Wheeling University Men's Baseball

Coach Bamberger enters his 13th year as pitching coach for the Cardinal baseball program, originally joining the program back in 2012. He helped build and developed Wheeling University's baseball program from the ground up. Bamberger helped guide three Cardinal starting pitchers to the All-MEC team in 2024, with Kenny Jinks leading the way with a Second Team All-MEC honor. During the season, the staff put together a 6.25 ERA over 379.0 innings of work while striking out 365 and walking 195. Three of the four Cardinal's regular starters posted an ERA under 6.0 for the season, while releiver Sebastian Khan led the bullpen with a 4.35 ERA over 20.2 innings of work.  The Cardinals pitching staff enjoyed another successful season under Bamberger's watch, posting a team ERA of 6.20 in over 374 innings of work. Right-Hander Kody McCarley set the Cardinals single-season strikeout record (76) and earned Second Team All-MEC honors under Bamberger's guidance, and Left-Hander Kenny Jinks added an Honorable Mention All-MEC honor under his belt. The Cardinal's bullpen flourished, with their two top relievers in Jacob Rife and Hunter Dyck each posting ERAs under 2.80 for the year while the starters turned in seven complete game efforts. During the 2021-2022 campaign, Bamberger helped coach Lefty Hayden Scudder to his first career All-MEC Honorable Mention award as he posted a 3.40 ERA. As a team, the Cardinals improved on the mound all the way through the season and were in the MEC playoff race until the final day of the season. They turned in five complete game efforts during the season, including one complete game shutout. Over the first 10 seasons, Bamberger has helped coach 32 All-Confernce/All-Region Award winners and has helped Wheeling grow into the Mountain East Conference powerhouse they are today. In 2021, he led the Cardinals pitching staff to a 5.71 ERA, and had three members of his staff earn All-MEC Postseason Honors for their work on the mound. Over his career, he has overseen two MEC playoff runs and had six members of his staff earn All-MEC Postseason honors Prior to coming to Wheeling University, Bamberger served as a assistant for twenty one years at Wheeling Central Catholic High School. 

Moundsville native Ryan Lewicki will enter his seventh season as head coach of the Wheeling University baseball program in 2024. Over his first six seasons, Lewicki has led the team to a 124-127 record overall and a 79-72 record in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play. The 2024 season saw the Wheeling Baseball team make their second consecutive trip to the MEC Tournament, marking the first time in program history that the team has accomplished that feat. They ended up clinching the #3 seed in the MEC North Division, with a record of 25-26 overall and 13-15 in MEC play. They would play two tournament games, falling to Charleston and Frostburg State to bring their season to an end. Lewicki helped Braden Killens once again put his name in the record books, breaking the single-season home run record with 16 and tying the single-season RBI record with 54. Lewicki would pick up his 100th career win in the team's February 23rd game against Dillard when the team won 12-0. The 2023 season saw the Wheeling Baseball team get back to the MEC Tournament for the second time in program history as the #2 seed in the MEC North Division. They finished the year 29-22 overall and 17-13 in MEC play, with Lewicki falling one win short of his 100th as leader of the Cardinals. The team also picked up the first MEC Tournament win in program history when they beat West Liberty 5-3 in their first round elimination game. Under Lewicki's watch, Braden Killens broke the single season home run (12) and RBI (54) record while Jacob Murray broke the program's career home run record (22). The program would tie their record for the most All-MEC honorees, with eight different players being honored, including a 1st Team All-MEC selection for Jacob Murray. Murray and Braden Killens were each also recognized as D2CCA Honorable Mention All-Region players, while Killens added a National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) and a American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region title to his belt. In 2022, the program saw one of its most productive seasons to date, hitting .289 as a team while breaking several program records. The Cardinals set records in doubles (96), triples (20), and home runs (37) while also scoring a program record 357 runs. The Cardinals had five players earn All-MEC honors during the season, including two First Team honorees in Jack Skantze and J.R. Heavilin. The 2021 season was a big season not only for Lewicki, but for the Wheeling Baseball Program in general. Lewicki was named the MEC Coach of the Year after helping the program to a school record 27-win season, and a MEC North Division Title. He helped lead eight different players to All-MEC Honors during the season. Through 13 games, Lewicki's 2020 Cardinals were well on their way to shattering the program's single-season wins record of 19 set in 2012. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic halted the season and left the team with a 9-4 record right before the team was set to enter into Mountain East play.   Prior to Wheeling, Lewicki spent four seasons as an assistant coach at NCAA Division II Ohio Valley in Vienna, West Virginia. The Fighting Scots reached the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship game in 2015 and posted the school's first winning record since 2006 when they went 28-23 in 2017. Ohio Valley averaged 20 wins per season during Lewicki's tenure. Lewicki is a graduate of John Marshall High School in nearby Glen Dale, West Virginia, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, football and ice hockey.  He continued his baseball career at West Virginia Wesleyan College and was a four-year all-conference and two-time all-region selection. Lewicki ranked among the top-10 in school history in hits, doubles, runs and at-bats upon graduating in 2013. Lewicki got his start in coaching as a volunteer assistant baseball coach at West Virginia Wesleyan in 2014 before moving on to Ohio Valley for the 2015 season. He holds a bachelor's degree in Physical Education with a minor in Health Wellness from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Ohio Valley University.   2019 12-34, 9-21 First Season 2020 9-4 *COVID Shortened Season 2021 27-14, 22-9 MEC North Champions, MEC Tournament Qualifiers 2022 22-27, 18-14 2023 29-22, 17-13 MEC Tournament Semifinalists 2024 25-26, 13-15 MEC Tournament Qualifiers Totals 99-101, 66-57 '21 MEC North Champs, 3X MEC Tournament Qualifiers