On March 28 on Bailey Field, men’s lacrosse pulled off a massive victory ovetr the reigning North Coast Athletic Conference champions and the #20 team in the country, Ohio Wesleyan University’s Battling Bishops, by a dominant score of 16–7. That same day, the women’s lacrosse team was in Oregon, defeating Willamette University 16–11 and extending their record to 9–1. That same week, baseball and softball returned from their spring break trips boasting records of 10–7–1 and 11–5. The tennis teams also concluded their spring break with records of 9–3 for the men and 7–4 for the women.
On this very weekend, Oberlin Athletics was at its apex. Today, the six spring sports teams (baseball, softball, both lacrosse teams, and both tennis teams) have a combined winning percentage of .593 so far this season. That’s the highest percentage spring sports have had in over two decades. Furthermore, a track and field program that, while lacking a strict win-loss record, is boasting an impressive season of their own.
Men’s lacrosse’s victory over Ohio Wesleyan was the culmination of all of the school’s accomplishments this spring. The successes of the season as a whole for the men’s lacrosse program have not been a surprise. After multiple strong seasons and a conference tournament appearance last year where they fell just short against Ohio Wesleyan, the men’s lacrosse program is now expected to perennially compete for a conference championship. It may be easy to call the Yeoman’s victory over the #20 team in the country an upset, but not if you ask any of their players.
“As soon as we reach a milestone as a team, we’re happy for the day,” second-year Chris Totonis said. “That means the bar of what we are expected to be [raises], because we know that we can be that.”
The women’s lacrosse team is having an incredible season of its own. With a 10–4 record, it’s their best start since 2018. First-year Assistant Women’s Lacrosse Coach Meghan Nasman, who in her first year with the program has coached her team to one of their best offensive seasons of the 2020s, raved about how tight-knit and hardworking the group is.
“Their determination to do better than they did last year is something that I love and that I love to coach,” Nasman said.
Nasman also talked about how special it is to share this success with other sports teams. The women’s lacrosse team directly collaborates with the men’s team in bouncing ideas off of each other, and Nasman also spoke of a shared mentality among the sports programs.
“We want to move up the NCAC, and I think that goes across the board for all athletics,” Nasman continued.
This optimism for progress isn’t just shared by athletes and coaches.
“There’s a real sense among our coaches and staff that what we’re seeing is a solid foundation that will allow us to build sustainable success,” Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos shared.
The success of the spring sports teams this spring is no fluke. It’s a result of hard work from top to bottom.
“Across the department, and across campus, there’s a shared belief in the trajectory and the value of athletics,” Winkelfoos said. “From President [Carmen Twillie] Ambar to Student Affairs, Admissions, and our dean of Arts & Sciences, there’s a growing understanding of how athletics contributes to the overall student experience and community. We’re excited about the student-athletes coaches are recruiting, the cultures they’re building, and the way current teams are setting standards for those who come next.”
Culture-building and setting a new standard are something that both the baseball and softball teams are taking on as well. The Oberlin softball team holds a 14–12 record. Despite a disappointing season last year, they have made a massive turnaround after a surge of first-year players have made immediate impacts. This past weekend, they swept Ohio Wesleyan in a Sunday doubleheader. On April 4, they took down John Carroll University.
That same weekend, third-year outfielder Brady Groves hit a walk-off single to defeat Wabash College – a team that took both games from Oberlin last year – in the second game of a doubleheader for Oberlin baseball. A few days later, second-year pitcher Matthew Ruttkay led Oberlin on the pitcher’s mound to a dominant win over last year’s NCAC runner-up, The College of Wooster.
Fourth-year captain Anton Shelton reflected upon how far the Oberlin baseball program has come, not just on the field, but as a culture. While also boasting a team of younger talent, older players have taken a strong initiative to build a group of mature players as well as a brotherhood in the offseason.
“There is a newfound sense of pride in the program overall,” Shelton said.
The tennis programs are similarly having impressive seasons. The women’s tennis team is 9–5, their best showing since 2018. The men’s tennis team is 11–6, which is their best season in over a decade. Both programs are also enjoying brand new tennis courts that were completed this year, a physical investment from the school that expresses the continued interest in making the tennis and sports programs better.
The track and field program is also having a successful season. The program enters the spring coming off of an exciting indoor season. Fourth-year Namu Makatiani earned his fourth All-America triple jump honor and first All-America first team honor. Last week, they secured five All-Ohio Championship titles. First-year Simon Tang set a Northern Mariana Islands national record for the 110-meter hurdles.
One day this winter, Head Track and Field Coach Ben Wach hosted the Oberlin baseball team, helping them use the team’s lasers to run and record their 60-yard dash times.
Often lauded for having a strong community and environment where players and coaches feel respected and accepted, the Oberlin Athletics program has always been a special place. It’s a place that has never lacked in culture and community, but this year, the school is taking a step forward on the playing field. Winkelfoos believes that these things go hand-in-hand.
“I don’t see competitive success and inclusion as separate or in conflict. They should and, in my opinion, do strengthen each other,” Winkelfoos said. “What we’re seeing is that when you build a program with care, accountability, and respect at the center, it creates the conditions for both high performance and belonging.”
What has made this spring all the greater is that the success on the field has not come at the expense of any of the core values that Oberlin prides itself on. It still remains a place that all players and coaches can not just feel accepted, but thrive. The hopes are that this year is just the beginning of a long journey to prolonged success as a program. Or, as Winkelfoos puts it:
“We’re building something that truly lasts, together.”
