Welcome back, DII sports fans. There is just one week remaining in the 2023-24 season. Angelo State is in the national semifinals and one win away from the chance to play for a repeat DII baseball national championship. I also caught up with UT Tyler to discuss championship softball.
The UT Tyler Patriot way: ‘We really did it!’
On Sunday, May 25, the UT Tyler Patriots slammed the door on yet another strong season. Unlike the previous two years that ended in the national semifinals, the Patriots swept their way to the title, holding Western Washington to just one run in a two-game sweep of the national championship series.
It has been quite the run for the Patriots. UT Tyler, which won the DIII softball national championship in 2016, slowly began its transition to DII in 2019. Playing its Lone Star Conference foes for the first time in 2020, the Patriots were off and running, making the jump from DIII look relatively easy, sitting at 17-3 when play came to a screeching halt due to the COVID-19 shutdown.
Head coach Mike Reed looks back to the 2018 junior class as part of the reason the transition has gone so smoothly. Even though schools are ineligible for the postseason as transitioning schools, the seniors all still decided to stay.
“That was one of the major first pieces of dominoes that helped the transition go well for us,” Reed recalled. “Another factor is the tradition and expectation of being successful that had carried us to a national championship in 2016 did not change when moving from DIII to DII. We are at a university with amazing facilities that attract amazing student-athletes. All coaches know that is the true key.”
In 2021, the Patriots were strong again, finishing 33-7, winning the Lone Star Conference regular season in their first true, full season in the LSC, albeit still tournament ineligible. The next three seasons saw the Patriots go an almost unbelievable 169-23 with two national semifinal finishes and now the national championship. Shortstop Courtney Plocheck was a freshman in the 2021 LSC championship season. She had an impressive debut finishing third on the team in both batting average (.370) and OPS (1.053), earning First-Team All-Region honors.
What no one knew then was that it would become her worst statistical season. Plocheck became one of the most consistent hitters in DII softball, hitting over .400 and posting an OPS north of 1.000 in each of the last three seasons.
“I think we knew coming into DII the competition was going to be good, but we were also willing to work and do whatever it took to compete at our best,” said Plocheck. “With that being said, I don’t think we skipped a beat. Everyone knew how good the LSC is and how we [had to] play a good team every week. Once we started [winning], our confidence grew.”
Naturally, in what was the biggest game in the Patriots’ young DII tenure, Plocheck went 3-for-3, drew two walks, and scored three of the Patriots’ 10 runs. And the rest, as they say, is history.
“I wouldn’t say I was nervous,” Plocheck said. “I knew they were a good team and have great pitching, but we build and share confidence in each other. The coaching staff prepared us for the game plan, and we know how to execute. I just try to relax and stay within myself and do what I need to do for the team within each at bat.”
So, what’s the secret? In an era of constant change, how does Coach Reed — whether it was at the DIII level or now as a member of DII — continue to pump out one of the most dangerous teams in the land on an annual basis? Reed points to the unwavering commitment from his players to compete at a high level, but also the “consistent leadership on the softball staff has created of tradition of success that has been passed from one talented senior class to the next over the years.”
Switched from DIII and instantly compete? Check. Become a powerhouse with three straight trips to at least the semifinals? Check. Win that elusive national championship? Check. That leaves one question left unanswered, a question that hasn’t been answered since the 1998-99 seasons: Can the Patriots actually go back-to-back when no other program has repeated in nearly three decades?
“Repeating is very hard in sports which makes us even more proud of the success we have had,” said Reed. “In this day and age of the portal and increased efforts of recruiting from all institutions, the strength and parity of sports has never been better.
“But I can absolutely tell you, that is not the way we look at things here at UT Tyler. In our program, we don’t talk about outcome-based goals at all. If you ask the players in our program, we truly focus on the habits of becoming a champion and let that carry it where it takes us. We have an amazing senior class to replace but our focus will become the daily process and tasks of [next year’s] Team 21. That’s the future. For now, the Patriots are enjoying the work they put in to reach the top.”
The Patriots are leading the way, showing that doing the little things right pays off in big ways. Questions about repeating will surely circulate once again when fall ball begins, but for now, the Patriots are enjoying an impressive first three years in DII and that first DII softball national championship.
