Moundsville native Ryan Lewicki will enter his sixth season as head coach of the Wheeling University baseball program in 2024. Over his first five seasons, Lewicki has led the team to a 99-101 record overall and a 66-57 record in Mountain East Conference (MEC) play.
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 |
| Totals |
99-101, 66-57 |
'21 MEC North Champs, 2X MEC Tournament Qualifiers |
