Powerhouses

Catawba (SAC, Southeast Region) rounds out the top three, highlighted by an elite pitching staff that returns 87% of its production. Of our top 40 teams we ranked/considered, they bring back the second most production on the mound only behind Colorado Mesa (RMAC, South Central Region) who brings back 95% of its pitching production. Catawba won 46 games last season including a trip to Cary, and they saw a huge improvement from 2023 plus, they had one of the best home records in all of D2 Baseball last season. Jim Gantt will have the luxury of returning Austin Fine and Payne Stolsworth who each logged over 110 innings last year along with Hayden Simmerson who was also a workout out of the bullpen and made eight starts. All in all, Catawba only lost three starts from last season on the mound and is poised to go back to Cary. 



Regional Strengths

Southeast Region: Depth and Competition

The Southeast Region leads with five ranked teams, all in the Top 15. Those teams are Catawba (3), UNC Pembroke (11), North Greenville (13), Georgia College (14), and Young Harris (15). With only seven regional berths available, this ultra-competitive region is always tough to crack. Just ask Lander and Barton from last season, who did not get in while the AQs went to Georgia College and Wingate. Georgia College brings back a lot and is featured in our rankings after they won the Peach Belt Tournament and made it to the Southeast Supers last season. Matthew Mebane returns after hitting 20 bombs last year (including a walk-off grand slam in the PBC title game) while they get their workhouse in John Luke Glanton (119 innings, 3.01 ERA) back on the mound. 


South Central Region: Loaded at the Top

Angelo State (2) and Colorado Mesa (7) headline the South Central Region, with Lubbock Christian and West Texas A&M also making waves with the LSC. Kolby Felix for Mesa returns as a big All-American bat, while Angelo State brings back a big-time arm in Caleb Heuertz as the two could be on a collision course in the South Central Region Supers. The Lone Star Conference race was a dandy last year with Lubbock (won the regular season), West Texas A&M, and Angelo, while Mesa’s biggest competition seems to be a loaded Regis team who hopes to get a full-season out of Adam Paniagua, one of the best catchers in America.  


Atlantic Region: The PSAC’s Dominance

The PSAC places five teams in the Top 25, including Indiana (PA) (10) and West Chester (12). Indiana (PA) looks to build on their Cinderella run to Cary, while perennial contenders like Millersville and Seton Hill add depth to this top-heavy conference. The PSAC East is a gauntlet with East Stroudsburg, Millersville, and West Chester in the East with IUP and Seton Hill in the West in their respective divisions in that conference, all teams in our preseason top-25. 


Other Regions to Watch

  • Central Region: Central Missouri (4) and Missouri Southern (17) stand out. The MIAA rivals are primed for another epic showdown after last year’s dramatic title race with MSSU ending UCM’s streak of five MIAA titles in a row. 

  • West Region: Point Loma (5) leads the way, looking to defend their PacWest crown. Cal State Monterey Bay (21) and San Francisco State are poised to challenge the CCAA in the West. 

  • Midwest Region: UIndy (GLVC) and Ashland (G-MAC) dominate discussions. Both programs return key contributors. Out of the GLIAC, we’re keeping an eye on Saginaw Valley and going to be interested to see how they follow up a historic season last year, despite losing quite a bit from their 2024 season.

  • East Region: There’s no question it’s SNHU. They’ve been to Cary four straight times and got some big horses back on the mound. 


Teams to Watch

Beyond the Top 25, several programs received consideration (15 teams), signaling their potential to disrupt the rankings:


  • Central Oklahoma (MIAA, Central Region): A veteran-laden squad capable of a deep postseason run. Trying to enter the MIAA conversation with UCM and MSSU. Pitt State may have something to say about that too. 

  • Embry-Riddle (SSC, South Region): Following a Super Regional appearance, they aim to challenge Tampa for SSC supremacy, coming off a really good year. They are in a similar spot as Saint Leo, both with new head coaches trying to vie to compete in the gauntlet of the SSC and South Region, two teams were both considered. 



Cary Awaits

As the season unfolds, all eyes are on these programs in our Preseason Top 25

2025 Preseason Top-25 Rankings

  1. Tampa (SSC, South)

  2. Angelo State (LSC, South Central)

  3. Catawba (SAC, Southeast)

  4. Central Missouri (MIAA, Central)

  5. Point Loma (PW, West)

  6. SNHU (NE10, East)

  7. Colorado Mesa (RMAC, South Central)

  8. UIndy (GLVC, Midwest)

  9. Augustana (NSIC, Central)

  10. Indiana (PA) (PSAC, Atlantic)


...Full rankings are available on diviibaseball.com/rankings

Which team will rise to the occasion and claim the ultimate prize? The journey begins now!

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