“For our softball program, to win the national championship in just our third year eligible in Division II gives the validation that hard work and doing the little things right is a formula for success that works at any level,” added Reed. “Truly, I don’t think anyone expected us to win a national championship in our third season eligible. When the last out was made, the two biggest emotions were happiness and gratitude. Happiness for Team 20 to be rewarded with a national championship for all the hard work they had done; gratitude for everyone who helped make that possible, this year and all the alumni.”
“The past couple years it definitely hurt leaving the [DII softball championship] knowing you were so close but just couldn’t come out with the wins,” added Plocheck. “This year I think it helped us that throughout the year, we were more challenged and had to overcome some obstacles, but the team and the coaching staff as a whole continued to push us. We had a mind set to take it one game at a time or even one inning at a time, and to control what we could control. We were all pretty emotional — especially the ones that have been here for the past three years — just because we know everything that has gone into this success. It has been a huge sigh of relief and an uncontrolled joy like ‘we really did it!’”
Around DII Nation
Were you expecting the No. 1 seed Central Missouri Mules to be the first ones sent home from Cary at the DII baseball championship finals? Indiana (PA), sparked by an exciting eighth-inning rally took down the Mules in the first elimination game of the finals, 4-3. It is the first time the No. 1 seed has been swept out of the finals under the current seeding format.
Of course, this continues the Cinderella story for Indiana (PA), the Cardiac Crimson Hawks if you would. Now at 39 wins, it’s hard to imagine this team had a mere two wins just three years ago, but former MLB pitcher and current manager Steve Kline has made this team a contender. The Crimson Hawks — who have made late-inning dramatics the norm in this 2024 postseason — have another big test in yet another elimination game on June 5 against Point Loma. It is a rematch of the first game of the tournament that the Sea Lions won 2-1 despite another late threat from IUP.
IUP is playing for a chance to meet Angelo State in the national semifinals. The defending national champs came in as the No. 8 seed but have not looked the part. The experienced Rams came back to “upset” No. 1 Central Missouri in their first game and exploded after trailing 5-2 to topple Point Loma 13-6. With two wins and no losses, the Rams can rest a few days. The second games for the bottom portion of the bracket took place when this newsletter went to press, so you can keep up with those results and all the action in Cary, including schedules, scores and the bracket here.
Tripp Clark puts the defending champs back on top! Bases loaded double gives @angeloathletics a 7-5 lead heading to the 7th. What a ball game! #D2BSB pic.twitter.com/14lNwaT2K5
— Wayne Cavadi (@WayneCavadi_D2) June 4, 2024
DII softball news
Lauren Harris, a shortstop from McKendree, and Kenzee Smith, UIndy’s star pitcher, earned this year’s NFCA DII player and pitcher of the year. Harris, a mere sophomore with a long list of accolades already, hit .511 with 18 home runs while going a perfect 24-for-24 on the base paths. Smith finished the season with career-best numbers (which says something for the multiple-time GLVC pitcher of the year) posting a 0.47 ERA and 287 strikeouts to go along with a 39-5 record. It is the first time the NFCA awards have been given to players from the same conference. You can read the full release here.
Sticking with softball, All American Tristyn Stewart helped lead her Wilmington (DE) team back to the DII softball finals. She was also one of nine Rawlings Gold Glove winners announced by the NFCA. You can see the entire list of Gold Glovers here.
DII lacrosse news
Angelina Porcello of Pace was named the IWLCA DII player of the year, her second straight year taking home the honors. Porcello was tied for 17th in DII with 70 goals and was 16th with 47 assists. She was also the IWLCA midfielder of the year — the organization also honors an additional player of the year at each position. Joining Porcello were attacker of the year Jackie Stoller from Florida Southern; defender of the year Alexandra Quinn, also from Pace; and goalkeeper of the year Abby Simonetti from East Stroudsburg. You can read more on each player in the IWLCA player of the year release.
2024 DII women’s lacrosse: championship recap
The USILA named its DII men’s lacrosse All-Americans and award winners. National champion goalkeeper, Adelphi’s Dylan Renner, was both the outstanding goalie and outstanding player of the year. Renner, who held off the defending national champion Lenoir-Rhyne Bears to win Adelphi’s eighth DII men’s lacrosse national championship, led all three divisions in save percentage with a remarkable .647 mark. For the full list of award winners and All-Americans, check out the USILA release here.
On the Radar
🏟 DII baseball championship concludes this week.
⚾️ 2024 MLB Draft, July 14.
🏈 DII football opening day, August 29