Complete OAC Coaches Preseason Poll (.pdf)

BEREA, Ohio – The No. 5 nationally-ranked and defending Ohio Athletic Conference Champion Baldwin Wallace University men's wrestling team was picked first in the OAC Coaches Preseason Poll.

BW, who will seek its fourth straight championship and and eighth in the last nine years, was selected first with 49 points and seven first place votes. Ohio Northern University was picked second with 43 points and one first place vote while John Carroll University was selected third with 35 points.

The Yellow Jackets, who placed third at the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships, under the direction of veteran head coach Jamie Gibbs return the leadership and experience to achieve their goals. BW brings back 21 letterwinners, five NCAA championship qualifiers, six All-Ohio Athletic Conference performers and seven Academic All-OAC selections.

Highlighting the returners are senior and 2023 NCAA Division  III 149-pound National Champion, All-American and All-OAC performer Michael Petrella (Reynoldsburg /Bishop Hartley), senior 133-pound All-Central Region performer and national qualifier Jaden Hinton (Glassboro, N.J.), junior 174-pound All-OAC performer, All-Central Region performer and national qualifier Tommy West (Avon Lake /St. Edward), and senior 197-pound All-American and All-OAC performer Doug Byrne (Wickliffe). 

Petrella, who enters this season ranked No. 1, finished his junior campaign with a perfect record of 33-0 with 15 pins, five technical falls and five major decisions. In his three seasons, he has compiled a record of 72-4 with 27 falls, six technical falls and seven major decisions.

Hinton comes into his fourth season after posting an outstanding record of 36-4 with 11 major decisions and 12 technical falls.  He has a career record of 66-15 with 22 major decisions, 20 technical falls and three pins.

West enters his third season after an impactful sophomore year, as he tallied a career-high record of 26-6 with five pins and three major decisions. Off the mat, West is a National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American. 

Byrne had a record of 33-3 with a career-high 19 pins along with five major decisions.  For his career, Byrne is a National Wrestling Coaches Association All-American with a record of 86-15.  He has tallied 49 pinfalls, 11 major decisions and three technical falls.  Off the mat, Byrne is a National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American.  

Gibbs welcomes back eight senior, six junior and three sophomore other letterwinners who all have seen time on the mat and will push to fill the open spots this season.

The seniors are Jackson Allen (Webster, N.Y. /Webster Thomas), National qualifier and Academic All-OAC performer Luke Hopkins (Cuyahoga Heights), Academic All-OAC performer Hunter Kupniewski (North Royalton), Johnny Novak (Cleveland / St. Ignatius), Robby Palmieri (Gibsonia, Pa. /Pine-Richland) David Panda (Columbia, Md. / Atholton), Academic All-OAC performer Justin Ritchie (Carlisle) and Mitch Sanders (Newbury).

The juniors are Academic All-OAC performer Brett Blaess (Jackson, N.J. / Jackson Memorial), Brandon Burkhart (Olmsted Township / Olmsted Falls), Academic All-OAC performer Jack Cain (Springfield / Shawnee), Evan Daniels (McDonald, Pa. / Madonna [W. Va.]), Academic All-OAC performer Ben DeGuzman (North Canton /Hoover), Carter Lloyd (Brecksville /Brecksville-Broadview Heights), and 2022 National qualifier Donovan Palmer (North Ridgeville /Lutheran West).

The sophomores are Remington Bauer (Norwalk /Edison), Shawn Earle, Jr. (Broadview Heights /Brecksville-Broadview Heights), and Manny Scordos (Brecksville / Brecksville-Broadview Heights).

The Yellow Jackets open the 2023-24 season on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 3 and 4 when they travel to Ithaca, New York to compete in the Ithaca College Invitational. BW opens home action on Saturday, Nov. 18 as it hosts the BW Invitational inside the Lou Higgins Center Fieldhouse.