This week on the DII Nation Podcast, West Florida football head coach Pete Shinnick discusses the return to DII football.
Shinnick, a two-time national coach of the year, has led the Argos to two DII football championship games in the past four years. Why is that so remarkable?
Continue reading DII football: West Florida head coach Pete Shinnick visits the DII Nation PodcastThe NCAA Division II baseball season is underway. Here is a quick look at freshmen to keep an eye on this season. This is not a ranking, but a simple list of names I have gathered that could make an impact as early as this season.
(BOLD = has already appeared in games in 2019)
Andrew Morris, RHP, Colorado Mesa
Anthony Lanier, RHP, Augustana (SD)
Brett McGee, DH/C, Southern Arkansas
Bryce Lewis, LHP, Mississippi College
Cam Nolet, LHP, USC Aiken
Cameron Hill, OF, Georgia College
Carson King, RHP, Florida Southern
Collin Camarigg, INF/RHP, Florida Southern
Daniel Irusarri, INF, Nova Southeastern
Dante Palacio, OF, Cal Poly Pomona
Duncan Pastore, INF, Nova Southeastern
Haydn McGreargy, 1B, Colorado Mesa
Isaiah Diandreth, INF, Seton Hill
John Michael Faile, C, North Greenville
Joseph Acosta, RHP, Azusa Pacific
Josh Hudgins, RHP, Georgia College
Kris Pirozzi, RHP, Millersville
Lance Logsdon, 1B, Quincy
Lonnie Morris, LHP, UCSD
Lucus Fomar, P, Mercyhurst
Luke Cantwell, OF/C, West Chester
Michael Fuhrman, INF, UCSD
Nathan Wilson, RHP, Colorado Mesa
Peyton Zabel, RHP, Augustana (SD)
Reece Davis, RHP, Bellarmine
Sam Kimel, OF, Mississippi College
Seth Miller, RHP, Augustana
(This piece originally ran on NCAA.com. You can read the full piece HERE.)
The DII baseball season is finally here. With the first pitch of the 2019 season on Feb. 1, the road to Cary, North Carolina will officially begin.
Continue reading NCAA DII baseball: Here are the teams to watch in 2019
Twenty-eight teams entered the 2018 DII football championship with national title aspirations. After 15 weeks of football, just four teams remain.
The DII football championship is broken into four Super Regions with each portion of the bracket beginning with the seven teams. Three rounds of play determine each Super Region champion which moves on to the national semifinals. Three of the four teams that advanced — Valdosta State, Minnesota State and Notre Dame (OH) — were No. 1 seeds in their respective regions. The fourth — Ferris State — was the No. 2. All four teams enter Saturday undefeated.
Continue reading Here’s everything you need to know about the DII football championship semifinals
(This was run on NCAA.com, please see the full article HERE)
Welcome to the 2018 DII Football Championship. Or should we call it Upset City?
The first round of the tournament went just as expected. That is to say, it was completely unpredictable.
No. 7 Wingate started the day by taking down No. 2-seeded West Georgia, the No. 10 team in DII football. No 6 New Haven followed suit, taking down No. 3 West Chester in a Super Region One that saw all three games end in upset fashion. Two former national champions entered the day ranked as sixth seeds. Both — Northwest Missouri State and Texas A&M-Commerce — advanced in convincing fashion. All said, there were seven lower-seeded teams that punched their ticket to the second round.
MORE: Interactive bracket | Printable bracket | Buy 2018 championship tickets
That didn’t mean some of the top teams didn’t perform, however. Here’s what we learned in the first round of the DII Football Championship.
Last year was an odd one for the Bearcats. They battled injury, actually had a losing streak (albeit two whole games) and were eliminated in the first round in a heartbreaking 21-18 loss to Ashland. The 2018 Northwest Missouri State team put together a complete effort in the first round and look like that scary team that ran to back-to-back undefeated seasons.
Northwest Football@NWBearcatFBTOUCHDOWN BEARCATS! Northwest’s Isaiah Strayhorn scores his second rushing touchdown of the day – this one from three yards out – and gives the Bearcats a 35-17 lead at Grand Valley State. 4:06 left in the 4th qtr. Northwest has rushed for 313 yards against the Lakers #OABAAB
Freshman quarterback Braden Wright has garnered most of the talk this season with an MIAA Freshman of the Year campaign, but it was his running game that picked it up today. Isaiah Strayhorn averaged 15.5 yards per carry in amassing 171 yards and two touchdowns while Josh Caldwell added 147 yards and two touchdowns as well. That notorious Rich Wright defense did its thing, limiting a strong Grand Valley State offense to just 239 yards and 17 points. Austen Eskew powered the pass rush with three sacks while Jake Richards added nine tackles and two interceptions. The Bearcats played a well-balanced game and next week’s showdown with No. 2 Ferris State may just be the game to watch.
