Welcome back to This week in DII sports. While the DII Men's and Women's Elite Eight kicks off this week (here's the preview if you missed it last week), we turn our attention to the diamond. Don't forget, help spread the word and please forward this link for the official DII newsletter (and check the DII Newsletter box) to anyone you think should be getting Wayne Cavadi's newsletter in their inbox every Tuesday.
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JUMP TO PITTSBURG STATE SOFTBALL | JUMP TO DII BASEBALL POWER 10 | WHAT WAYNE'S WATCHING
🦍 🥎 A new era of Gorilla Ball. Let’s break it down
(All photo credits: Derek Livingston/PSU Athletics)
For those long-time college baseball fans, you may remember an era of of the game called Gorilla Ball, when LSU baseball smashed many home runs and was affectionally called Geauxrillaball by Tigers' fans. Well, it is beginning to look like a new style of Gorilla Ball is back in the MIAA.
The MIAA has been well represented in both the national rankings and DII softball finals with the likes of Rogers State and Central Oklahoma ascending to powerhouse status the past few seasons. Pittsburg State has really never been part of that conversation… but they sure are now.
Currently 32-4, the Gorillas are stalwarts in the national rankings, making their 2024 debut on Feb. 13 and climbing since. It is somewhere they haven’t been since 1995. They have won 22 of their last 24 and are right near the top of the MIAA standings. Considering that five of the past six years (the last time they won 30-plus games) were losing seasons, this is all quite impressive. Head coach Jenny Fuller is a big reason why. Fuller took over after a 15-29 season in 2021and gradually improved each year until posting a 27-21 record to get over the .500 hump last season.
“Taking over a team that was 15-29 definitely presented a lot of challenges, and we knew it would be a tough task,” Fuller said. “Each year we have been able to add some key transfers, more depth, and build a strong culture. Adding some strong arms in the circle has also contributed to our success.”
One of those arms is Ava Laurent, a true freshman. Now 10-1 with a 1.86 ERA and a MIAA-best 134 strikeouts, Laurent isn’t simply one of the best in the circle for the Gorillas, but one of the best in DII softball.
“As a freshman she’s competed at a high level, and your freshman year always has some ups and downs,” Fuller said. “She doesn’t act like a freshman on the mound.
“I have to give the credit to my assistant, Brad, for finding her. We were coaching at our last school, Northern State, watching a high school team at a tournament in Nebraska. Ava was a sophomore and happened to be pitching against the team Brad was watching, and he said we needed to keep her on our radar. The rest is history.”
That assistant coach Brad knows Jenny Fuller pretty well. He is her husband, and while he has a keen eye for softball talent, he is also part of the family culture the Fullers have brought to Pittsburg, Kansas.
(Coaches Brad and Jenny Fuller celebrate another win.)
“It is a lot of fun to coach with your spouse,” Jenny Fuller said. “We talk a lot about family with our team. Having our 7-year-old daughter [Emma] around also makes it fun, and they love seeing her when she stops by practice. It’s awesome because they are all great role models for her.”
There’s no secret to the recipe for success. “Teams like UCO and Rogers State have the tradition of winning, so to compete with teams like that we wanted to bring in transfers and high school players from winning programs,” Fuller explained. “We needed players who understood what it takes to win, and we feel like we have that this year.”
Sure, you can look at the scoreboard and see that Pitt State lost its doubleheader to No. 3 Rogers State this past weekend, but both of those games were one-run pitcher’s duels. This team is doing exactly what Fuller wants — competing with the best of the best. When you look at some of the leaders on this team like Hannah Burnett, Courtney Storey, Alleyna Rushing and Maddie Fernandez, you quickly see why. “Those players come from winning programs, and they all had postseason experience,” Fuller said. “We felt that was something this team really needed to make a big leap. We needed players who could help establish a winning culture and had been there before.”
Heather Arnett (pictured below), a Pittsburg native, has been particularly impressive. Her 36 stolen bases are not only a program record (with just over a month remaining in the regular season) but tied atop the DII softball leaders. So are her seven triples and her .481 batting average is a top-25 mark in DII.
“It is so awesome to have a local player contribute,” Fuller said of Arnett. “The town loves her and really rallies behind her. She is the perfect leadoff and always puts pressure on the defense.”
That’s not to say there aren’t some veterans in this lineup. Entering the weekend, Paxtyn Hayes — who Fuller describes as the life of the party — had a career slash line of .348/.377/.623 with 47 doubles, 35 home runs and 158 RBIs in her Gorillas’ career.
This team has a long way to go until the tournament but is already looking like one of the better turnaround stories of 2024. Being the first to 30 wins in DII softball, cracking the top 15 in March, the early program records that are falling… those are all secondary to the ultimate end goal. Pittsburg State has just one tournament appearance in the 2000s, and the Gorillas were swept right out of that 2017 DII softball championship bracket.
