OAC 

1. Ohio Northern 
2. Baldwin Wallace 
3. Mount Union 
4. Otterbein
5. Capital 
6.  Marietta
7. Muskingum
8. Heidelberg
9. Wilmington 

Ohio Northern

Head Coach: Nat St. Laurent 

2025 Overall Record: 16-5

2025 Conference Record: 8-1

Key Losses:

• Caleb Bennet – Attack – 30 Goals, 31 Assists, 61 Points 

Key Returners:

• Colin Willits – Attack – 55 Goals, 13 Assists, 68 Points
• Mitchel Luck – Attack – 37 Goals, 25 Assists, 62 Points 
• Ian Phillips – Defense – 9 CTs, 16 GBs
• Brady Vette – SSDM – 8 CTs, 13 GBs

Games that will test this team early:

DeeThreeLax Take: Ohio Northern is coming off another big year where they took home the title of OAC Champs. They won an NCAA tournament game and their season eventually came to an end against RIT in the second round of the NCAA tournament. ONU is going to look to run it back in 2026, they return a lot of key production from that 2025 run. The OAC is filled with great competition and a few different teams could take home the OAC title at the end of the season and ONU is absolutely one of the contenders once again in 2026. 

Baldwin Wallace 

Head Coach: Tony Tatro 

2025 Overall Record: 14-5

2025 Conference Record: 9-0

Key Losses:

• Samuel LoPiccolo – Goalie – 150 Saves, 50% Save Percentage 

Key Returners:

• Bennet Trout – Attack – 55 Goals, 46 Assists, 101 Goals 
• Noah Dodgion – Attack – 58 Goals, 15 Assists, 73 Points 
• Paxton Allison – Attack – 38 Goals, 26 Assists, 64 Points 
• Reichen Geiselhart – Midfield – 46 Goals, 11 Assists, 57 Points 
• Pete Gavin – Defense – 27 CTs, 56 GBs 
• Louden Peters – Defense – 20 CTs, 22 GBs 
• Ethan Hingson – Defense – 19 CTs, 37 GBs, 2 Points

Games that will test this team early:

• Kenyon
• John Carroll
• Denison
• Centre
• Grove City 
• Illinois Wesleyan 

DeeThreeLax Take: Baldwin Wallace has put together some impressive seasons over the years and built a strong program. The 2026 Baldwin Wallace team is going to be one of the strongest teams in the OAC if not the strongest. They return almost everyone from a team that went 9-0 in conference action and 14-5 overall last season.  They are going to come out firing on all cylinders against a very challenging out of conference schedule that is going to get them primed for OAC competition. They are a top of my list to win the OAC in 2026. 

Mount Union 

Head Coach: Dominic Perella 

2025 Overall Record: 12-5

2025 Conference Record: 6-3

Key Losses:

• Liam Erwin – Attack – 32 Goals, 16 Assists, 48 Points 
• Grant Dunmire – Midfield – 24 Goals, 17 Assists, 41 Points 
• Mark Zusman – Midfield – 29 Goals, 8 Assists, 37 Points 
• Alec Blazer – Defense – 24 CTs, 36 GBs
• Logan Gunderman – Goalie – 130 Saves

Key Returners:

• Talon Osmun – Attack – 72 Goals, 12 Assists, 84 Points
• Spencer Logsdon – Attack – 36 Goals, 25 Assists, 61 Points 
• Braylon Li – Midfield – 29 Goals, 11 Assists, 40 Points 
• Josh McCawley – Defense – 18 CTs, 33 GBs, 3 Points 
• Sean Hanson – LSM – 17 CTs, 46 GBs, 7 Points

Games that will test this team early:

• Transylvania
• Mt St Vincent 
• Allegheny

DeeThreeLax Take: Mount Union put together a huge turn around season in 2025. Going from 6-11 in 2024 to 12-5 in 2025 and put together a huge win over John Carroll to end regular season play and advancing to the OAC tournament. Mount Union will look to continue growing and climbing higher in the OAC in 2026. They return a strong offensive unit and a lot of key pieces on defense. They will need to find the missing link between the pipes but Mount Union looks like they are set up to have another strong season and make a run in the OAC tournament come may. 

