No. 40 Midwestern State vs No. 29 UT Tyler

Sunday, April 10 – 2 p.m.
MSU Tennis Center (Wichita Falls, Texas)
All-Time Series: MSU leads 5-2

WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State searches for its fourth consecutive LSC win on Sunday. The 40th-ranked Mustangs battle No. 29 UT Tyler at MSU Tennis Center.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS

The Mustangs are 10-6 on the season after the Friday loss cut the six-match win streak. The team is undefeated in Lone Star Conference play. It has victories over UAFS, Western New Mexico and UT Permian Basin. MSU also jumped to the 40th spot in this week's ITA's national rankings. MSU is 5-4 when playing at home this season.

Alex Martinez Roca ranks 16th in the nation in singles play with a 7-2 record from line one. The senior collected six consecutive wins before tallying his second loss on Friday. The Castelldefels, Spain, product is undefeated in LSC play with three victories. His 66 career singles wins rank fourth in MSU program history.

Martinez Roca and Ben Westwick rank second in the nation in doubles play. The duo has a 13-1 record, including a win over No. 9-ranked Francisco Oliveira and Santiago Kearney of Ouachita Baptist. Martinez Roca and Westwick's only drop was to Southern Arkansas on March 12. Martinez Roca and Westwick have won their last seven matches.

Westwick is 7-8 in singles this season. The junior is 3-2 at the Mustangs' third line. Westwick has three Lone Star Conference wins thus far.

Brice Bradshaw is 9-6 in all singles play this year, going 6-3 in the last ten matches. The sophomore has eight victories at line two. The Hoover, Ala. native has one win against a ranked opponent, beating 60th-ranked Stipan Madzar of Southeastern Oklahoma State on March 23. Bradshaw teamed with Corbin Ford to win their last two matches at No. 2 doubles.

Marcal Miret Avante is 7-2 in his last ten matches. His Friday loss snapped his five-match streak. The freshman is 6-2 at line three and is undefeated in three Lone Star Conference matches. Miret Avante and Stephen Slocombe won their last three matches at doubles line three.

Charles Heffernan is 5-3 at No. 5 singles and Stefan Andrei has a 5-0 record at No. 6. Andrei won his last six matches, including three in LSC play.

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. He guided 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 179-89 (.668) mark with seven NCAA Tournament appearances. The team advanced to the national quarterfinals in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019 after a five-year absence from the postseason.

SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS

UT Tyler is 8-7 for the season. The Patriots are the only undefeated LSC team besides Midwestern State. They won their last five matches, including four against conference opponents. UTT has just two wins when playing on the road this year. The team is 29th in the ITA National Team Rankings.

Gonzalo Fernandez holds the 26th ranking in the ITA's singles listing. The junior is 7-2 at line two, winning his last three matches. Gonzalo and Moritz Mayer hold the 47th-rank on the doubles side while he and Joaquin Bianchi are tenth in the nation.

Bianchi follows Gonzalo at No. 29 in the singles rankings. The junior holds a 5-4 record at line one for the Patriots. He is 3-1 in LSC play, taking wins in his last three matches.

Egor Shestakov is No. 66 in the ITA rankings. The sophomore is 3-7 for the season, playing primarily at line five for UTT. He dropped his last two matches.

Mayer controls a 4-1 record at line three. The freshman has four consecutive wins, all coming in LSC play. Yudai Watanabe is 7-1 from line five. The sophomore has not dropped in his last five matches.

ABOUT THE SERIES

Midwestern State leads the series against UT Tyler with a 5-2 record. The Mustangs dropped the opening match in 1997, but took five consecutive wins from 2011 to 2019. In the first Lone Star Conference meeting between the two teams, the Patriots bested MSU 5-2. The 2021 meeting was in Tyler, Texas. The Mustangs have yet to lose to UTT at home, bagging wins in 2011 and 2013.

UP NEXT

Midwestern State hosts Cameron in a mid-week conference series on Tuesday, April 12. The LSC teams battle at 1 p.m. at MSU Tennis Center.