MORE: We picked our bracket and sleepers for the DII Football Championship
There are two Chargers — New Haven and Hillsdale — in the DII Football Championship. Both were underdogs, both are in the second round. Both were fueled by the tremendous play of their quarterbacks.
Heading into the week, NCAA.com called Hillsdale the Super Region One sleeper, mainly because, “the Chance Stewart to Trey Brock connection is as fun as any to watch in DII, giving them a dynamic duo that may surprise a few people.” The two delivered in the first round, as Stewart threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, with 170 of those yards and two of those touchdowns going to Brock. Hillsdale now has a date with No. 1-seeded Notre Dame (OH) in the second round, and its pass attack should be a fun counter to the Jaleel McLaughlin-led rush-heavy Falcons offense.
New Haven Football@NewHavenNationTOUCHDOWN Ju’an Williams to tie the game!! #GetChargedUp
New Haven: 28
West Chester: 28
New Haven rolled through its DII slate perfect until dropping a thrilling 17-13 loss in the season finale to LIU Post. The win cost them the Northeast-10 championship, but perhaps the end result lit a fire that makes them a dangerous threat this postseason. LIU Post was upset by Slippery Rock while the unranked Chargers, with an obvious chip on their shoulder, went blow-for-blow with No. 8 West Chester, winning 35-28 and moving on to a showdown against The Rock.
Both quarterbacks played well in the game, but it was New Haven’s Ajee Patterson who had the edge. The Chargers scored five touchdowns and Patterson had all of them. He threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns and though he only netted four yards on the ground, he added two one-yard rushing touchdowns. His West Chester counterpart A.J. Long had a fine day as well but fell one touchdown short.
MORE: A region-by-region look at the DII Football Championship
The Rock was one of two No. 7 seeds to advance. They went into Brookville, NY facing an LIU Post rush defense that was No. 10 in DII football. That didn’t seem to bother Slippery Rock running back Wes Hills one bit.
Rock Athletics
✔@Rock_Athletics
FB: Let’s talk about this guy for a second. Today, Jake Chapla set the SRU single-season record for made field goals (15) and took over sole possession of the all-time career record for made field goals (37). Oh yea… he’s only a junior. #ForTheBrand #KickerFlex
Hills found a second gear five weeks ago and has been borderline unstoppable since minus a “rough” outing against West Chester in the PSAC Championship when he still ran for 92 yards. Hills posted three 200-yard games in a row to close out the regular season and he came close to another one Saturday. The senior running back ripped off 167 yards and a touchdown against a Pioneers defense that allowed just 93.7 yards per game this season. Next up is another NE10 foe in a New Haven team that allowed 169.5 yards per game and 13 touchdowns on the ground this season.
MORE: Watch the DII plays of the week for Week 11
In the most complete game of the first round, the Texans utterly dominated Azusa Pacific 58-0. Everyone came to play and put up some serious numbers in the process.
Running back Xavier Turner has exploded in the second half of the season, now posting seven-straight 100-yard games. Five of those games were better than 164 yards rushing, and Saturday was more of the same as Turner posted his third 200-yard performance of the season while scoring three touchdowns. Despite the ground control, quarterback Ben Holmes was in charge as well, responsible for three touchdowns of his own.
Tarleton Athletics@TarletonSportsTARLETON PLAYOFF RECORD!
Xavier Turner is the first Texan in school history to rush for 200 yards in an NCAA playoff game! 206 yds, 3 TDs Texans lead 51-0 heading into 4Q
And how about that defense? The Texans posted their second straight 58-0 shutout and have now outscored their opponents 175-3 over the last three weeks. Up next is the defending national champion Texas A&M-Commerce, who the Texans beat on October 13, 47-21. But don’t think this will be an easy matchup.