Otterbein 

Head Coach: Colin Hartnett
2025 Overall Record: 9-8

2025 Conference Record: 6-3

Key Losses:

• Max Graham 
• Dom Dean
• Cayden Rohe
• Luke Farthing, 
• Nathan Lewis 
• Carson Rainone

Key Returners:

• Andrew Lewis-Mid 
• Zach Mulligan- Mid
• Jack Regruth-Att

Games That Will Test This Team Early: 

• Albion
• Wooster
• Adrian

DeeThreeLax Take: Otterbein comes into 2026 with the goal of an OAC title. This group graduated 7 starters from last years team but they are ready to reload with a new identify in 2026 and compete at high level in the OAC. I expect they will finish within the top four and land themselves another trip to the OAC tournament this season. 

Capital 

Head Coach: Adam Stewart 

2025 Overall Record: 6-10

2025 Conference Record: 4-5

Key Losses:

• Mason Spaulding – Attack – 43 Goals, 12 Assists, 55 Points 
• Jacob Poole – Midfield – 24 Goals, 8 Assists, 32 Points 
• Ty Chase – Midfield – 13 Goals, 8 Assists, 21 Points

Key Returners:

• Mason Miller – Midfield – 14 Goals, 8 Assists, 22 Points
• Charlie Howenstine – Attack – 11 Goals, 10 Assists, 21 Points
• Gino Nave – LSM – 28 CTs, 58 GBs
• Eric Patterson – LSM – 18 CTs, 29 GBs, 2 Points
• Dylan Christopherson – Defense – 10 CTs, 22 GBs, 2 Points
• Leelan Durham – Defense – 10 CTs, 19 GBs

Games that will test this team early:

• Kenyon
• Wooster
• Centre

DeeThreeLax Take: Coach Stewart Is back for his second year at the helm of Capital and looks to build momentum in the OAC. Captial returns a strong group on defense, which will definitely be the anchor of this team in 2026. The offense is without Spaulding and Poole their top two point leaders from last season that they will need to make up for the lost production of the two. Capital will once again hold their own in the OAC and should find a way into the OAC tournament at the end of the season but how far they go is up to them and how much the team can rally around each other. 

Marietta

Head Coach: Nathan Grover

2025 Overall Record: 8-8

2025 Conference Record: 3-6

Key Losses:

• Nate Neal – Midfield – 46 Goals, 15 Assists, 61 Points
• Chase Franklin – Attack – 35 Goals, 19 Assists, 54 Points
• Aidan Evans – Attack – 31 Goals, 9 Assists, 40 Points 
• Josh Walters – Midfield – 11 Goals, 13 Assists, 24 Points
• Logan Podgorski – Attack – 13 Goals, 7 Assists, 20 Points 

Key Returners:

• Sam Leininger – Midfield – 20 Goals, 11 Assists, 31 Points
• Barrett Lindell – Defense – 32 CTs, 56 GBs, 1 Points
• Caden Alkire – Defense – 27 CTs, 87 GBs, 9 Points 
• Alan Schwab – Defense – 13 CTs, 16 GBs
• Garrett Schweiner – Defense – 10 CTs, 31 GBs 

Games that will test this team early:

DeeThreeLax Take: Marietta put together a solid 8-8 season last year, but coming into 2026 it looks like they lost almost all of their fire power on offense from a season ago. They return 1 of their top 6 point leaders from a season ago. The offense will be in rebuild mode this year while the defense looks to be in a better position. A few key returners are back on defense which should help Marietta stay in some tight games down the stretch but this team will need to rebuild the offense in hopes to make a push for the OAC tournament at the end of the season. 

