The juggernauts of small-school baseball continue to rack up wins, keeping major shake-ups in the Top 25 rankings to a minimum. Nevertheless, a few teams have stumbled out of the gate, their sluggish starts costing them a spot in the elite ranks.
This week, the DII and NAIA levels welcome two fresh contenders to the Top 25, while DIII sees a single new addition. Along with the latest rankings update, we take a deep dive into the five newcomers looking to make their mark.
NCAA DII
The Central Oklahoma Bronchos are perennial contenders for conference and regional titles, yet they frustratingly fall short at season’s end. In 2017, UCO overcame an opening-round loss to advance to the Central Regional Championship but couldn’t muster the runs needed to move forward. More regional trips followed in 2018 and 2019, with the Bronchos winning games but never the group. In 2020, UCO was off to one of its best starts in school history at 17-3 before COVID abruptly canceled the season. The team posted solid 32-19 and 37-16 records in 2023 and 2024 but struggled in the postseason. Now, with a 20-8 record following a dominant sweep of previously ranked Missouri Southern, this could be the year UCO graduates from contender to champion.
The Bronchos’ strong start includes key series wins over Southern Arkansas, Pittsburg State, and the aforementioned MSSU Lions. Their winning ways are fueled by standout performances both at the plate and on the mound.
Caden Robertson was a prolific hitter at Cedar Valley CC, where he batted over .400 with 19 home runs. That production earned him a spot at Central Oklahoma, where he put up solid numbers last season, hitting .306 with nine home runs. However, this year, Robertson has been one of DII’s most electrifying sluggers. He’s currently batting .393 with 14 doubles and 15 home runs, boasting a monstrous .963 slugging percentage. From March 1st to March 16th, he crushed a home run in nine out of ten games. After a slow start—just two hits in his first 13 at-bats—he erupted for a six-for-nine stretch with three homers in two games and hasn’t slowed down since. Against Missouri Southern last week, he tallied two hits in each of the three games.
Meanwhile, Brett Pense has been invaluable on the mound for his hometown team. While the rest of the Bronchos’ starting rotation has struggled—allowing 57 earned runs in 70 1/3 innings for a cumulative 7.29 ERA—Pense has been a stabilizing force. In 39 innings, he has racked up 35 strikeouts with just nine walks and holds a 3.92 ERA, consistent with his impressive 3.77 mark as a freshman last season.
With Robertson and Pense leading the charge, this could be the year UCO dethrones Central Missouri for MIAA supremacy. But baseball is a team game, and the Bronchos need more bats and arms to step up. If they do, UCO could make a run to Cary.
Northwest Nazarene is another program that consistently challenges for regional and national supremacy but often falls just short of its ultimate goal. The Nighthawks frequently contend for the top spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, yet it’s often one of the powerhouse California schools that represents the West Region in DII—though NNU did break through to the final eight in 2021. With only five teams in the isolated Northwest region, the GNAC lacks the high-level competition found in the CCAA and PacWest. To compensate, head coach Joe Schaefer—who previously led Point Loma on deep postseason runs—has stacked the Nighthawks’ non-conference schedule with tough opponents. This year, NNU ventured south for matchups against Biola, Sonoma State, and Chico State, and also hosted perennial power Colorado Mesa. The Nighthawks notched statement wins over both Chico State and Colorado Mesa, both of whom are ranked in the Top 25.
NNU’s success this season has been anchored by dominant pitching, with two aces putting together All-American-caliber campaigns. Ernesto Lugo-Canchola spent two seasons at Utah before transferring to NNU. Last year, he posted a solid 3.32 ERA in 17 appearances for the Utes. This season, the redshirt senior has been nearly untouchable, compiling a 1.85 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a minuscule .160 batting average. Meanwhile, Cole Calnon has been equally, if not more, dominant. In 49 1/3 innings, he has an absurd 1.09 ERA and has gone the distance in five of seven starts—including two shutouts. In addition to his stellar pitching, he’s also a key piece of the everyday lineup, hitting .316 with 11 extra-base hits.
