BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace men's basketball team will seek to make it six consecutive berths to the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament, with a successful 2018-19 campaign.
Posting a career record of 49-33, fourth-year Head Coach Tom Heil will return seven letterwinners and one All-OAC performer from last year's squad. BW advanced to the conference semifinals after finishing the season with an overall record of 18-9 and 11-7 in the OAC.
The two returning starters of senior two-time All-OAC and two-time Academic All-OAC guard Jay Battle (Gahanna/Lincoln) and junior Academic All-OAC guard Michael Quiring (Brunswick), will provide leadership to the Yellow Jackets backcourt. Battle became the 42nd BW men's basketball player to exceed the 1,000 career points mark en route to scoring 14.9 points per game. Quiring returns after registering a career-high 9.2 points per game, fourth on the team, and 56 assists.
Senior guard Kyle Nader (Vermilion) appeared in 27 games and made key contributions averaging a career-high 4.9 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game, as well as a 47.1 shooting percentage. Junior forward Tyler Colombo (Strasburg/Tuscarawas Central Catholic) also appeared in all 27 games and was second on the team with a 57.0 shooting percentage, as well as recording 16 steals.
Junior guard Zach Cebula (Brunswick) and sophomore guard Luke Schaefer (Medina) will add depth to the Yellow Jackets backcourt after appearing in 25 and 23 games, respectively. Junior forward Drew Sova (Chagrin Falls/Kenston) appeared in 25 games and averaged 3.9 rebounds per game.
Rounding out the upperclassmen are junior Academic All-OAC guard Troy Massa (Parma/Normandy), junior Academic All-OAC forward Jack Lostoski (Uniontown/Lake), junior forward Alex Nahra (Mayfield), and junior forward Jake Elbin (Findlay).
Filling out the sophomore class in the backcourt are Benjamin Geschke (Medina), Kyle Lyon (Parma), Logan Newman (Canton/St. Thomas Aquinas), and Matthew Dimitrijevs (Broadview Heights/Brecksville Broadview Heights), while sophomore forward Quinton Farren (Seven Hills/Trinity) will add depth to the post.
Three new faces of freshman guard Shane Zalba (Mentor), freshman guard Joby Pfeil Jr. (Vermilion), and freshman guard David Luers (Lebanon/Bishop Fenwick) will aim to be vital players in the rotation.
BW starts the season in Rochester, N.Y. when they play Alfred (N.Y.) St. on Saturday November 10. The first home game for the Yellow Jackets will be on November 20 when they host the College of Thomas (Ky.) More in Ursprung Gymnasium. The following game on November 27 will open OAC action when they travel to Alliance, Ohio to face off against the University of Mount Union.