Last season, the Lions entered the tournament the No. 5 seed and opened the postseason with three consecutive upsets, including taking down Super Region Four No. 1-seed Central Washington and the No. 1-ranked Minnesota State Mavericks. Head coach Colby Carthel whipped up some of that postseason magic in the first round, lighting up DII football’s third-ranked scoring defense with 33 points. That Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs defense came to play, scoring two touchdowns, but so did the Lions, holding the Bulldogs to just 188 total yards and scoring a couple of touchdowns itself.
Throw away the records and stats. This Lions vs. Texans matchup is a Lone Star Conference rivalry on DII football’s biggest stage. Be ready for a war.
Bowie State defeated West Alabama in a shootout. Amir Hall still flies under-the-radar but shouldn’t any longer. The stud quarterback threw for 360 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 51 yards and two more touchdowns. Next up is No. 1 Valdosta State. If there is a quarterback in DII football that can hang with the high-octane Blazers’ offense, it’s Hall.
Colorado State-Pueblo’s defense held Colorado School of Mines to 37 yards rushing and 17 points. Both were the Orediggers lowest outputs of the season. Brandon Payer, Darius Williams, Kyle Rosenbrock, and company are the real deal, holding Isaac Harker under 300 yards passing for the first time since Oct. 6 and just the third time all season (twice were against the ThunderWolves). They stuffed Cameron Mayberry, the No. 5 rusher in DII football, to 1.55 yards per carry. It was sweet revenge as Mayberry scorched the ThunderWolves for 203 yards and three touchdowns earlier this season. They face No. 1-seeded Minnesota State next.
Lenoir-Rhyne scored 43 points and rolled to 22-point victory. The Bears are also a bit under-the-radar, but this offense finds a way to score points in bunches without having any players atop the leaderboards. Lenoir-Rhyne has not scored less than 30 points all season. Next up is the surprise Wingate Bulldogs who convincingly upset No. 10 West Georgia. These two have faced once before this season, with the Bears coming out on top 31-24. Expect another close one in Round 2.
MORE: Programs with the most DII football titles | DII football news
(From NCAA.com, please see the full article HERE)
The 38-team field is set. Charleston (W.V.) is back in the mix to defend its DII Men’s Soccer Championship national title, while three of last year’s semifinalists also return to the postseason. The road to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is littered with plenty of familiar faces.
But what about those that may be flying under the radar? Here are five sleeper teams to watch heading into the tournament (in no particular order).
MORE: Interactive bracket | Programs with most DII men’s soccer titles
The Eagles are heading into the NCAA tournament playing their best soccer of the year. Though their record is just 8-9-3, they have rebounded big time since a 2-8-1 start to the season. Ashland hasn’t lost a conference match in over a month, going 6-0-2 over that span. The Eagles punched what seemed to be an unimaginable ticket on Sunday, winning their first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title since 2010.
Ashland University Eagles@goashlandeagles
Another group of Eagles making their long-awaited return to the postseason hail from Waterbury, Connecticut. Post returns to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013, sweeping its way through the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference tournament and upending top-seeded Wilmington 2-0 for the automatic bid.
GoPostEagles@GoPostEagles
MORE: The 7 most prolific scorers in DII soccer
The Sunbirds return to the postseason for the first time since 2015. That was when Anthony Velarde, Joao Ravasio, and Eric Sanchez were freshmen. Now the senior offensive leaders of Fresno Pacific look to keep their storied careers going just a little longer with a deep run into the NCAA tournament.
FPU Soccer@FPUsoccer
Velarde is having a career year. His 20 assists top DII men’s soccer and his 14 goals are best on the team. Entering this season off a redshirted 2017, Ravasio had a total of four goals and six assists in his two years with the Sunbirds. He has absolutely exploded onto the scene, scoring seven goals with 11 assists. Throw in Sanchez’s and Jose Vargas’ five goals each, and Fresno Pacific put together the highest scoring team in the PacWest and the second-highest scoring team in DII.
The Sunbirds were 1-1 this season against ranked opponents. That lone win came against Cal Poly Pomona, their first-round opponent. Amid a five-game winning streak and with plenty of firepower, expect Fresno Pacific to come out strong and make an opening round statement against a very solid Broncos eleven.
Beware of the Badgers. You’ve officially been warned. Spring Hill’s remarkable turnaround was completed Sunday with its first-ever Gulf South Conference championship.
SHC Men’s Soccer@SHCMensSoccer
Yes, it is odd to call a No. 1 seed a sleeper. But this is the highest the Dragons have ever been seeded in NCAA tournament play, and it was also their first year in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Tiffin wasted little time, blanking last year’s No. 1 seed Ohio Valley in the G-MAC Championship, earning the automatic bid to the DII Men’s Soccer Championship.
