The DII baseball season is underway, and several teams have already made a splash. But let’s not kid ourselves — the college baseball season is the longest of any sport. Big wins in February are nice, but there is a long way to go.
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That seems like a perfect time to talk about some sleepers for the 2024 DII baseball championship finals to be played, as usual, in Cary, North Carolina. I always pick my “8 for Cary” early on, but what about some of the other teams that can sneak in? Keep in mind, this is not a prediction of the entire field. I do not think that all eight of these teams will be the final eight in Cary. But I think each one of these teams has as strong a shot as any to make it to the DII baseball championship finals this year.
8 sleepers for the DII baseball championship finals
Atlantic Region: East Stroudsburg. The Warriors are loaded in the lineup and on the mound. Eight returning starters are in the lineup for one of the fastest teams in DII baseball — the Warriors were fourth in stolen bases in 2023. However, it is the pitching that is enticing as Nick McAuliffe (who has a three-pitch arsenal and tops out at 95 mph) and Brent Francisco (who has four pitches and sits in the low 90s) should be two of the best in the Northeast, if not all DII. There is depth as well. Keep an eye on freshman righty Gavin Sopko — Perfect Game had him the No. 3 incoming DII pitcher this year.
Central Region: Missouri Southern. The top three in the Central Region (Central Missouri, Augustana (SD) and Southern Arkansas) are Power 10 teams, so we have to dig a little deeper to find a sleeper or surprise team. Minnesota State is always a contender, but I like what the Lions are returning this year, and they proved that with an opening night with over Southern Arkansas. They have a lot of power to replace in Matt Miller (whose 25 homers were third-best in DII) but return 45 dingers in Nate Mieszkowski, Garrett Rice, Treghan Parker and Henry Kusiak. The pitching loses its top pitcher but returns a ton of experienced innings. This team can do a lot of damage and may not be under the radar by March.
PRESEASON POWER: Wayne Cavadi’s preseason DII baseball Power 10
East Region: Goldey-Beacom. Picking anyone to make it out of the East not named Southern New Hampshire seems futile, but I like what the Lightning are returning. Nearly all of the lineup is back, including speedsters Demetrius Johnson (26 stolen bases) and Christian Petrillo (37 stolen bases), as well as Kyle Walker, who hit .345 last year. The pitching — which was depleted due to injury by the time regional play rolled around last year — returns a bevy of starting experience that is all healthy this spring. Tommy Federici is one to watch closely, as he was off to a strong 2023 when injury struck in March.
Midwest Region: Maryville. First of all, don’t sleep on Ashland. Head coach John Schaly has a strong chance to get win No. 1,300 this year — and that didn’t happen on accident. He has a loaded roster with eight returners in the lineup and 10 of 13 pitchers. That said, Maryville looks poised for something special this year. The Saints return their top three hitters, with Michael Gould as good as any in the GLVC coming off a season where he hit .405 with 10 homers and 12 steals. Jacob Kroeger and Ben Gregory have strikeout stuff, but if they take the step forward and keep hitters at bay, this pitching staff is also deep with experience. The Midwest has been an absolute wild card for a long time — this is where Cinderella can make it to the dance.
South Region: Shorter. Let’s be clear. Picking a sleeper in the South is a daunting task. Rollins and Tampa have owned this region for quite some time, and with programs like Florida Southern, West Florida and Delta State always in the mix, it’s not easy for a surprise team to break through to Cary. I’m going with the Hawks because of a recent trip I took to Rome, Georgia. Missing two of their top hitters from last year and this season, this team had a gritty comeback win against a tough Lee team (who may also be a sleeper here). Sure, they went 1-2 on the weekend, but when this lineup is healthy, I think it can turn some heads.
Really fun ball game here in Rome. Two very nice efforts by the @HawksBaseballSU and @LeeUFlames starting pitchers. A Standifier oppo 🌮 gave the Flames the 4-3 lead in T7, but Jacob Pajer ties it right back up B7 on sac fly. #d2bsb pic.twitter.com/hdRnJJXLQo
— Wayne Cavadi (@WayneCavadi_D2) February 17, 2024
South Central Region: Lubbock Christian. The South Central has been a battle between Angelo State and Colorado Mesa since the dawn of time (okay, maybe not, but it sure feels like it) so it’s tough to go away from that dynamic duo. I do think Cam Yuran, Jake Williams and Zach Schuler can homer MSU Denver into the super regionals this year, but I’m taking a chance on a veteran team loaded with experience. One of those players is player of the year candidate Carson Ogilvie, who hit .404 with a team-high 1.217 OPS while leading the team in runs scored and stolen bases. Three of the four starting pitchers are back — and all can throw in the 90s. Some nice transfers in the lineup (watch out for Shea Bowen, who hit .396 with nine home runs and 17 stolen bases at Shasta College last year) and on the bump provided added depth. The Lone Star Conference is deep, but don’t be surprised to see the Chaps make it interesting.
Southeast Region: Belmont Abbey. There’s a lot of good teams to choose from here (Georgia Southwestern is going to be really good, for example), but I am going with the Crusaders. This is kind of how the Southeast Region has worked in recent years: a team slowly improves year after year and then, boom, they get over the hump and win a championship. Belmont Abbey was in the super regionals last year, and five of its top six hitters are back in the lineup, including preseason All-American Garrett Browder. The pitching needs to get strong, especially in what has become one of the toughest — if not the toughest — region in DII baseball, but they loaded up on pitching depth in the transfer portal and the incoming freshman class.
West Region: Point Loma. Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Monterey Bay are the talk of the West — and rightfully so with two stacked rosters. Well, the Sea Lions dominated the Otters in a 3-1 series win already, outscoring CSUMB 27-15 — and that doesn’t even tell the whole tale, considering 13 of those runs allowed came in the one loss. Despite losing Jakob Christian, one of the best in DII a season ago, this team returns four of the best hitters from the lineup, including PacWest preseason player of the year Scott Anderson. The Sea Lions return a ton of innings, both starting and in the bullpen, from a year ago as well. When you have that much pitching back and are annually one of the better defensive teams in the division, you have the potential to silence the big bats of the Wild West.
