MARSHALL, Texas – Heading back out west for the NCAA Division III National Tournament for men's tennis, East Texas Baptist University lands in California for the second year in a row. ETBU will face No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, which is the host, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"We are excited to head back to California. Our guys dug down deep to win the ASC Tournament, as it was an intense match. I am proud of this team," said head coach Tommy Heim.
ETBU earned the automatic bid for the second year in a row after winning its second consecutive American Southwest Conference Tournament Championship. The Tigers came back from being down, 3-1, for a 4-3 win over Mary Hardin-Baylor on their home court in Belton, Texas. It is the second year in a row that ETBU has defeated the host for the ASC Championship as last year they won, 4-3, in Abilene, Texas, over Hardin-Simmons University.
Last year, ETBU fell to then No. 1 CMS, 4-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in their only meeting.
Also in the Claremont, CA, Regional is Colorado College and No. 15 Sewanee. CMS won the SCIAC for the 19th straight year, earning an automatic bid, while Sewanee earned the automatic bid after upsetting No. 14 Trinity in the SAA, 4-3. Colorado College made the Regional Tournament, winning the SCAC Championship over Concordia Texas, 4-0.
The match will take place on Friday, May 8, with a time to be determined.
