MARSHALL, Texas – Heading into the 2026 spring season as the reigning American Southwest Conference Men's Tennis Tournament Champions, East Texas Baptist University has been chosen to finish second in the preseason poll. ETBU won the program's first ASC Tournament Championship last spring upsetting Hardin-Simmons University, 4-3.
 
ETBU received 11 points in the poll finishing one point ahead of HSU in second place. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is chosen to win the ASC with 15 points. ETBU went 15-4 and 3-1 in the ASC last season. They went to the program's first NCAA Tournament falling to No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 4-0.
 
This season, they return ASC Tournament MVP Max Karseno, ASC Newcomer of the Year Jaco Snymon, and ASC Freshman of the Year Baptiste Berthier. All-ASC First-Team dobules Sam Black and Karseno will be one of the top teams along with All-ASC Second-Team doubles flight 2 Erick Van Zyl and Jacob Daniell. Berthier was also All-ASC First Team singles in flight 5 and made the ASC All-Tournament team with Black.
 
Black and newcomer Mark Armbruster are on the ASC Players to Watch list for 2026.

ETBU opens the spring season on February 7 in Georgetown, Texas, against Southwestern University.