It's all over. The 2025 DII baseball season ended with Tampa claiming the national championship 鈥 its 10th in program history and now the most in DII baseball lore. It was one of the best DII baseball championship finals in recent history, with comebacks, record-setting hits, and what seemed like a battle in every at-bat.
That opened the door for some new faces in the final Power 10 of 2025.
DII BASEBALL 2025
馃弳&苍产蝉辫;Follow the tournament
馃搳&苍产蝉辫;The previous Power 10
馃敟&苍产蝉辫;Kings of the hill: Breaking down some of DII baseball's best pitchers
馃挘&苍产蝉辫;Record-setting runs, home runs, and walk-off grand slams: The DII baseball finals are in full swing
馃惢&苍产蝉辫;Lenoir-Rhyne's 'Bears Bomb Squad' breaks DII baseball single-season home run record
馃弳&苍产蝉辫;Tampa looks to set the record for most DII baseball championships
These weekly Power 10 rankings at sifoeeprocess.com, as well as my (including super regional and Cary predictions), are not a simple equation based solely on metrics, nor are they voted upon by a body of people around the game. It is a combination of both, weighing what is happening on the field with what is happening on paper.
What is most important to remember in the final Power 10 rankings is that making it to Cary does not guarantee you a spot in the top eight. The DII baseball tournament is a wild beast where anything can happen 鈥 getting hot for four days in May does not paint a picture of the entire season. If you think teams like Angelo State or Catawba 鈥 both of which lost to fellow Power 10 teams in the super regionals 鈥 should be ranked lower than teams like Felician or Northwood, you didn't watch much DII baseball this season.
The final DII baseball Power 10 rankings
No. 1 Tampa | Previous: 1. The Spartans were the preseason No. 1 and held on to the spot for pretty much the entirety of the season. They checked all the boxes this year, playing one of the toughest schedules in DII, finishing with one of the best RPI, KPI and PI, and coming back to defeat Central Missouri 鈥 a powerhouse in its own right 鈥 to win it all. The Spartans had hitters galore and pitching depth that was able to clamp down and close the door. Spoiler alert: Here is your preseason No. 1 for 2026, no matter who returns.
No. 2 Central Missouri | Previous: No. 5. The Mules were, as always, a Power 10 team from Day 1 to this final ranking. They were one of the most exciting teams to watch the entire season, seemingly never out of a ball game and ready to come back, whether it was small ball or the long ball fueling the run. This was the top team in the Central Region from opening day and head coach Kyle Crookes' second runners-up campaign in five years. The Mules are a powerhouse.
No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne| Previous: 7. The Bears were picked to finish fifth in their own conference (). If you followed , you also know that I had them as the winner of the Southeast Region pretty much all year. So, it shouldn't be surprising the Bears went far... and they still exceeded all expectations. Mackenzie Wainwright was the best player in the division. This team hit home run after home run, and didn't just make program history by making it to Cary, but were one inning away from playing for the championship.
No. 4 Northwest Nazarene| Previous: NR. There was no team that impressed me more in Cary. Like many teams on the West Coast, it is hard for me to truly judge how good they actually are. Most of their games are on late, and I don't get to see them live, so I rely heavily on selection metrics and video highlights. Playing in a five-team GNAC 鈥 where two of the teams combined for 21 wins 鈥 did them no favors either. However, once in Cary, you saw how good this team truly was. Nin Burns II is an absolute DII baseball star, Cris Enriquez's home runs were monster shots, and Cole Calnon was simply phenomenal on the mound. They beat Tampa once and were two costly errors from making it to the championship series. This team slid under my radar all season and showed on DII baseball's largest stage that they truly belonged.
No. 5 UT Tyler| Previous: No. 9. The Patriots swept Angelo State to make their first trip to Cary in their DII era (the Patriots transitioned in 2019 after winning the DIII baseball championship in 2018). That sentence is all you need to know as to why they are ranked so highly. But there is more. Sure, they were stymied by Calnon in the first game of the finals, but rebounded to eliminate Felician, picking up their first finals win in program history. Justin Williams and Drew Schmidt were studs all season long, and the pitching was also very good. With this season now on their resume, expect them to continue to build and be an annual threat to Angelo State moving forward.
