Men's Tennis Faces Ball State Saturday

Saturday, February 26

Muncie, IN

1 PM

Michigan State University

Ball State

2/25/2022 10:48:00 AM | Men's Tennis

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's tennis is on the road this weekend for a nonconference match with Ball State on Saturday, Feb. 26. Competition against the Cardinals begins at 1 p.m. inside the Northwest YMCA in Muncie, Indiana.

The Spartans are 7-3 overall, while Ball State holds a 5-4 record. Both teams have won over Cleveland State, Eastern Illinois and IUPUI this season.

LAST TIME OUT
MSU fell 5-2 last Saturday at home to Middle Tennessee State, but saw many bright spots throughout the match.

Middle Tennessee State jumped out to a 1-0 lead after securing the doubles point. At No. 1 doubles, Kazuki Matsuno and Nick Williams fell to Oskar Poulsen and Francisco Rocha by a 6-0 margin, as did Max Sheldon and Carson Gates against their opponents at No. 2 The Blue Raiders kept the momentum up in singles play with two more wins against Graydon Lair at No. 3 and Carson Gates at the No. 2 court.

The highlight of the day was senior Jack Winkler's win over Stjin Slump at No. 1 singles. Winkler won in an upset victory over nationally-ranked Slump, who holds the No. 60 spot in the ITA singles rankings. After winning his first set 6-3, Winkler battled through a back-and-forth second set to earn a 6-3 advantage and seal the win.

Michigan State picked up its second point thanks to a win by freshman Max Sheldon at No. 5. Sheldon pushed his first set against MTSU's Poulsen into extra-point territory before coming away with a 7-5 win. He closed out the second set with a 6-4 win and improved to 13-7 in singles action this season.

COACH ORLANDO'S THOUGHTS
"Ball State is a very good team and Muncie is a tough place to play. It's going to be a very competitive match and a great challenge!

This match has a unique twist since my son, Vince Orlando, is a member of the Ball State team and is coached by the same coach I played for during my years at Ball State. This match is bittersweet and one I don't look forward to playing, but it is one I will cherish for the rest of my life."

SERIES HISTORY VS THE CARDINALS
Michigan State is 20-10 all-time against Ball State, with an 8-7 advantage held in matches played in Cardinal territory. The Spartans have won the last 14 straight matchups, including a 4-2 win at home in their most recent meeting, and a 4-3 victory on the road in 2019.

Head Coach Gene Orlando is a 1987 alum of the Ball State men's tennis program. His son Vince also plays for the Cardinals and is currently a junior. Both were coached by Bill Richards, the winningest head coach in Ball State and Mid-American Conference history.

UP NEXT
The Spartans return home for a pair of matches next weekend against Marquette and Butler on Saturday, March 5. The first match begins at 10 a.m. inside the MSU Indoor Tennis Center.