Mount Union and Mary Hardin-Baylor could meet for a third straight year in the Division III national championship game. (RoadTripSports.com photo by Matthew Postins)

Last year’s Stagg Bowl participants — the Mount Union Purple Raiders and the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders — are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the 2019 College Football America Yearbook Division III preseason Top 30.

The Purple Raiders, a perennial power in Division III and the winners of 13 national championships, lost to UMHB in the title game last December. The two teams also met in the 2017 Stagg Bowl, with Mount Union taking the victory.

The Purple Raiders return four CFAY Preseason Starting Lineup selections — WR Justin Hill, DL Andrew Rosech, LB Trey Williams and DB Gabe Brown.

The Crusaders return three CFAY Preseason Starting Lineup selections — DL Joey Longoria, DB Jefferson Fritz and WR Aaron Sims, who was selected as the team’s all-purpose player.

Wisconsin-Whitewater, Johns Hopkins and St. Thomas (MN) round out the Top 5. Whitewater and Johns Hopkins were last year’s semifinals losers. St. Thomas actually failed to make the postseason last year, but a wealth of returning talent makes the Tommies dangerous.

No. 6 Saint John’s, No. 7 North Central, No. 8 Hardin-Simmons, No. 9 Bethel (MN) and No. 10 Linfield round out the Top 10.

The 2019 College Football America Yearbook features more than 930 college football teams from the United States and Canada in more than 250 striking, full-color pages. That includes every team from the NCAA (FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III), NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA and U Sports (Canada). It also includes updates on club football, one-year postgraduate prep/sports academies and Mexican college football, along with dozens of action shots and stadium photos taken by the CFAY staff.

The print edition is available online via Amazon.com and other major retailers such as BarnesandNoble.com and Books-A-Million.

2019 Book links:

Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2Gcb20X

BarnesandNoble.com: http://bit.ly/2jQUN1F

2019 College Football America Division III Preseason Top 30

1. Mount Union
2. Mary Hardin-Baylor
3. Wisconsin-Whitewater
4. Johns Hopkins
5. St. Thomas (MN)
6. Saint John’s
7. North Central
8. Hardin-Simmons
9. Bethel (MN)
10. Linfield
11. Wesley
12. Muhlenberg
13. Wisconsin-Oshkosh
14. John Carroll
15. Wittenberg
16. RPI
17. Wheaton
18. Delaware Valley
19. Washington & Jefferson
20. Alfred
21. Centre
22. Berry
23. Brockport
24. Whitworth
25. Ithaca
26. Randolph-Macon
27. Illinois Wesleyan
28. Husson
29. Trinity (TX)
30. Trinity (CT)