| Rank | School | State | Record | Week | Prev. Rank |
| 1 | Tampa Spartans | FL | 23-4 | 3-1 | 1 |
| 2 | Angelo State Rams | TX | 24-6 | 4-0 | 5 |
| 3 | Central Missouri Mules | MO | 19-6 | 2-2 | 2 |
| 4 | Catawba Indians | NC | 23-7 | 4-0 | 6 |
| 5 | Point Loma Sea Lions | CA | 20-8 | 4-0 | 7 |
| 6 | East Stroudsburg Warriors | PA | 16-6 | 2-3 | 4 |
| 7 | Westmont Warriors | CA | 24-5 | 2-2 | 3 |
| 8 | Millersville Marauders | PA | 18-3 | 5-0 | 9 |
| 9 | Lenoir-Rhyne Bears | NC | 24-4 | 3-0 | 10 |
| 10 | North Greenville Trailblazers | SC | 24-8 | 3-2 | 8 |
| 11 | Texas Tyler Patriots | TX | 25-8 | 5-0 | 11 |
| 12 | Florida Southern Moccasins | FL | 22-6 | 4-1 | 12 |
| 13 | West Chester Golden Rams | PA | 17-5 | 3-2 | 13 |
| 14 | Minnesota State Mavericks | MN | 17-2 | 5-1 | 14 |
| 15 | Colorado Mesa Mavericks | CO | 18-8 | 5-0 | 15 |
| 16 | Young Harris Mountain Lions | GA | 20-9 | 4-1 | 16 |
| 17 | North Georgia Nighthawks | GA | 20-9 | 2-1 | 18 |
| 18 | Cal State Monterey Bay Otters | CA | 16-9 | 2-2 | 17 |
| 19 | Carson-Newman Eagles | TN | 23-6 | 4-0 | 20 |
| 20 | Central Oklahoma Bronchos | OK | 20-8 | 4-0 | |
| 21 | UNC Pembroke Braves | NC | 20-10 | 4-0 | 23 |
| 22 | Grand Valley State Lakers | MI | 19-5 | 3-1 | 22 |
| 23 | Chico State Wildcats | CA | 18-11 | 2-2 | 21 |
| 24 | Davenport Panters | MI | 18-5 | 6-0 | 25 |
| 25 | Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks | ID | 22-10 | 2-0 | |
| DROP | Augustana Vikings | SD | 19 | ||
| DROP | Missouri Southern St. Lions | MO | 24 |
NAIA
After advancing to the NAIA World Series last year, the Indiana Southeast Grenadiers were strongly considered for the preseason rankings, but concerns about roster turnover kept them out. That assessment turned out to be wildly inaccurate. IUS has been one of the NAIA’s top teams this season, entering the week with a 22-7 record, including marquee wins over top-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan and Cumberlands, along with series victories over Indiana Tech and Northwestern Ohio. A massive test looms this week as they host sixth-ranked Reinhardt.
The Grenadiers’ offense has been explosive. Only one everyday regular is hitting below .300, and that’s shortstop Cole Reynolds, who played two seasons at DI Eastern Kentucky. The team is batting .336 collectively, led by the dynamic duo of Logan Beard and Nolan Bowser. Beard, a three-year starter at Louisville, played in 160 games at the DI level and hit .284. This season, he’s batting .409 with nine doubles and five home runs while boasting a .537 OBP. Bowser, a former Saint Louis and Indiana-Kokomo standout, is hitting .404 with two triples, two homers, 25 walks, and seven HBPs, producing an astronomical .624 OBP.
On the mound, IUS has been just as effective. Brendan Whalen isn’t overpowering, but he keeps opponents off the scoreboard. In seven appearances (six starts), the junior transfer from Lake County JC has a 2.02 ERA over 31 2/3 innings, allowing just seven walks. Zak Rasener has been a revelation out of the bullpen. After struggling to a brutal 11.74 ERA in 15 1/3 innings last year, he has turned it around in 2024, posting a 2.93 ERA in the same number of innings with two wins in eight relief outings.
