BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College football team, 5-5 overall and 5-4 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (www.oac.org), is ranked fifth in NCAA Division III in the state of Ohio in the first release of the Ohio College Football (www.ohiocollegefootball.com) poll on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
The Yellow Jackets, picked to finish fourth by the OAC Coaches and third by the Media who cover the OAC at its annual OAC Media Day on Aug. 11 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, trails defending national champion Mount Union College, Case Western Reserve University, Otterbein College and this Saturday's scrimmage opponent, The College of Wooster, in the poll. BW and Wooster will square off at 1:00 p.m. at John Papp Stadium in Wooster.
B-W returns 29 lettermen and 13 starters from last season's team, including All-OAC quarterback Anthony Gardner (Rocky River/ Lakewood St. Edward) and senior All-OAC offensive tackle Brett Scarl (North Olmsted), who will lead the offense, and two-time All-OAC middle linebacker Paul Burger (Mentor) on defense. For more on this year's B-W team, please visit www.bw.edu/athletics/fb.
The Yellow Jackets open the 2009 season against 19th-ranked (www.d3football.com poll) Franklin College of Indiana on Saturday, September 5 at The George Finnie Stadium in Berea. That game is the 32nd Annual Lee Tressel Shrine Classic with partial gate proceeds going to benefit young children who have suffered severe burns and injuries.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple at 440-826-2327 and via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Nick Minerd at 440-826-2780 and via e-mail atnminerd@bw.edu.
