ABILENE, Texas – The 2017 spring season started off in West Texas as the East Texas Baptist University men's tennis team faced Hardin-Simmons University and McMurry University. ETBU opened up with a 6-3 loss to HSU in the morning and fell to McMurry, 5-4, late in the afternoon..
HSU 6, ETBU 3
Falling behind 3-0 in doubles play, ETBU won three matches in singles play as they fell to HSU, 6-3. ETBU won the No. 4, 5, and 6 matches. In No.4 singles, Andrew Deutsch won in three sets, 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (10-7), over Chandler Livingston. Joseph Salinas then won the No.5 singles match, 6-2, 7-5, over Ben Gutierrez. Ty Tarver then gained the third point with a 6-2, 7-5, victory over Michael Boyd.
In doubles play, Rollin Houk and Connor Mason pushed Alex Hunt and Andrew Eurek at No.1 but fell, 9-7. ETBU then lost No.2 doubles, 8-3, and No.3 doubles, 8-1.
McM 5, ETBU 4
In a very hard fought contest that featured three contests with tiebreakers, ETBU came up just one match short of victory. ETBU started off down a point after a 2-1 loss in doubles play. Cody Highsmith and John Herr won the No.2 doubles in a tiebreaker, 9-8, for the lone point in doubles. Joseph Salinas and Ty Tarver had a close No.3 match falling to Logan Daniell and Zander Smith, 8-6.
In singles play, ETBU won the No.3 match as Salinas took Travis Gough, 7-5, 2-6, 12-10, in yet another tiebreaking match. Tarver then won the No.5 singles match over Andrew Hallowell, 6-2, 6-3, and the Herr was ETBU's final point at No.6 singles, 6-4, 6-2, over Smith. One of the decisive matches came at No.2 as McM's Clayton Pope held off Highsmith, 6-2, 5-2, 9-0.
Box vs. HSU
| Singles competition |
| 1. Alex Hunt (HSU) def. Connor Mason (ETBU) 6-1, 6-0 |
| 2. Griffin Weinkam (HSU) def. Cody Highsmith (ETBU) 6-3, 6-1 |
| 3. B.J. Farmakis (HSU) def. Ryan Pearce (ETBU) 7-5, 6-0 |
| 4. Andrew Deutsch (ETBU) def. Chandler Livingston (HSU) 6-4, 1-6, 1-0 (10-7) |
| 5. Joseph Salinas (ETBU) def. Ben Gutierrez (HSU) 6-2, 7-5 |
| 6. Ty Tarver (ETBU) def. Michael Boyd (HSU) 6-2, 7-5 |
Box vs. McMurry
| Singles competition |
| 1. Carlos Martinez (MCM) def. Connor Mason (ETBU) 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2. Clayton Pope (MCM) def. Cody Highsmith (ETBU) 6-2, 5-2, 99-0 |
| 3. Joseph Salinas (ETBU) def. Travis Gough (MCM) 7-5, 2-6, 12-10 |
| 4. Logan Daniell (MCM) def. Rollin Houk (ETBU) 6-1, 6-4 |
| 5. Ty Tarver (ETBU) def. Andrew Hallowell (MCM) 6-2, 6-3 |
| 6. John Herr (ETBU) def. Zander Smith (MCM) 6-4, 6-2 |
