BEREA, Ohio -- As the COVID 19 pandemic continues to affect the nation and the world, the Baldwin Wallace University Athletic Department and baseball team want to take the time to recognize the hard work and dedication of its eleven senior student-athletes.
Max Adams, Spencer Aukerman, Spencer Berg, Jacob Bonner, Brandon Dim, Michael Hubert, Scott Kirchhoff, Ty McKinney, Dylan Nieto, Jake Smith and Kane Zellerssaw their final season come to an abrupt end when the Ohio Athletic Conference and NCAA canceled the remainder of the spring season on March 14. With the cancelation, these ten young men did not get a chance to get a Seniors' Day recognition or the chance to play in the OAC Championships.
While the NCAA has extended another year of eligibility, it is uncertain if each of these student-athlete will come back for another season or continue down their career path. So, the University administration, faculty and staff congratulates these eleven young men on their outstanding athletic and academic careers as well as their leadership to the baseball program. The University would like to wish each of them all the best of luck in their future endeavors and hope that even after graduation that they come back and visit us often. They will always be a Yellow Jacket for Life (YJ4L).
Adams is a marketing major from Massillon, Ohio and a graduate of Washington High School. He had his best season during his rookie campaign when he made 12 appearances with one start. Adams dealt a career-best 19 innings and struck out eight batters with a 3.32 earned run average (ERA). For his career, he appeared in 33 games with five starts in 56.2 innings,. Adams recorded 38 strikeouts and had a 4.61 ERA. He is the son of Boone and Christine Adams.
Aukerman is a biology and pre-med double major from Medina, Ohio and a graduate of Medina High School. This year, he set a career-high with 12 strikeouts in a win over Wabash (Ind.) College on March 1. Aukerman had his best campaign as a junior when he appeared in 13 games with 10 starts while he maintained a career-low 4.78 earned run average (ERA.). Aukerman struck out a career-best 41 hitters in a career-high 43.1 innings pitched. The Medina native has made 32 career appearances with 17 starts. He has recorded 91 strikeouts in 92.1 innings pitched. Off the mound, Aukerman is a Dean's List student. He is the son of Kurt and Allison Aukerman.
Berg is a business administration and marketing double major from New Albany, Ohio and a graduate of New Albany High School. He had his best season as a Yellow Jacket last season when he had career-highs in strikeouts (27), innings pitched (27), appearances (15) and ERA (3.67). In his career, the lefty has made 41 appearances and started three games with 71 strikeouts in 70.2 innings. Berg has recorded five saves with a 3.95 ERA. He is the son of Kevin and Melody Berg.
Bonner is a pre-physical therapy major from Akron, Ohio and a graduate of Archbishop Hoban High School. He had his best season as a Yellow Jackets as a sophomore when he appeared in 46 games and hit. 303. Bonner tallied 53 hits, 32 runs batted-in (RBIs), 11 doubles, three home runs, one triple and one stolen base. For his career, Bonner played in 138 games and totaled 139 hits, 87 RBIs, 29 doubles, eight home runs, seven stolen bases, two triples with a .290 batting average. He is the son of Keith Bonner and Kim Welsh.
Dim is a sport management major from Solon, Ohio and a graduate of Solon High School. He is a two-time Academic All-OAC honoree. Dim had his best season on the field last year when he batted a career-high .273 with 24 runs scored, 13 runs batted-in (RBIs), one double, one triple and an on-base percentage of .415. In his career, Dim played in 76 games and recorded 36 hits, 34 runs, 18 RBIs, three stolen bases. Off the field, he is a Dean's List student, Jacket Scholar and a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society. Dim is the son of Jeff and Laura Dim.
Hubert is a finance and accounting double major from Cincinnati, Ohio and a graduate of Oak Hills High School. A two-time Academic All-OAC selection, Hubert had his best season as a sophomore when he set multiple career-bests in appearances (21), earned run average (2.27), strikeouts (37) and innings pitched (43.2). He appeared in 51 career games with four starts in 109.2 innings. He recorded 96 strikeouts, 44 earned runs with an ERA of 3.61. Off the field, Hubert is a Dean's List Student and a Jacket Scholar. He is the son of Jeffrey and Jennifer Hubert.
Kirchhoff is a marketing major from Toledo, Ohio and a graduate of Sylvania Northview High School. He started and dealt 3.1 innings in a 12-9 victory over NCAA Division l Butler (Ind.) University on March 10. Against Butler, Kirchhoff struck out a career-high five batters and allowed one earned run. For his career, Kirchhoff appeared in three games with one start. He pitched 4.2 innings with a 1.93 earned run averages (ERA) and six strikeouts. Off the field, Kirchhoff is a Dean's List Student and a Jacket Scholar. He is son of Jon and Joanna Kirchhoff.
McKinney is an engineering major from Uniontown, Ohio and a graduate of Canton South High School. As a junior, He appeared in six games and registered one hit and one run batted-in. In his career, McKinney played in seven games and totaled one hit, one RBI and had a .250 batting average. He is the son of Mike McKinney and Holly Beshore-St. George.
Nieto is a psychology major from Brunswick, Ohio and a graduate of St. Ignatius High School. He has been a three-year member of the team. Nieto played one season of men's basketball before returning to the diamond. Off the field, he is a Dean's List student. Nieto is son of Art and Debbie Nieto.
Smith is a public health major from Medina, Ohio and a graduate of Medina High School. He has appeared in six career games and registered one hit. Off the field, Smith is a Dean's List student, Jacket Scholar and a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society. He is the son of Mark and Debbie Smith.
Zellers is a public health major from Salem, Ohio and a graduate of Salem High School. Kane is the son of Amy and Brooke Zellers.
