CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State men's tennis team will hit the road for the first time during Horizon League play this weekend, traveling to Detroit Mercy on Saturday, April 7.
Saturday, April 7 | @ Detroit Mercy | 6:00 p.m.
Franklin Athletic Club | 29350 Northwestern Hwy | Southfield, Mich. | 48034
Last Time Out…
The Vikings split their matches, picking up their second straight Horizon League victory in a 6-1 decision over Youngstown State, before dropping a matching 6-1 contest at No. 11 Michigan.
A Win Saturday Would…
Put the Vikings at 3-0 to start Horizon League play for the sixth time over the last 16 seasons, and the first since 2014…Mark Cleveland State's first league road win of the season…Improve the Vikings to 12-9 overall this year.
Slade & Radosevic Closing In On CSU Singles Wins List
Entering this weekend's match against the Titans, Benjamin Slade and Mirko Radosevic are closing in on earning a spot in the top-10 on the CSU Singles Wins List, as both own 54 career singles victories. To earn a spot in the top-10, Radosevic and Slade need four more wins, and would become the first Viking to crack the top-10 since the 2015 season.
Vikings Tabbed Preseason Favorites In Horizon League
Earlier this season, Cleveland State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the Horizon League, collecting 46 points and four first place votes in the preseason poll. Over the last six years that the league has been releasing a preseason poll, this marked the first time that the Vikings were favored to win and the fifth time that Cleveland State was a top-two selection.
…Vikings In Horizon League Play
Last weekend's 6-1 victory over Youngstown State marked the 60th Horizon League victory for the Vikings under head coach Brian Etzkin, as the Vikings now stand at 60-34 against league teams in regular season play over the last 16 seasons. During this stretch, the Vikings are the only Horizon League team to notch 60+ regular season victories in #HLMTEN play, while they have captured a league-best four regular season titles since 2003-04.
20-Win Trio
So far this season the Vikings have been led by the trio of Nico Mostardi, Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips, who have combined for 65 of Cleveland State's 112 singles wins. Mostardi and Terry own a team-best 22 singles wins, while Phillips enters the weekend with 21 victories. This trio marks the fifth time in program history that three Vikings on the same roster have recorded 20 or more singles wins in the same season.
…Slade Closing In On 20-Win Campaign
Benjamin Slade enters the final stretch of regular season play just two wins shy of joining the 20-win club, currently standing at 18-12 this season. Slade, who owns a team-best 12-6 record this spring, would notch the second 20-win season of his career (21 wins during 2015-16), and would become the eighth Viking all-time to own multiple 20-win campaigns. With two more wins, Slade would be the fourth Viking to reach the 20-win milestone this year, marking the third time under head coach Brian Etzkin that four Vikings have recorded 20+ wins in the same season.
Cleveland State On The Road
Over the final three weeks of regular season play the Vikings will play three of their last five matches on the road, beginning with this weekend's contest at Detroit Mercy. So far this season, the Vikings stand at just 2-8 when playing away from home.
Head Coach Brian Etzkin
Brian Etzkin is in his 16th year at the helm of the Vikings, owning a 228-168 dual match record. Etzkin has guided the Vikings to five Horizon League Tournament titles and five trips to the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. Last spring, Etzkin helped lead the Vikings to the Championship match of the Horizon League Tournament, making their eighth appearance in the title match.
Scouting The Titans
Detroit Mercy enters the weekend with a 10-9 overall record, including a 2-1 mark against league opponents. So far this season, the Titans have picked up wins against IUPUI (6-1) and UIC (7-0), while they fell to Green Bay (4-3). Earlier this season, Detroit Mercy was picked to finish third in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, picking up 36 points and one first place vote.
This will be the 14th meeting between the two teams, with Cleveland State owning a 12-1 advantage in the overall series.
