Baseball Ready to Make a Run at OAC Title in 2017

Cole Nieto and Logan Heffernan

Posted: Feb 17, 2017

BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University baseball team and seventh-year Head Coach Brian Harrison are ready to make a run at the Ohio Athletic Conference title in 2017.

Harrison returns 13 lettermen from last year's team who finished with a 23-20 overall record, 13-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference and advanced to the OAC Tournament championship game. Harrison and his staff brought in a talented group of freshmen along with one transfer that look to contribute this season.

BW returns pitchers in junior American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Mideast Regional and All-OAC pitcher Evan Lovick (Mentor), senior Logan Heffernan (Lebanon) and sophomore Brandon Lekan (Strongsville). Lovich led the team a season ago as he pitched 51.1 inning, had a team-best earned runs average (ERA) of 1.58 and finished the year with a 3-1 record. Heffernan pitched 29.2 innings a season ago and finished the year with a 4.85 ERA and a 2-0 record. Lekan pitched 26 innings and tallied 24 strikeouts.

In the infield the Yellow Jackets return senior All-OAC second baseman Cole Nieto (Brunswick/St. Ignatius), junior third baseman Spencer Badia (Bellaire) and senior shortstop Steve Montgomery (Caton/Central Catholic). Nieto played in all 42 games, batted .284, hit 13 doubles and recorded 70 putouts a season ago. Last year, Badia started in all 42 games, batted .292, drove in 21 runs and finished with a fielding percentage of .921. Montgomery appeared in 35 games, finished the year with .283 and recorded 57 putouts last season.

BW returns two outfielders junior left fielder Alex Marcum (Granville) and sophomore right fielder Reese Albright (North Royalton). Last season, Marcum batted .264 with 10 doubles and had a fielding percentage of .938. Albright played in 41 games and was second on the team with a .325 batting average a season ago.

Behind the plate, junior catcher Trent Kaltenbach (Plain City/Jonathan Alder) started in 38 games a season ago, finished the year with a fielding percentage of .983 and batted .222. In addition to playing in left field, Marcum also served as a backup catcher.

The Yellow Jackets open the season on Saturday and Sunday February 18 and 19 when they travel to Indianapolis for two non-conference games against Anderson (Ind.) College at Bishop Chartard High School at 1 p.m.