Midwestern State vs No. 17 Ouachita Baptist

Friday, March 11 – 2 p.m.
Live Oak Tennis Courts (Magnolia, Ark.)
All-Time Series: OBU leads 10-3

Midwestern State vs Montevallo

Saturday, March 12 – 9 a.m.
Live Oak Tennis Courts (Magnolia, Ark.)

Midwestern State at No. 13 Southern Arkansas

Saturday, March 12 – 2 p.m.
Live Oak Tennis Courts (Magnolia, Ark.)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 1-0

WICHITA FALLS, Texas – After going 1-2 last week, Midwestern State looks to rebound this week with three upcoming battles. The Mustangs travel to Magnolia, Ark., to face No. 17 Ouachita Baptist, Montevallo and No. 13 Southern Arkansas at Live Oak Tennis Courts.

The Mustangs kick-off play against the Tigers on Friday, March 11 at 2 p.m. MSU will face the Falcons and the Muleriders at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 12 to finish off the trip.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS

The Mustangs are 3-3 with 7-0 wins over McMurry and Oklahoma Wesleyan and a 4-3 defeat of Southwest Baptist. MSU's losses were at the hands of top NJCAA schools, Tyler Junior College and Cowley County. They also dropped to No. 22 Washburn by 2-5.

No. 15 Alex Martinez Roca clinched his only singles battle of the season in three sets against TJC at the No. 1 spot. He dropped in three sets to Takeshi Taco of Cowley County. Martinez Roca ranks third in the South Central Region singles. The senior and doubles partner, Ben Westwick, rank fourth in the nation. The duo continues their undefeated run at the first line after securing a big 7-6 (13-11) victory against Cowley County.

Westwick is 2-3 at the top three singles spots. This includes a three-set victory over David Szeri (Southwest Baptist) at No. 1. He is 2-1 from the top line for the Mustangs.

No. 50 Stefan Andrei is 2-4 from the second, third and fourth singles spots. The freshman collected a No. 2 and No. 3 victory against McMurry and Oklahoma Wesleyan. He currently ranks at No. 5 in the South Central Region.

He and Brice Bradshaw are 2-1 from the second doubles line after dropping against the Cowley County Tigers. The pair notched back-to-back victories against TJC and OWU.

Bradshaw is 3-3 on the singles side, playing from the first three spots. The sophomore tallied wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions against McMurry and Oklahoma Wesleyan. His biggest defeat was against Southwest Baptist with a three-set win at No. 2. Bradshaw ranks at No. 19 for the South Central Region.

Charles Heffernan suffered his first singles loss to Taiyo Hirano of Cowley County. The junior rebounded with a match-clinching victory over Ileyes Khelifi of SBU and took a win against Washburn.
Marcal Miret Avante remains the only undefeated player in singles for MSU. The freshman is 4-0 from the third and fifth lines. He secured victories against Tyler JC, Cowley County, Southwest Baptist and Washburn.

AT THE HELM

Scott Linn enters his 12th season at the helm of the Midwestern State men's and women's tennis programs in 2021-22 after guiding the Mustangs to 17 NCAA Tournament appearances since arriving in Wichita Falls in the fall of 2010. The Mustangs have thrived under Linn's leadership as he revived the program to the highest level. Under Linn, the men's program posted a 172-86 (.667) mark with seven NCAA Tournament appearances while advancing to the national quarterfinals in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 after a five-year absence from the postseason.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

No. 17 Ouachita Baptist is 7-1 on the season with three wins against nationally-ranked opponents. The Tigers defeated No. 11 Delta State, No. 19 Southwest Baptist and No. 14 Northwest Missouri State. They fell 0-4 to No. 22 Washburn on Feb. 19. Ouachita Baptist is 1-0 in neutral matches.
 
Senior Francisco Oliveira lists at No. 17 in the ITA national singles rankings. He and senior Santiago Kearney hold the eighth spot on the national doubles side.

SCOUTING THE FALCONS

Montevallo is 3-1 for the 2022 season, with their first loss coming against No. 6 West Florida on March 5. The Falcons had won two against Tuskegee University and another match versus Christian Brothers. MU is 2-0 in neutral matches this season.

SCOUTING THE MULERIDERS

No. 13 Southern Arkansas is 6-1 this year with their only loss coming against Seward County CC. The Muleriders defeated No. 11 Delta State, No. 19 Southwest Baptist, and No. 14 Northwest Missouri State. They also took wins versus top NJCAA side, Tyler Junior College, and Division I side, UT Arlington. SAU is undefeated at home thus far with two wins under their belt.

Junior Marko Nikoliuk sits 14th in the ITA National Rankings while senior Sander Jans holds the 23rd spot. Nikoliuk pairs with sophomore Ole Valkyser to spot at No. 25 on the doubles side.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Though the 3-10 series does not fall in Midwestern State's favor, the Mustangs have won the last three battles against Ouachita Baptist. MSU took all three home wins from 2015 to 2017. The Tigers won ten straight from 1996 to 2007. The Mustangs are 0-3 in neutral matches against OBU, with all three battles taking place in the late 90s.

This is the first match between MSU and Montevallo.

The Mustangs and the Muleriders have met just once before Saturday's match. Midwestern State took the 2021 battle 4-3 in Wichita Falls, Texas, over No. 25 Southern Arkansas.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State is ready for a full week of tennis during Spring Break. The Mustangs face Emporia State on Monday, March 14, at 11 a.m. They follow up with a doubleheader against Nebraska-Kearney and Hastings on Tuesday, March 15, at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.