WINGATE, N.C. (NCBWA) – The 2024 national champion University of Tampa Spartans are the top-ranked team in the preseason National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) Division II top 25 poll. The Spartans went 52-8 last season, which included a 4-0 record in Cary, N.C. at the national championships to capture the ninth national title in program history. Tampa received all 20 first-place votes in the preseason poll.
Tampa was the number one team in the NCBWA poll for the final 15 weeks of the 2024 season, earning the top spot unanimously 10 times. National runner-up Angelo State is number two in the preseason poll. The Rams won the national championship in 2023. Catawba checks in at number three after a final four appearance in 2024, with Central Missouri at number four after another trip to Cary last season.
Point Loma, UIndy and IUP are ranked fifth, sixth and seventh in the preseason poll, three more teams that advanced to the championships in Cary in 2024, with IUP advancing to the final four. 2022 national champion North Greenville checks in at number eight, while Southern New Hampshire is ninth after its trip to Cary last season. Colorado Mesa rounds out the top 10.
The NCBWA Region polls will be announced every Monday throughout the season, while national polls will come out every Wednesday. The first in-season region polls will come out Monday. Feb. 10, with the first national poll of the regular season coming out Wednesday, Feb. 12.
| 2024 NCBWA DIVISION II PRESASON POLL (JAN. 27) | |||||
| Rk. | School [1st place] | Location | Record | Pts. | Pvs. |
| 1. | Tampa [20] | Tampa, Fla. | 52-8 | 500 | 1 |
| 2. | Angelo State | San Angelo, Texas | 44-21 | 473 | 2 |
| 3. | Catawba | Salisbury, N.C. | 46-17 | 444 | 3 |
| 4. | Central Missouri | Warrensburg, Mo. | 52-10 | 442 | 5 |
| 5. | Point Loma | San Diego, Calif. | 46-13-1 | 421 | 4 |
| 6. | Indianapolis | Indianapolis, Ind. | 41-21 | 378 | 9 |
| 7. | Indiana | Indiana, Pa. | 41-18 | 361 | 7 |
| 8. | North Greenville | Tigerville, S.C. | 41-14 | 344 | 11 |
| 9. | Southern New Hampshire | Manchester, N.H. | 37-19 | 318 | 8 |
| 10. | Colorado Mesa | Grand Junction, Colo. | 38-18 | 317 | 23 |
| 11. | Missouri Southern | Joplin, Mo. | 44-15 | 299 | 10 |
| 12. | West Chester | West Chester, Pa. | 43-9 | 253 | 17 |
| 13. | Cal State Monterey Bay | Seaside, Calif. | 39-21 | 235 | 16 |
| 14. | West Florida | Pensacola, Fla. | 36-24 | 224 | NR |
| 15. | Lubbock Christian | Lubbock, Texas | 45-16 | 221 | 6 |
| 16. | Young Harris | Young Harris, Ga. | 41-15 | 197 | RV |
| 17. | Augustana (S.D.) | Sioux Falls, S.D. | 47-10 | 192 | 18 |
| 18. | Ashland | Ashland, Ohio | 42-15 | 171 | RV |
| 19. | Molloy | Rockville Centre, N.Y. | 42-14 | 135 | 15 |
| 20. | East Stroudsburg | East Stroudsburg, Pa. | 43-14 | 100 | RV |
| 21. | Mount Olive | Mount Olive, N.C. | 40-18 | 91 | 25 |
| 22. | Nova Southeastern | Fort Lauderdale | 28-18 | 87 | RV |
| 23. | West Texas A&M | Canyon, Texas | 37-19 | 77 | 24 |
| 24. | Maryville | St. Louis, Mo. | 40-19 | 56 | RV |
| 25. | Westmont | Santa Barbara, Calif. | 33-15-3 | 45 | RV |
| Also receiving votes: Arkansas Monticello (35-24) 25; Lee (39-18) 25; Georgia College (37-22) 21; Charleston (W. Va.) (44-10) 15; Northwest Nazarene (36-15-1) 10; Seton Hill (41-17) 7; Thomas Jefferson (33-17) 5; UNC Pembroke (43-14) 6; Delta State (34-25) 4; Central Oklahoma (37-16) 2; Lander (38-15) 1. | |||||
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