Rhode Island Leads D-II Tourney Field

ATLANTA – After spending most of the season as the top team in the polls and running through its divisional schedule undefeated, Rhode Island has been installed as the No. 1 seed in the 2023 Division II MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance.

The Rams (14-1) coasted to the CLC title and will face No. 16 North Dakota State (5-8), which was the third at-large bid out of the UMLC.

DIVISION II BRACKET

Cal State San Marcos (14-1), the automatic qualifier out of the SLC, checks in at No. 2 in the seeding and will matchup with Minn.-Duluth (5-7) in the first round. The Bulldogs were the second at-large out of the UMLC.

Fresh of its UMLC championship, St. Thomas (11-2) grabs the third spot and will tangle with Florida Atlantic (5-6), the second at-large out of the SELC.

A pair of conference champions square off in the No. 4 vs. No. 13 tilt as PNCLL winner Montana (17-2) tackles RMLC trophy bearer Air Force (10-1).

LSA champion Missouri State (10-2) is slotted fifth and will face ALC winner UNC-Charlotte (10-2) while No. 6 Montana State (13-2) tees in up with No. 11 UC San Diego (12-3) in a matchup of conference runners-up.

No. 7 Grand Valley State (8-3) will face No. 10 Florida Gulf Coast (10-1) while No. 9 Dayton (9-5) and No. 8 Kennesaw State (10-3) round out the bracket.

“This is a loaded Division II field and should provide excitement in every contest,” said director of competition Gary Podesta. “There is going to be great action from the first game to the last.”

2023 MCLA Division II National Championships
presented by New Balance

First Round Matchups – May 8, 2023 – Round Rock, Texas
No. 16 North Dakota State (5-8) v. No. 1 Rhode Island (14-1)
No. 15 Minn.-Duluth (5-7) v. No. 2 Cal State San Marcos (14-1)
No. 14 Florida Atlantic (5-6) v. No. 3 St. Thomas (11-2)
No. 13 Air Force (10-1) v. No. 4 Montana (17-2)
No. 12 UNC-Charlotte (10-2) v. No. 5 Missouri State (10-2)
No. 11 UC San Diego (12-3) v. No. 6 Montana State (13-2)
No. 10 Florida Gulf Coast (10-1) v. No. 7 Grand Valley State (8-3)
No. 9 Dayton (9-5) v. No. 8 Kennesaw State (10-3)