BEREA, Ohio – The defending Ohio Athletic Conference champion Baldwin Wallace University men's lacrosse team aims for its fourth straight OAC regular season title. The team will take the field for the first time on February 17.
Under the direction of third-year Head Coach Tony Tatro, the reigning OAC Coach of the Year returns three Academic All-OAC selections and five All-OAC performers from last year's squad that won the OAC Regular Season Title with an overall record of 16-3 and a 9-0 record during conference play. The Yellow Jackets add 22 newcomers who look to make an immediate impact.
On the offensive end, the Yellow Jackets are excited to welcome back the 2023 OAC Freshman of the Year, sophomore All-OAC attackman/midfielder Bennet Trout (Pickerington / North). Trout led the team and was sixth in the OAC with 36 goals (53 points). He also posted 40 ground balls, caused 15 turnovers, and made 17 assists. Trout appeared and started in all 19 games last season, placing him first on the BW all-time leaderboard in games played in a season.
BW is also pleased to welcome back senior Academic All-OAC attackman/midfielder Jake Nanosky (Medina). He was fourth on the team last season with 41 points (23 goals) and collected a career-best 28 ground balls. Nanosky also recorded 18 assists and caused six turnovers. He is a 2023 All-OAC Honorable Mention and a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree. Nanosky is second on the BW all-time leaderboard in career points (179) and assists (79).
Junior midfielder/face-off specialist Zach Zoul (Strongsville) returns to the field after leading the Yellow Jackets with 74 ground balls, placing him sixth in the OAC. He also led BW and was fifth in the OAC with a career-best 138 face-offs won. Zoul was a 2023 All-OAC Honorable Mention and is fourth on the BW all-time leaderboard in career face-offs won (189) and face-offs taken (352).
Senior midfielder Noah Bartos (Lancaster, N.Y.) was awarded All-OAC First-Team honors last season after tallying 22 ground balls, causing 11 turnovers, scoring three goals, and making two assists. Bartos was crucial to the program's success after appearing in all 19 games.
On the defensive side, BW returns sophomore defender Ethan Hingson (Grand Rapids, Mich. / East Grand Rapids). He was fourth on the team with 22 caused turnovers and fifth on the team with 38 ground balls. Hingson appeared in all 19 games and is tied for 21st in caused turnovers on the BW all-time leaderboard.
Senior attackman/midfielder Keaton Trout (Pickerington / North) was awarded Second-Team All-OAC honors last season and is expected to make a huge difference on the field in 2024.
Expected impactful Yellow Jackets returning are senior defender John Bartolotto (Fairport, N.Y.), senior midfielder Hunter Boehm (Delaware / Olentangy), senior defender Will Lasch (East Lansing, Mich. / Lansing Catholic), senior midfielder Rhys Leach (Canton / GlenOak), senior goalkeeper Samuel LoPiccolo (Mason / William Mason), senior midfielder Niccolas Spotti (Mars, Pa. / Mars Area), and junior midfielder Ryan Yanssens (Lexington, S.C. / River Bluff).
Other key letterwinners for BW include sophomore midfielder/face-off specialist Gavin Flak (Reno, Nev. / Robert McQueen), sophomore attackman/midfielder Reichen Geiselhart (Cranberry Township, Pa. / Seneca Valley), sophomore defender Benjamin Glover (Oregon City, Ore. / Lakeridge), and sophomore midfielder Nate Hoover (Worthington / Thomas Worthington).
Other returning letterwinners for the Yellow Jackets include sophomore attackman/midfielder Jake Koonmen (Fairport, N.Y.), sophomore attackman/midfielder Keyan Moser (McMurray, Pa. / Peters Township), sophomore defender Louden Peters (Greensboro, N.C. / Northern Guilford), junior midfielder Tim Plyler (Meadville, Pa.), and sophomore midfielder Ian Shealy (Westerville / Central).
Click Here to view the 2024 newcomers and full roster.
The Yellow Jackets open their season on Saturday, Feb. 17 when they travel to Danville, Kentucky to take on Centre (Ky.) College in a non-conference contest at 1:00 p.m. on the Joe McDaniel Field. BW's first home game is on Wednesday, Feb. 21 when the team faces Kenyon College for a non-conference matchup. The game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. on the Tressel Field inside the George Finnie Stadium.
