BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's lacrosse team will compete in its third Ohio Athletic Conference season and the Yellow Jackets have their sights set on winning the 2016 OAC title.

Fourth year Head Coach Jason Tarnow returns 33 lettermen and seven starters from last season. Last years team finished 12-3 and advanced to the OAC Tournament Semifinals. This season the OAC coaches picked BW to finish third in the conference.  

Leading the way offensively are sophomore attack Brock Riemenschneider (Rocky River) and junior midfielder Shane Rakich (Dublin / Olentangy Liberty). Riemenschneider was second on the team with 24 goals and 36 points, and Rakich was third on the team with 18 goals and 29 points.

In the face-off circle the Yellow Jackets will count on the All-OAC second-team junior midfielder Alex Fioritto (Akron / Walsh Jesuit). Fioritto was a big part of the team's successes last season winning a school-record 157 faceoffs and picked up a team-high 112 groundballs.

Along with Riemenshneider, Rakich, and Fioritto, juniors Andrew Spicher (Erie, Pa. / Erie McDowell) and Joey Briski (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Pine-Richland) will provide some more firepower for the Yellow Jackets offense. Last spring, Spicher scored 13 goals and 24 points, and Briski scored 15 goals and 21 points.  

Last spring, sophomore goalkeeper Mike Dizonno (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Adlai E. Stevenson) logged 795 minutes in between the pipes, held a 12-3 record, only allowed 6.26 goals-per-game, and saved 54 percent of the shots he faced.

Joining Dizonno on defense are returning starters sophomore Michael Dickey (Rocky River) and two-time first-team All-OAC sophomore Josiah Greve (Milford). Dickey snagged 36 ground balls and was third on the team with 24 caused turnovers. Greve collected 42 ground balls and led the team with 30 caused turnovers.

Tarnow also has brought in 21 freshman and three transfers to build up his roster. Look for transfers Derek Andrews (Alden, N.Y. / Iroquois) and Alex Binner (East Amherst, N.Y. / Williamsville North) to make a big impact on offense, and freshman Brian Jandzinski to do the same on the defensive side of the field.

BW opens the season on Saturday, February 27 when it travels to Washington, Pennsylvania to take on Washington and Jefferson (Pa.) College in Alexandre Stadium at 4 p.m.