CANTON, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University football team was picked to finish third at the annual Ohio Athletic Conference Media Day held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Yellow Jackets, who return 41 letterwinners and 10 starters from last year's squad that went 8-2 overall, were picked third in by both the coaches and media. Defending OAC, the University of Mount Union was selected first in both polls as it seeks its 29th OAC regular-season title in the last 31 seasons.
Third-year head coach Jim Hilvert, senior All-OAC defensive back and 2019 team captain Jordyn Johnson (Akron/North) and senior two-time Academic All-OAC and 2019 team captain A.J. Miller (Coral Springs, Fla./Coral Springs Charter) represented BW at the event, which was attended by all 10 league institutions. The Yellow Jackets report to preseason camp on August 13.
"Being pick third is a honor but honestly its not where you start but where you finish in the OAC," said Hilvert. "We appreciate the respect that the coaches and media gave us this preseason by moving us up in the poll from a season ago but we still have a lot of work to do."
Hilvert enters his third season in Berea with a record of 14-6 and a 12-6 OAC mark. He is in his 11th overall season as a NCAA Division III coach and has amassed a career record of 81-25 with four national playoff appearances.
Johnson led the OAC in 2018 with a career-high 11 pass breakups and was tied for fourth in the league with a team-high three interceptions. In three years, he has recorded 46 tackles in 18 games.
Miller enters the season as the favorite to take over the signal calling duties. He appeared in his first collegiate game last season vs. Mount Union.
BW opens the 2019 campaign on Saturday, September 7 as it travels to Alma, Michigan for its lone non-conference game against Alma College at 1 p.m. OAC action is slated to begin with back-to-back road contests against Otterbein University on September 14 at 2 p.m. and Mount Union on September 15 at 1:30 p.m. The home opener is scheduled for Saturday, September 28 when the Yellow Jackets host Heidelberg University in an OAC and 42nd Lee Tressel Shrine Classic Game at 1:30 p.m. The season will conclude with the 31st Annual Battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy game against crosstown rival John Carroll University at 1:30 p.m.
| Media Poll | ||
| Ranking | School | Points |
| 1. | Mount Union | 259 (26) |
| 2. | John Carroll | 233 (1) |
| 3. | Baldwin Wallace | 214 |
| 4. | Marietta | 184 |
| 5. | Ohio Northern | 171 |
| 6. | Heidelberg | 136 |
| 7. | Muskingum | 89 |
| 8. | Otterbein | 85 |
| 9. | Capital | 74 |
| 10. | Wilmington | 40 |
| Coaches Poll | ||
| Ranking | School | Points |
| 1. | Mount Union | 81 (9) |
| 2. | John Carroll | 71 (1) |
| 3. | Baldwin Wallace | 70 |
| 4. | Ohio Northern | 52 |
| 5. | Marietta | 47 |
| 6. | Heidelberg | 43 |
| 7. | Otterbein | 29 |
| 8. | Muskingum | 27 |
| 9. | Wilmington | 18 |
| 10. | Capital | 12 |