Tiffin Men’s Soccer@TuMensSoccer
The Dragons are led by G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year Kangni Gabianou, who even contributed two goals this year, one of which was a game-winner. Ramiesh McKnight, Abdoul Magid sy, and Malik Suleman power the offense, combining for 25 goals on the season. Their 15-win season and conference championship earned them a first-round bye where the Dragons await the winner of Ohio Valley and Maryville. It’s never easy to defeat a team three times in one season, so should they face the Fighting Scots in the second round, it becomes one of the premier games to watch.
(From NCAA.com, please check out the full article HERE)
The DII Women’s volleyball championship is quickly approaching and Concordia-St. Paul is hoping to get the chance to win its third straight title and tenth in the past 12 years.
The season has been a wild one, however, and the No. 1 team hasn’t been safe. Five different teams have reached a No. 1 spot that has changed eight times in the 12 polls this season. This seems like the year the title is up for grabs, with no clear-cut favorite.
We know Concordia-St. Paul has a tough gauntlet in its own Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and then an even more unrelenting Central Region that pumps MIAA powers Washburn and Nebraska-Kearney into the mix. Minnesota Duluth, Northern State, and UNK all have shared time in the No. 1 spot with the Golden Bears to put just how difficult that Region is into perspective. Any school that survives that mini-tournament is considered a favorite. But let’s take a look at five teams outside the Central Region that could push for the national championship in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Tampa Spartans✔@tampaspartans
MORE: Programs with the most DII volleyball titles
Tampa plays in a tough volleyball conference. The Sunshine State Conference is home to defending runners-up Florida Southern as well as top-25 regulars Palm Beach Atlantic. Led by a duo of sophomores — Katie McKiel (403 kills) and Sorrel Houghton (384 kills) —the Spartans test themselves every time out and have a good record to show for it, going 11-3 against programs currently in the regional rankings. Tampa has two games left, both against regionally ranked opponents, and can make a real statement heading into the bracket selection.
Last season the Golden Knights went 32-7 in making their first national semifinals in program history. Gannon lost some big pieces from that team, but the returners have gelled and perhaps are in a better position heading into the 2018 tournament.
Gannon Athletics@GUKnights
Two freshmen —Lauren Sampson and Ashley McClung — pace the No. 1 team in the East Region, but Ally Smith and Ashley Kerestes have performed well as the key returners from last season’s squad. Should the Golden Knights lock down the PSAC championship and finish their season 31-1, they will have to be considered favorites to reach Pittsburgh for the DII Festival.
NCAA Division II✔@NCAADII
They have certainly battled. Cal State San Bernardino is 8-2 against teams in the latest regional rankings. Seven of those eight wins were straight-set sweeps, with the Coyotes winning 24-of-25 sets against their stiffest competition. They now head to the California Collegiate Athletic Association as the No. 1 seed. The bulk of last year’s squad — including kills leaders Alexis Cardoza and Hailey Jackson and assists leader Jayann DeHoog — are all back. They have the experience and skills to make a deep run this November.
One of those two losses Cal State San Bernardino suffered came at the hands of Western Washington. The Vikings are on a tear, winners of 23 matches in a row. In fact, they have only lost one set since September.
WWU Athletics@WWUAthletics
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions are led by who may go down as the program’s greatest player. Abby Phelps is not just the Vikings all-time leader in points, but the GNAC’s, with 1,725.5 total points in her career. She’s also tops in Western Washington history in kills and needs just three to become the GNAC record holder. Phelps has delivered in four years in Bellingham, all that’s left is a national championship trophy.
The TexAnns finished 15-14 in 2013. Since then, Tarleton State has put up four straight seasons with 24 or more wins, each one earning it a spot in the NCAA postseason. The TexAnns seemingly get better and better every year, and with a wild South Central Region this year, this may be their chance to get to the quarterfinals and make some noise.
Tarleton State’s game is built on balance. Adriana Darthuy leads the team in kills with 306, but three other players have recorded more than 200. Blanca Izquierdo is the TexAnns leader with 635 assists, but Kayla Brannon is right behind with 475. Tarleton State lost its season finale in a bit of an upset. The fire from that loss, paired with the depth on the roster, may help them surprise some people.
MORE: Regional rankings | AVCA rankings | DII volleyball news
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