Morningside has also shattered preseason expectations. The Mustangs are off to one of their best starts ever, entering the week at 20-3-1. While their schedule hasn’t been filled with marquee matchups, they’ve dominated their opposition, recently dismantling Dordt 22-1 over two games and throttling Hastings 16-4 and 17-2. Their offense has already surpassed the 200-run mark, with a staggering .351 team batting average.
Conner Maston and Sam Wilt have been offensive juggernauts. Maston is hitting .444 with two doubles, two triples, and five home runs for an .833 slugging percentage. Despite primarily being a pitcher last season with just ten at-bats, he has also shined on the mound, winning all three of his starts with a 3.18 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 17 innings. Wilt, meanwhile, has been lethal in limited action, slugging 1.091 in just 22 at-bats, a shocking turnaround from his .125 average last year at Kirkwood CC.
With Morningside leading the GPAC over Concordia and Doane, the upcoming matchups against Midland, Concordia, Doane, and Bellevue will serve as a true litmus test for their championship aspirations.
| Rank | School | State | Record | Week | Prev. Rank |
| 1 | LSU Shreveport Pilots | LA | 29-0 | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies | GA | 27-3 | 4-0 | 3 |
| 3 | Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs | TN | 24-7 | 1-2 | 2 |
| 4 | Cumberlands Patriots | KY | 24-6 | 4-1 | 4 |
| 5 | Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles | OK | 29-3 | 3-1 | 5 |
| 6 | Reinhardt Eagles | GA | 25-4 | 4-0 | 6 |
| 7 | Southeastern Fire | FL | 26-4 | 3-1 | 10 |
| 8 | Faulkner Eagles | AL | 22-6 | 3-1 | 7 |
| 9 | Loyola Wolf Pack | LA | 23-8 | 2-2 | 9 |
| 10 | Webber International Warriors | FL | 22-8 | 1-3 | 8 |
| 11 | Hope International Royals | CA | 26-5 | 5-0 | 12 |
| 12 | Taylor Trojans | IN | 24-5 | 3-1 | 11 |
| 13 | Keiser Seahawks | FL | 22-3 | 3-1 | 13 |
| 14 | Ottawa Braves | KS | 26-5 | 3-1 | 14 |
| 15 | Arizona Christian Firestorm | AZ | 24-8-1 | 3-0 | 15 |
| 16 | William Carey Crusaders | MS | 26-4 | 4-0 | 19 |
| 17 | Mid-America Christian Evangels | OK | 25-8 | 3-1 | 18 |
| 18 | Missouri Baptist Spartans | MO | 20-8 | 3-1 | 16 |
| 19 | Cumberland Phoenix | TN | 24-7-1 | 3-1 | 21 |
| 20 | Johnson Royals | TN | 22-6 | 3-1 | 20 |
| 21 | Houston-Victoria Jaguars | TX | 25-7 | 0-4 | 17 |
| 22 | Indiana Southeast Grenadiers | IN | 22-7 | 3-1 | |
| 23 | Morningside Mustangs | IA | 18-3-1 | 3-1 | |
| 24 | Concordia Bulldogs | NE | 18-8 | 5-1 | 25 |
| 25* | USAO Drovers | OK | 19-11 | 1-2 | 22 |
| 25* | Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes | KS | 19-11 | 2-2 | 23 |
| DROP | Ottawa (OUAZ) Spirit | AZ | 24 |
NCAA DIII
Concordia (TX) consistently rolls out a powerhouse squad, boasting top-tier pitching and a knack for racking up wins—often eclipsing the 30-win mark. Yet, despite their impressive seasons, the Tornados have long played second fiddle to their SCAC conference rival, Trinity, which regularly claims the crown and the lion’s share of accolades. This year, however, could be the turning point. Concordia’s latest edition looks primed to shake up the status quo, and after steamrolling Centenary College last weekend with two dominant mercy-rule victories, CTX has surged to a 20-6 record, earning a long-awaited return to the Perfect Game DIII rankings for the first time in four seasons.
