D-II Preseason Poll: It’s the Tommies

ATLANTA – After raising its sixth national championship trophy last May – tied for most titles in MCLA history – St. Thomas has been tabbed the favorite in the 2020 New Balance Division II Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released on Wednesday.

The Tommies (11-4) snagged 21 of the 23 first-place votes, keeping them well ahead of second-ranked Dayton (12-4). The Flyers lost to St. Thomas in last year’s championship game.

Minn.-Duluth (12-2) – the top-ranked squad heading into the 2019 postseason – sits in the third chair while North Dakota State (7-8) follows in fourth.
College of Idaho (14-1), which broke through to the semifinals last year, rounds out the top five.

The UMLC continues its domination of the polls, with six league teams filling out six of the top seven spots in the poll. No. 6 Grand Valley State (8-3) and No. 7 St. John’s (6-6) follow the College of Idaho.

The SELC also has a strong showing in the poll, placing five teams in the Top 25, led by No. 8 Kennesaw State (10-4) and No. 9 North Florida (13-2).

2020 New Balance MCLA Division II Preseason Poll

Also receiving votes: Sierra Nevada (34), Rice (27), Cal State San Marcos (26), Baylor (14), Claremont (13), MSU Denver (12), Oklahoma State (12), Stonehill (12), Central Washington (10), Florida Atlantic (9), Appalachian State (8), Colorado Denver (8), UT-San Antonio (7), Saint Mary’s (6), UC Irvine (5), Louisiana (2), Western Washington (2), San Jose State (1).