The Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets are the athletic teams for
Baldwin Wallace University
Baldwin Wallace University (BW) is a private university in Berea, Ohio. It was founded in 1845 as Baldwin Institute by Methodist businessman John Baldwin. The school merged with nearby German Wallace College in 1913 to become Baldwin-Wallace C ...
. The Yellow Jackets participate in
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
of the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
in the
Ohio Athletic Conference
The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) was formed in 1902 and is the third oldest athletic conference in the United States. Its current commissioner is Sarah Otey. Former commissioners include Mike Cleary, who was the first General Manager of a profe ...
. BW's rivalries include
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private Jesuit university in University Heights, Ohio. It is primarily an undergraduate, liberal arts institution accompanied by the John M. and Mary Jo Boler College of Business. John Carroll has an enrollment of 3, ...
and
University of Mount Union
The University of Mount Union is a private university in Alliance, Ohio. Founded in 1846, the university was affiliated with the Methodist Church until the spring of 2019. In the fall of 2020, Mount Union had an enrollment of 1,958 undergraduat ...
. BW's most successful athletic programs include cross country and swimming and diving. Among BW's most famous alumni related to athletics include
Harrison Dillard
William Harrison "Bones" Dillard (July 8, 1923 – November 15, 2019) was an American track and field athlete, who is the only male in the history of the Olympic Games to win gold in both the 100 meter (sprints) and the 110 meter hurdles, maki ...
,
Lee Tressel
Lee Tressel (February 12, 1925 – April 16, 1981) was a football coach and athletic director at Baldwin–Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Tressel accumulated the most winning record as the head football coach at Baldwin–Wallace. His 1978 team w ...
, and
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel (born December 5, 1952) is an American college football coach and university administrator who is currently the president of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Before becoming an administrator, Tressel was the ...
.
History
The university has long rivalries with
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private Jesuit university in University Heights, Ohio. It is primarily an undergraduate, liberal arts institution accompanied by the John M. and Mary Jo Boler College of Business. John Carroll has an enrollment of 3, ...
and
University of Mount Union
The University of Mount Union is a private university in Alliance, Ohio. Founded in 1846, the university was affiliated with the Methodist Church until the spring of 2019. In the fall of 2020, Mount Union had an enrollment of 1,958 undergraduat ...
. Perhaps the most notable BW athlete from the 20th century was
Harrison Dillard
William Harrison "Bones" Dillard (July 8, 1923 – November 15, 2019) was an American track and field athlete, who is the only male in the history of the Olympic Games to win gold in both the 100 meter (sprints) and the 110 meter hurdles, maki ...
, the only male so far to win
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
titles in both
sprinting
Sprinting is running over a short distance at the top-most speed of the body in a limited period of time. It is used in many sports that incorporate running, typically as a way of quickly reaching a target or goal, or avoiding or catching an op ...
and
hurdling
Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, ...
events, in the
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...
. The teams of the
Sidney High School Yellow Jackets were named after Baldwin Wallace graduate Granville Robinson became Head Coach at Sidney High School. The teams' colors are officially brown and gold. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the school used burgundy and teal as well as maroon and gold for its marketing literature. Since the mid-2000s, BW returned to its roots with using brown and gold. In 2009 after almost 20 years of use, BW adopted a new logo and modified the university's mascot for the athletic teams.
[B-W: Stinger Has a new Look](_blank)
Mascot
The official mascot of Baldwin Wallace University is Stinger. Stinger is depicted as a
Yellow Jacket
Yellowjacket or yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory social wasps of the genera ''Vespula'' and ''Dolichovespula''. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries. Most of these ...
, specifically after the
Eastern yellowjacket
The eastern yellow jacket or eastern yellowjacket (''Vespula maculifrons'') is a wasp found in eastern North America.Hoffman, Eric A., Kovacs, Jennifer L. and Goodisman, Michael A. D. (August 20, 2008). Genetic structure and breeding system in a ...
found throughout
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
. Stinger is seen at many athletic events and university functions. In 2009 after almost 20 years of use BW adopted a new logo and modified the mascot for the university's athletic teams.
