BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin-Wallace College football team is ranked 13th nationally in two Division III preseason polls by a pair of national publications -- The Sporting News and Lindy's Sports.

The Yellow Jackets, 7-3 overall a year ago, returns 42 lettermen and 17 fulltime starters, including 10 on offense and seven on defense, and two of the most electrifying return specialists in Division III in sophomore speedsters Kevin Johnson (Cleveland/ St. Ignatius) and Josiah Holt (Grafton/ Midview).  The offense will be led by returning quarterback Ryan O'Rourke (Avon/ Senior). The defense will be led by 2-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference safety Ryan Dugan (Mentor).

B-W enters this season with 42 winning seasons (and a .500 season) in the past 45 years and is one of the most successful programs in college football history with a 546-319-30 all-time mark in 106 years on the gridiron. 

B-W opens its season on Thursday, September 1 when it travels to Wooster, Ohio to play The College of Wooster Fighting Scots at 7:00 p.m.  That game will be taped and played on SportsTimeOhio. Broadcast dates and times are yet to be announced.  It will be one of at least four Yellow Jacket games that will be televised this season. 

FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access the latest B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.