The 2024 DII softball season has begun. The odd staggered begin of the season means some highly-ranked groups have not even seen the sphere but, however the defending nationwide champion North Georgia Nighthawks aren’t one among them. The Nighthawks are off to a formidable 7-1 begin and look very very like a contender to repeat.
Can they make it to Longwood, FL, for the 2024 DII softball championship last eight? That’s inconceivable to reply, and even guess, simply two weeks into the season.
However that’s precisely what I’m going to do.
HISTORY: Listed below are the DII softball applications with essentially the most nationwide championships
The best way-too-early predictions for the 2024 DII softball last eight
Atlantic: West Chester. I do know, I’m going off the grid a bit right here with a staff not even nationally ranked. And I noticed East Stroudsburg’s Paige Zigmund pitch in Chattanooga final 12 months — she’s among the finest pitchers within the nation, is again within the circle, and might definitely assist the Warriors get again to the finals. Nevertheless, let’s not neglect it wasn’t way back that West Chester dominated the Atlantic Area with three straight journeys to the finals (2018-19, 2021). This staff returns its prime 5 hitters and prime three pitchers from a 12 months in the past and appears poised to sneak up on a loaded PSAC and make some noise.
Central: Oklahoma Baptist. Wanting on the early file, I can see the place some disagree. However the different groups I used to be taking a look at — Central Oklahoma and Augustana (SD) — are additionally off to shaky begins. Rogers State and Southern Arkansas, two extra contenders, are off to scorching begins however have not performed too many groups with a profitable file. The Central is deep and these groups are inclined to beat up on one another (Oklahoma Baptist and Central Oklahoma have already break up two video games). So, why did I’m going with Oklahoma Baptist? That returning squad from a 44-win staff is deep and it looks as if they’ve what it takes to proper the ship. The lineup has its prime six hitters and loads of pitching again, together with Kayleigh Jones who pitched to a 31-7 file behind 0.78 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 315 strikeouts a 12 months in the past.
East: Wilmington (DE). In the event you’ve adopted my softball protection for any period of time, I typically choose the Wildcats to make it to the ultimate eight. They’ve constructed a younger program that made it to the Tremendous Regionals in 2022 and broke by means of final 12 months to make it to the finals. And guess what? Nearly that complete staff is again. The Wildcats return their prime 9 hitters from a 12 months in the past, together with Lexi Moore and Taylor Gillis, every of whom hit over .400. Kylee Gunkel, Brooke Koehler, and Delani Sheehan all return within the circle, and all three pitched to wonderful numbers final 12 months. This staff is loaded, and a repeat journey to the finals is of their grasp.
Midwest: Grand Valley State. Going again over the previous 5 tournaments, the Midwest Area has been break up between these Lakers or Southern Indiana. Being that Southern Indiana moved to Division I, that is actually the Lakers area to lose. Now, the Lakers have fairly a bit to exchange. Within the circle, perennial GLIAC and nationwide pitcher-of-the-year candidate Hannah Beatus is gone, however the three different pitchers — together with Ashley Platek who had 14 full video games in 15 begins — that made appearances do return. The lineup was gutted of star energy as properly however has just a few returning to make it harmful. The Lakers have constructed a Midwest powerhouse, and people sorts of applications reload, not rebuild.
South: Saint Leo. The South is an extremely robust area to make it out of; simply have a look at these information. Each Nova Southeastern and Tampa are within the preseason prime 10. Tampa is 175-51 over the previous 5 seasons — a reasonably cool .774 profitable proportion — and a perennial choose within the prime 25; nevertheless, the Spartans have not gained South Area over that span. The Sharks gained it final 12 months they usually too have historical past in opposition to them: Over that very same five-year span, not a single staff has gained the South twice (though let it’s mentioned I do just like the Sharks’ possibilities to take action). That is why I am digging exterior the top-10 groups and going with Saint Leo. The Lions lose a little bit of their prime hitters however return your entire pitching workers that pitched to a 43-12 file, 1.10 ERA, 0.76 WHIP and 443 strikeouts final 12 months, and that features Kayla Betts who’s a powerful pitcher-of-the-year candidate.
South Central: UT Tyler. It was shut, as a result of West Texas A&M seems to be good as soon as once more and the Buffs have been one of the crucial dominant DII softball applications of the final decade. However additionally they misplaced fairly a bit, together with one of many Lone Star’s all-time nice sluggers in Ruby Salzman. The Patriots have simply been flat-out nice of their three full seasons as a DII program. They’ve gained 144 video games since 2021 — a whopping 87 % of their video games — and made it to Chattanooga final 12 months on a 62-win season. The highest 5 hitters from that lineup are again. Now, the place the Patriots obtained decimated was within the circle, the place they misplaced their two aces. Nevertheless, freshman Crimson Bryant and graduate switch Genesis Armendariz have seemed unstoppable within the early going and will fill the void fairly simply.
Southeast: North Georgia. There has not been a repeat DII softball champion since Cal (Pa) pulled it off in 1997-98. What there was loads of repeating of is the Southeast Area. The defending champions have been to the ultimate eight in three consecutive seasons, and with what the Nighthawks returned, a fourth shouldn’t be out of the query. Sophie Mooney and Sydney Blair — each of whom hit above .400 final 12 months — lead a veteran lineup and all 5 pitchers (together with two-way star Mooney) that pitched to a 1.95 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 64 wins (together with the all-important final one of many 2023 season) are again within the circle. This staff plowed by means of its opening weekend event by a complete rating of 38-7 and appears actually good already.
West: Cal State San Marcos. Let’s keep inside that five-year pattern measurement I have been utilizing. The West Area has seen a special winner in every of these 5 seasons and why I’ve typically referred to it because the Wild West. So why am I going with the Cougars to interrupt that development and make a repeat efficiency within the last eight? Easy: expertise. This staff was led to Chattanooga by six on a regular basis gamers within the lineup that hit above .300… and 5 of them are again. Savannah Coyle and Jayline Sloss have been a harmful 1-2 punch within the circle, and each are again as properly. Historical past is in opposition to them, however the Cougars have what it takes to get again.