Muskingum

Head Coach: Christian Hall

2025 Overall Record: 5-12

2025 Conference Record: 2-7

Key Losses:

• Drew Davis – Midfield – 23 Goals, 11 Assists, 34 Goals
• Grant Webster – Attack – 19 Goals, 13 Assists, 32 Points
• Jackson D’amico – Midfield – 8 CTs, 12 GBs 

Key Returners:

• Evan Cosgrove – Attack – 18 Goals, 21 Assists, 39 Points
• Chipper Iacobucci – Midfield – 24 Goals, 3 Assists, 27 Points
• Tyler Workman – Midfield – 21 Goals, 1 Assist, 22 Points
• Nick Cannon – Defense – 9 CTs, 25 GBs
• Jacob McDermott – LSM – 8 CTs, 27 GBs 
• Jeremy Hollow – Goalie – 186 Saves, 52 % Save Percentage

Games that will test this team early:

• VA Wesleyan 
• Marywood
• Chatham
• St. Vincent 

DeeThreeLax Take: Muskingum is looking tobounce back from a challenging season in 2025. I think the good news for this group is that they should definitely have an improved season in 2026. They should push the OAC competition and pull out a few additional wins, with the strong returning cast they bring back in 2026. They have a few offensive pieces they will need to backfill but overall this group is strong coming into 2026. Keep an eye on Muskingum to fight their way into the OAC tournament. 

Heidelberg

Head Coach: Ryan Sinnema 

2025 Overall Record: 4-12

2025 Conference Record: 1-8

Key Losses:

• Benjamin Evans – Attack – 19 Goals, 12 Assists, 31 Points
• Tyler Alexander – Attack – 17 Goals, 5 Assists, 22 Points
• Kevin Smith – Defense – 14 CTs, 47 GBs, 2 Points
• Braxton Hammond – LSM – 11 CTs, 46 GBs

Key Returners:

• Rayce Septer – Midfield – 19 Goals, 4 Assists, 23 Points
• Sonny Varrati – Defense – 16 CTs, 41 GBs
• Aidan Carpenter – Defense – 11 CTs, 46 GBs 

Games that will test this team early:

• Augustana 
• Alma 
• Trine
• Hiram

DeeThreeLax Take: Heidelberg looks like they bring back a pretty balanced group in 2026. They have a few spots across the field that they will need to backfill but overall this group should be I a pretty good spot returning a fair amount of experience from last season. This group will look to build on what they had going last year and get the offense going a little more to pull out a few additional wins in the tough OAC. 

Wilmington College, OH

Head Coach: Brian Kingsbury
2025 Overall Record: 4-13

2025 Conference Record: 0-9

Key Losses:

• Caleb Mann, A – Transfer
• Colin McLaughlin, D – Graduated

Key Returners:

• Garrett Reigelsperger, A, 38/4
• Nick Roca, A, 29/10
• Manny Castillo, M, 3/4
• Tyler Cunningham, A, 1/5
• Zach Swearingen, M, 2/3, 36gbs

Impact Newcomers (First-years, transfers, returns from injury)

• Danny Fitzpatrick, Attack
• Dawson Fitzpatrick, Midfield
• KJ Davis, Midfield
• Tyler Spots, FO
• Brandon Osborne, Midfield

Games That Will Test This Team Early:

• Kalamazoo

Anything You Feel the Lacrosse Community Should Know About This Team: 

“Under new leadership with an emphasis on playing hard while respecting the game.”

 DeeThreeLax: Wilmington comes into 2025 looking to turn the corner and climb the ranks of the OAC. Coach Kingsbury is in his first year at Wilmington where he is determined to continue improving Wilmington and make them a contender in the OAC. Wilmington has a lot of returners back in 2026 which should bode well for them. If they can play discipline lacrosse and work on getting better each time they step onto the field they should see an improved season in 2026 and kickstart the growth of this program under Kingsbury leadership.