Varsity sports
The Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets varsity sports participate in
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
of the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
in the
Ohio Athletic Conference
The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) was formed in 1902 and is the third oldest athletic conference in the United States. Its current commissioner is Sarah Otey. Former commissioners include Mike Cleary, who was the first General Manager of a profe ...
. BW has 13 men's varsity teams and 11 women's varsity teams. Relatively recent additions to BW's sports offerings include men's and women's lacrosse, which were added for the 2012–13 season.
The school's newest varsity sport is men's volleyball, which begins play in the 2021 season (2020–21 school year). Since the OAC sponsors volleyball only for women, the new team competes in the single-sport
Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League
The Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) is an intercollegiate men's volleyball conference associated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA's NCAA Division III, Division III.
History
The MCVL was founded in March 2014 by a ...
.
Football
BW holds the title for Most Wins in the OAC.
In the 106-year history of football at the university, the Yellow Jackets have compiled an all-time record of 546–319–30. The 546 wins are the most of any current OAC member school. Baldwin Wallace's
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team was coached by
Lee Tressel
Lee Tressel (February 12, 1925 – April 16, 1981) was a football coach and athletic director at Baldwin–Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Tressel accumulated the most winning record as the head football coach at Baldwin–Wallace. His 1978 team w ...
, who led the team to an undefeated record in 1978, and subsequently the NCAA Division III Championship.
Basketball
The men's Basketball team hold the record of Five OAC Regular Season Championships, Five OAC Tournament Titles, Seven trips to the NCAA Tournament and Seven All-Americans.
The women's Basketball team hold the records of 11 berths to the NCAA Division III National Tournament, Four "Elite Eight" finishes (1999–2000, 2000–2001 and 2005–2006, 2011–2012), Seven OAC regular season titles and Five OAC Tournament crowns.
Cross country
The Women's Cross Country record has 16 OAC cross country titles for the years of 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007 and 2009. The Men's Cross Country record has 5 OAC cross country titles for the years of 1973, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1983.
Track and field
BW's Women's team won the 2016 Indoor Track and Field National Championship and were Runner's Up at the Outdoor National Championship. BW also holds the record for 2008 OAC Indoor Champions. The women's indoor and outdoor track & field teams have won 17 Ohio Athletic Conference indoor titles, including 15 straight from 1988 through 2002, and 16 OAC outdoor crowns, including a pair of OAC-record streaks of seven straight years. Add that success to 16 OAC cross country titles.
Wrestling
BW Wrestling has the record of Two NCAA National Champions, Two NCAA Runners-Up, 10 Division III All-Americans and 18 OAC champions.
Club sports
BW club sports include Running Club, Men's Club Volleyball, Racquetball, Paintball and Archery. In 2012 BW moved its club Lacrosse to an official sport, and men's volleyball became a varsity sport in the 2020–21 school year.
Racquetball
Baldwin Wallace has a great tradition of racquetball, including two USAR men's team
intercollegiate titles in 2001 & 2002 and an overall Division II team title in 2006.
Shane Vanderson
Shane Vanderson (born May 26, 1981) is a retired professional racquetball player. Vanderson was thInternational Racquetball Tour's (IRT's)#5 player at the end of three seasons: 2006-07, 2007–08, 2009-10.http://www.bossconsulting.com/irt/ IRT Hi ...
won the USAR Intercollegiate racquetball men's championship in 2001,
[http://usaracquetball.com/AboutUSAR/RecordBooks/IntercollegiateChampions.aspx] and three Baldwin Wallace players have won the women's title. Sheryl Lotts won it in 2009,
Kristen Walsh in 2001 and Krystal Csuk won in 2002.
Baldwin-Wallace players won the doubles title four times. Vanderson and
Andy Hawthorne
Andy Hawthorne, OBE is a British evangelist, author and founder of The Message Trust, a Christian mission organisation based in Manchester, UK. Working for over 30 years with young people and communities across the UK. His initiatives and the ...
won the men's doubles title in 2002 and 2003,
and Elle Summers won the women's title with Walsh in 2001 and with Csuk in 2002.
