Michigan State Prepares for Big Ten Tournament
4/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - After a three-match weekend, falling to two Big Ten opponents but defeating UIC to round out the regular season the Michigan State men's tennis team is turning its attention to the upcoming Big Ten Tournament that stretches from Thursday April 27 to Sunday April 30.
"It's survive and advance this weekend with the Big Ten Conference Championships," said head coach Gene Orlando. "It's a new season and another great opportunity to finish strong and build momentum for next year."
The Spartans enter the tournament as the No. 12 seed and will take on Northwestern, the No. 5 seed and No. 23 nationally ranked squad on Thursday at the Schwartz Tennis Center at 11:30 a.m.
Michigan State will enter the postseason with an overall record of 11-17. MSU is also in search of its first win in the Big Ten Men's Tennis Tournament since a 4-0 victory against Nebraska during the 2013-14 season.
Earlier this season, Michigan State fell to Northwestern in a 7-0 match on April 14. The highlight of the match was a commanding 6-2 win at No. 3 doubles between the duo of junior Brett Forman and sophomore Billy Shisler.
The Big Ten Conference currently has seven teams ranked amongst the top 38 teams in the nation which is administered by Oracle/ITA Division I Collegiate Rankings. The conference also boasts three top-10 singles players, including No. 1 Mikael Torpegaard.
Ohio State clinched the No. 1 seed and its 12th consecutive Big Ten Championship on Sunday after completing the regular season with an 11-0 conference record. Ohio State is also the highest ranked team at No. 2 in the nation, while Michigan is No. 16. Northwestern, Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue and Minnesota are the other five teams ranked in the top 38.
Admission is free to the public and live results and live video links will be available on msuspartans.com.
Players Mentioned