No. 6 Angelo State | Previous: 2. The Rams were No. 1 or 2 for pretty much the entire year in nearly every poll, including these Power 10 rankings. Despite losing in the super regionals, they still led the division in batting average, were top 5 in runs scored and on-base percentage, and top 10 in slugging percentage and fielding percentage. The Rams were one of the best offenses in a year of surging offensive play. They went to the super regionals four years in a row 鈥 it was simply time for someone to replace them, but they will be right back in the super regionals next year. Book it right now.
No. 7 Catawba| Previous: 5. Catawba was one game away from repeating as regional champions in the toughest region in DII baseball. The Indians were in the Power 10 for the entire season and lost in Game 3 of the Southeast super regionals to arguably the best offensive lineup in the history of DII baseball 鈥 it was certainly the most explosive. Catawba is as consistent as it comes, and I would expect it to be right back in the mix next year.
No. 8 East Stroudsburg| Previous: NR. The Warriors had a rollercoaster ride in May. They were a top 25 team 鈥 even in the Power 10 conversation 鈥 for most of the season. However, a regular-season-closing sweep by Millersville and then being bumped from the PSAC tournament in upset fashion in the first round made plenty of people question what they could do in a PSAC tournament that featured four top 25 teams. They made it through the region and once in Cary showed what earns them this lofty spot: resiliency. A seven-run eighth inning nearly stunned Lenoir-Rhyne in Game 1, and then they won in walk-off fashion to eliminate Northwood after trailing in the ninth. Millersville, West Chester and Seton Hill were all nationally ranked at one point this season, and the Warriors were the ones to survive. That says a lot.
No. 9 Minnesota State| Previous: No. 6. The Mavericks entered the tournament with one of the lowest strength of schedules among the host seeds. Perhaps the lack of strong competition throughout the season 鈥 they only played against one DII tournament-bound team the entire season (and won) 鈥 caught up to them on the big stage. Either way, this team went 51-8 and was very good, no matter where they finished in the bracket.
No. 10 Millersville| Previous: No. 4. This was a really hard pick as there were many deserving teams. Did Northwood's run to Cary do enough to boost it into the top 10? Despite Westmont not making the super regionals, was it enough of a resume to stay in the Power 10? Ultimately, I went with Millersville. The Marauders were the No. 1 seed in a six-team region that had four or five top 25 teams (depending on your poll of preference). They went 7-1 down the stretch against nationally ranked West Chester and East Stroudsburg and beat Cal (PA) and Seton Hill to win the PSAC championship. They ran into a red-hot Seton Hill pitching staff 鈥 which was one of the best in all DII all season 鈥 in the supers, but were one win away from a trip to Cary... which would have made them a top 5 team.
First five out (in alphabetical order)
- Cal State Monterey Bay. The Otters were my pick from opening day, and despite the slow start, they made it to the super regionals yet again.
- Florida Southern. The Mocs had one of the best turnarounds of any team this season, improving by 20 wins and earning Rick O'Dette coach of the year honors.
- North Greenville. The Trailblazers win ball games. A lot of them. They also scored a ton of runs. This team has demonstrated staying power, as evidenced by its success since Landon Powell took over.
- Northwood. The Timberwolves' run to Cary was impressive, and don't be fooled by their quick exit from the finals. They were a pitch away from advancing and were competitive in both games against Power 10 teams.
- Westmont. The Warriors were the best in the West for almost the entirety of the season. Let's not forget, this was Westmont's second season in DII, and it was a game away from making the supers. This program is for real.
The final 15: Belmont Abbey, Central Oklahoma, Colorado Mesa, Davenport, Felician, Grand Valley State, UIndy, Jefferson, North Georgia, Pittsburg State, Point Loma, Point Park, Seton Hill, West Florida, Young Harris