Get ready. It’s looking more and more like there may be a rumble in the jungle for the Gorillas this May.
⚾️ 📊 Mount Olive creeping up the DII baseball Power 10 rankings
Spoiler alert. Tampa wins baseball games by a ton of runs. So does Central Missouri. That means there wasn’t much change atop this week’s Power 10 rankings. The bottom, however; well that saw some movement.
Full disclosure: I am not sure where to rank Westmont. The reigning NAIA national champions are transitioning quite well to DII in its first season, now 10-1-1 in the PacWest, including a series win over Power 10 Point Loma. However, the Warriors are not eligible for the DII baseball championship until 2026, so where do they fit in on a Power 10 rankings? While this is still to be determined, what can be determined with certainty is that this is a really good ball club.
Remember, the Power 10 is just me, my spreadsheets and a whole mess of notes and what I’m seeing at games. Baseball is the longest college sports season, and we see the most games played each week — judging a team by wins and losses is not that easy. This is a look at the current landscape, trying to combine the eye test with selection metrics.
The third 2024 DII baseball Power 10 of the 2024 season
(Games and stats through Monday, March 25)
No. 1 Tampa | Previous: 1. The Spartans just swept through Florida Southern with relative ease. They have now scored 326 runs while the pitching staff has allowed a mere 101 runs, only 78 of which have been earned. Alex Canney and Skylar Gonzalez have led the pitching staff to the top ERA (2.81) and WHIP (1.12) in baseball. This team is clicking everywhere.
No. 2 Central Missouri | Previous: 2. The Mules are arguably the best offense in the land. They have an absurd .368/.468/.654 slash line (and leading DII in batting average and OPS) and have scored 317 runs behind a DII best 61 home runs. The Mules have EIGHT hitters batting above .320 with at least six home runs. Opposing pitchers have zero relief going 1-9 in this lineup.
No. 3 Millersville | Previous: 3. The Marauders actually proved to be human this week and lost a couple games. They are still winners of 13 of their last 15 and look very much like the team to beat in the Atlantic. Pitchers Alex Mykut and Carson Kulina are certainly the best 1-2 punch in the region, and maybe all of DII baseball.
No. 4 Missouri Southern | Previous: 4. The Lions have two big MIAA series wins in a row against a 20-win Pittsburg State and tough Washburn team. Ace Cole Gayman has now strung together three impressive starts, allowing just one run over 22.2 innings while striking out 20 and walking five. Depending on what time you read this Tuesday, there’s a chance Henry Kusiak has already homered again, with three in his past four games.
No. 5 Point Loma | Previous: 5. The Sea Lions are still rolling, coming off a four-game sweep of Hawaii Pacific. That huge series win over Cal State Monterey Bay is what has them the top team in the West for me right now. There is plenty of offense with Scott Anderson and Jake Entrekin leading the way, and per usual, this is one of the best fielding teams in DII. They are a tough force right now.
No. 6 Saint Leo | Previous: 7. A big series win against Embry-Riddle got the Lions to an impressive 24-4. Not only that, but Saint Leo is also 10-2 against teams with a winning record. Starting pitcher Luke Lashutka has allowed nine earned runs this year, and eight came in a one-game slip up. Closer Nick Jennings still hasn’t allowed a run and is striking out 16.6 batters per nine innings.
No. 7 Young Harris | Previous: 9. The Mountain Lions have won 10 in a row after their recent sweep of Francis Marion. The lineup remains very balanced, hitting .316 with a nice .908 OPS. Jeremy Begora has been a nice addition, pacing the team in home runs and doubles with a 1.129 OPS as well. I still have questions about the pitching depth after starter Dylan Beck (5-0, 2.06 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) but right now this team is hot.
No. 8 North Greenville | Previous: 10 (tied). The Crusaders have been a rollercoaster ride the past few weeks. They took a series from Mount Olive, lost a series to UNC Pembroke, and bounced back this week with a series win against Barton — three of the toughest teams in the Southeast. Now, Young Harris awaits… and I have no idea what will happen. The lineup is very top-heavy with some of the best hitters in the Southeast, Reece Fields is a beast in the rotation, and the bullpen is lockdown. They certainly have the weapons.
No. 9 Mount Olive | Previous: First five out. It’s comical to me that the Trojans fell out of the national rankings last week for losing a series to North Greenville and responded by beating nationally ranked Catawba in a midweek-er and then sweeping nationally ranked UNC Pembroke, including a masterful no-hitter from Ethan Imbimbo. This is one of the best teams in DII and though I have been way higher than everyone else on them this year, I think the rest of DII will have to come around.
No. 10 Augustana (SD), West Texas A&M | Previous: 10 (tied). The Vikings don’t have sexy metrics that will have the selection committee drooling… yet. But they have a ton of experience, are now 17-4, have Jack Hines hitting everything thrown at him, and a pair of aces in Ashton Michek and Caleb Saari.