Of those champions, Vanderson and Hawthorne have gone on to be top 10 players on the
International Racquetball Tour
The International Racquetball Tour (IRT) is the leading professional racquetball organization for men's competition. It was founded in 1991 and is the successor to previous iterations of the tour by different names. Professional Men's racquetbal ...
while Walsh and Csuk have been top 10 players on the
Women's Professional Racquetball Organization The Ladies Professional Racquetball Tour is the latest name for the women's professional racquetball tour. It features the world's best players and several events each season - running from September to May - that are mostly played in the USA.
Hist ...
tour. All four of these players have also represented the USA internationally.
Facilities
Baldwin Wallace University participates in NCAA Division III athletics. Facilities include The Lou Higgins Center, The George Finnie Stadium, Heritage Field and the "Pop" Collins Tennis Complex.
Fight song
''BW Fight Song''
Fight, Baldwin Wallace
Fight, Baldwin Wallace
Fight and win this game;
We're cheering for you,
There's glory for you,
We're on the road to fame;
And in the battle,
We'll prove our mettle,
We're loyal, square, and brave.
Vict'ry will crown our might,
And in the breeze tonight
Our Brown and Gold shall wave!
Awww... JACKETS!
Written by Katherin Olderman in 1928
People
Notable athletes
Baldwin Wallace University has over 41,000 alumni living throughout the United States.
BW has many alumni that still reside throughout Ohio. Some notable Alumni in sports include former
OSU Football coach
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel (born December 5, 1952) is an American college football coach and university administrator who is currently the president of Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Before becoming an administrator, Tressel was the ...
and his father
Lee Tressel
Lee Tressel (February 12, 1925 – April 16, 1981) was a football coach and athletic director at Baldwin–Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Tressel accumulated the most winning record as the head football coach at Baldwin–Wallace. His 1978 team w ...
, former NFL player and first
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
head coach
Norb Hecker
Norbert Earl Hecker (May 26, 1927 – March 14, 2004) was an American football player and coach who was part of eight National Football League championship teams, but may be best remembered as the first head coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
...
, CBS announcer
Bud Collins
Arthur Worth "Bud" Collins Jr. (June 17, 1929 – March 4, 2016) was an American journalist and television sportscaster, best known for his tennis commentary. Collins was married to photographer Anita Ruthling Klaussen.
Education
Collins was b ...
, and Olympian
Harrison Dillard
William Harrison "Bones" Dillard (July 8, 1923 – November 15, 2019) was an American track and field athlete, who is the only male in the history of the Olympic Games to win gold in both the 100 meter (sprints) and the 110 meter hurdles, maki ...
. Lance Yandell who was a star Wide receiver setting records for Baldwin Wallace football. BW has had many alumni become representatives for the state of Ohio. As well, BW has a large network of alumni who have gone into Broadway due to its strong performing arts program.
Gallery
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Baseball.jpg, A Yellow Jackets baseball game in 2022
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Men's Basketball.jpg, A Yellow Jackets men's basketball game in 2022
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets vs. John Carroll Blue Streaks.jpg, A Yellow Jackets women's basketball game in 2022
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets football (51685262805).jpg, A Yellow Jackets football game in 2021
Image: Allegheny vs. Baldwin Wallace Lacrosse - 49599853347.jpg, A Yellow Jackets men's lacrosse game in 2020
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Women's Lacrosse (51967683891).jpg, A Yellow Jackets women's lacrosse game in 2022
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Men's Soccer.jpg, A Yellow Jackets men's soccer game in 2021
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Women's Soccer.jpg, A Yellow Jackets women's soccer game in 2021
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Softball.jpg, A Yellow Jackets softball game in 2022
Image: Sparky Adams Invitational - 52030970630.jpg, A Yellow Jackets men's track and field meet in 2022
Image: Sparky Adams Invitational (52029430337).jpg, A Yellow Jackets women's track and field meet in 2022
Image: Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets Volleyball (51603260270).jpg, A Yellow Jackets volleyball match in 2021
References
External links
*
{{Ohio college sports