If offense wins ball games, then the Tornados are sitting pretty. Their lineup is stacked—nine players who’ve made at least 10 starts this season are hitting over .300. Among them, Colby Christian and Zach Seigrist are swinging the hottest bats. Christian is crushing it with a .355 average, hammering 12 doubles and 10 home runs in 107 at-bats to notch a sizzling .766 slugging percentage. Seigrist, meanwhile, is putting up video-game numbers, batting .415 with a .516 on-base percentage, fueled by 19 walks. He’s also flashing speed with a team-high 10 stolen bases, and to top it off, he recently made history by recording the program’s first-ever cycle.
On the mound, the Tornados are fueled by a dynamic duo of seasoned aces—Otto Franz and Dakota Palmer. Franz, now in his fifth season, has only gotten sharper with time. After posting a 3.05 ERA and holding opponents to a .272 average last year, he’s taken it up a notch in 2024, dropping his ERA to 2.72 while allowing just 41 hits over 49 ⅔ innings for a stingy .232 opponent average. His latest gem? A masterful three-hit, zero-walk performance with a season-high eight punchouts. Palmer, a Sam Houston State transfer, is another grizzled veteran anchoring the rotation in his fifth year. In seven starts, he’s sporting a 3.02 ERA, racking up 40 strikeouts in 44 ⅔ innings, with a complete game to his name and hitters managing just a .233 average against him.
With an explosive offense and a battle-tested pitching staff, this Tornado squad looks ready to rewrite the script and take aim at SCAC supremacy. If they keep up this torrid pace, the Trinity Tigers might finally have to make room at the top.
| Rank | School | State | Reord | Week | Prev. Rank |
| 1 | Denison Big Red | OH | 14-3 | 5-0 | 5 |
| 2 | Johns Hopkins Blue Jays | MD | 16-2 | 5-1 | 1 |
| 3 | Endicott Gulls | MA | 11-3 | 2-1 | 2 |
| 4 | UW-Whitewater Warhawks | WI | 8-0 | 0-0 | 3 |
| 5 | Lynchburg Hornets | VA | 17-3 | 2-1 | 4 |
| 6 | La Verne Leopards | CA | 18-1 | 3-0 | 6 |
| 7 | Salve Regina Seahawks | RI | 11-3 | 2-1 | 7 |
| 8 | Salisbury Seagulls | MD | 15-4 | 4-1 | 8 |
| 9 | Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags | CA | 17-4 | 3-1 | 11 |
| 10 | Rowan Profs | NJ | 12-2 | 4-1 | 12 |
| 11 | Penn State Harrisburg Lions | PA | 14-3 | 3-0 | 15 |
| 12 | UW LaCrosse Eagles | WI | 9-2 | 7-0 | 13 |
| 13 | East Texas Baptist Tigers | TX | 12-7 | 0-0 | 14 |
| 14 | Trinity Tigers | TX | 19-5 | 4-1 | 18 |
| 15 | Babson Beavers | MA | 7-3 | 2-1 | 16 |
| 16 | Kean Cougars | NJ | 16-3 | 1-1 | 21 |
| 17 | Eastern Connecticut St. Warriors | CT | 10-4 | 5-1 | 23 |
| 18 | Concordia (TX) Tornados | TX | 20-6 | 3-1 | |
| 19 | Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens | CA | 12-8 | 0-3 | 9 |
| 20 | Coe Kohawks | IA | 10-3 | 6-1 | 22 |
| 21 | Case Western Reserve Spartans | OH | 11-6 | 1-1 | 10 |
| 22 | Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets | VA | 11-6 | 3-1 | 24 |
| 23 | Centre Colonels | KY | 15-5 | 2-3 | 20 |
| 24 | Cortland State Red Dragons | NY | 9-9 | 2-2 | 19 |
| 25 | Misericordia Cougars | PA | 13-6 | 3-1 | 25 |
| DROP | Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets | OH | 17 |