The Buffs are dominating the South Central and have a winning record against winning teams for a nice 22-8 record. They have Lubbock Christian and Angelo State in back-to-back weekends to close the season, so they will certainly learn a lot about themselves and could have a ton of momentum heading into the tournament.
First five out (in alphabetical order):
🐏 Angelo State: It’s been a matter of consistency for the defending champs, and slowly, it looks like they are settling in and playing Rams’ baseball.
🦅 Ashland: UIndy and Maryville are very good baseball teams, but at 16-4 and with Cam Scott atop the rotation and a lineup hitting .328 with a .911 OPS, I think this is the team to beat in the Midwest.
🤠 Colorado Mesa: The Mavericks have won 11 in a row and are starting to look like Colorado Mesa again. A huge series against Regis awaits.
🌩 Georgia Southwestern: Followed a midweek sweep of former Power 10 West Florida by scoring 62 runs in a three-game sweep of Claflin. This team is good.
🤠 Lubbock Christian: The Chaps have been strong all season, and one of my sleepers heading in. A split against Angelo State this past weekend was huge. Carson Ogilvie is that dude.
Teams I’m watching closely: Barton, Cal State Monterey Bay, Central Oklahoma, East Stoudsburg, Maryville, Molloy, Seton Hill, Southern Arkansas, North Georgia, Northwest Nazarene, West Florida
👀 What Wayne's Watching 👀
The 2024 DII men’s and women’s basketball semifinals and finals are heading to national television. Since the games will no longer be streamed through NCAA.com or Hudl, you can:
⛹🏽 The DII Men's Elite Eight is taking place Tuesday. Follow the 2024 DII men’s basketball championship TV schedule and scores on NCAA.com here.
⛹🏼♀️ The DII women's basketball semifinals are set for Wednesday. Texas Woman's and Ferris State will battle on CBS Sports Network at 7 p.m. ET and Cal State San Marcos and Minnesota State will duke it out at 9:30 p.m. ET. Fun fact: Cal State San Marcos was the first No. 8 seed to take down No. 1 since the inception of the current DII Women's Elite Eight format in 2017. Follow the 2024 DII women’s basketball championship TV schedule and scores on NCAA.com here.
Baseball
⚾️ Colorado Mesa at Regis, March 28-30
⚾️ Young Harris at North Greenville, March 29-30
⚾️ Lincoln Memorial at Catawba, March 29-30
⚾️ Georgia Southwestern at North Georgia, March 28-30
⚾️ Seton Hill at Cal (PA), March 29-30
Softball
🥎 Nova Southeastern at Tampa, March 28-29
🥎 UT Tyler at Texas A&M-Kingsville, March 28-29
🥎 Mississippi College at West Alabama, March 29-30
DII lacrosse
🥍 MEN'S: Adelphi at Pace, March 29; Newberry at Lenoir-Rhyne, March 30
🥍 WOMEN'S: Pace at New Haven, March 27; West Chester at East Stroudsburg, March 27
Stars of the Week
HISTORY! How about Lauryn Esposito from Southern Wesleyan women’s lacrosse. On March 16, she set the program record with a 15-goal day, the highest single-game total of 2024 which ties the DII record set by Lauran Lebo of Nyack in 2016.
Trevor Baskin of Colorado Mesa, Drew Blair of Minnesota Duluth, Frank Champion of North Georgia, Wes Dreamer of Northwest Missouri State, Jake Hilmer of Upper Iowa, Zawdie Jackson of West Georgia, KJ Jones II of Emmanuel (GA), James Paterson of St. Thomas Aquinas, Malik Willingham of Minnesota State and Larry Wise of West Texas A&M were among the 25 remaining players on the Bevo Francis watchlist. The finalists will be announced April 5, and the winner will be announced April 8.
Julia Garcia of DBU women’s golf picked up the Lone Star Conference player of the week for the No. 1 Patriots. Garcia has now been named LSC player of the week nine times in 10 semesters.
Nick Thimsen of Concordia-St. Paul belted four home runs in his first four at bats in the second game of a doubleheader on March 22. It’s the single-game record for the Golden Bears.
Augustana (SD) softball’s Torri Chute had herself a day on March 19. She belted three home runs in a victory over Northwest Missouri State, driving in 10 runs — the single-game high for 2024.
Hat tip to Rogers State softball head coach Andrea Vaughan. She became the first Hillcat coach to reach 300 wins in any sport in school history.
On the Radar
🏈 2024 NFL Draft, April 25-27.
🏆 The 2024 DII Championships Festival (Spring), May 19-25: This includes men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, women’s lacrosse, and softball. Visit the DII Festival hub.
🏟 DII baseball championship, June 1-8.
⚾️ 2024 MLB Draft, July 14.
Did I miss someone or something? It sure is possible. Don’t forget to drop me a line at Wayne.Cavadi@WBD.com and get your stars of the week in by every Monday.
