May 27, 2023

No. 12 BW Baseball Punches Ticket to World Series with Sweep of Aurora (Ill.)

More news about: Baldwin Wallace

AURORA, Ill. – The No. 12 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University baseball team are heading back to the NCAA Division III World Series with a sweep of Aurora (Ill.) University. The Yellow Jackets cruised past Aurora with a 16-6 victory in game two on the Jim Schmid Field at the Stuart Sports Complex.

BW (36-10) was led by sophomore All-Ohio Athletic Conference infielder Sean Kolenich (Parma/St. Edward) who broke the single season record for most hits and most singles. Kolenich is the first player to get six hits in a game since 1986. He went 6-for-7 with four runs scored. Senior All-OAC first baseman Alexis Castillo went 3-for-4 with five runs batted in (RBIs) and four runs scored.

Scoring Plays

  • Senior outfielder Andrew Parker (Toledo/Toledo Central Catholic) got the offense started with an RBI double to right field in the second inning.
  • The Yellow Jackets got going again in the third inning with an RBI groundout from junior infielder Nick Clark (Willowick/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin).
  • Castillo got his first RBI of the afternoon with a sacrifice fly to center.
  • Parker closed out the third inning and gave BW a 4-0 with his second RBI double of the game.
  • BW kept the pressure on in the fourth with Clark starting things off with an RBI single up the middle.
  • Parker continued his hot day with an RBI single down the left field line to make it a 7-0 game.
  • Senior All-OAC catcher JT Mazula (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) made it a 9-0 game in the middle of the fourth with a two-run single up the middle.
  • Aurora (42-6) got on the board with a sacrifice fly from freshman catcher Tyler Patton.
  • The Spartans added another run off a fielding error and made it a 9-2 lead through four innings.
  • The Yellow Jackets continued to show the hot bats in the fifth. Clark started it off again with an RBI groundout.
  • Castillo drove in a run with an RBI double down the left field line to make it an 11-2 lead.
  • Senior All-OAC utility Ryan Guggenheim (Solon) drove it a run with a single to left.
  • Aurora responded in the bottom half of the fifth with an RBI single from senior first baseman Justin Satori.
  • The Spartans would make it a 12-4 game with a run coming in on a double play.
  • Aurora scored the lone run of the sixth off an RBI single to right from junior infielder Nico Bermeo.
  • Castillo extended the BW lead in the top of the seventh with a three-run home run to straight away center to make it a 15-5 lead.
  • The Yellow Jackets added one run in the ninth when senior outfielder Nick Stoltz (Geneva) came across the plate on a wild pitch.
  • The Spartans got one run in the ninth off a solo home run from senior catcher Jett Wedekind.

On the Mound

  • Senior All-OAC left-handed pitcher Nik Baldis (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) picked up the start and allowed five runs, four earned on seven hits and four walks. He pitched six innings and struck out a pair.
  • Sophomore right-handed pitcher Kade Swisher (Berea/Berea-Midpark) threw a scoreless inning in relief allowing three batters on via the walk and striking out one batter.
  • Senior right-handed pitcher Matt Sabin (Mentor) allowed one run in two innings of work.

Up Next

BW returns to the diamond for the NCAA Division III World Series that will run from June 2nd-8th on Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.