59th Annual NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship Preview
MOBILE,
Ala. - The
59th Annual NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship is set to begin
at 1:00 p.m. CDT, on Tuesday, May 18, at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile,
Ala. The championship will run over five days from May 18 - 22 and is hosted by
the Mobile Tennis Center, Spring Hill College (Ala.) and the University of
Mobile (Ala.).
Defending National Champion Fresno Pacific (Calif.) earned
the No. 1-seed and is making its fifth-consecutive trip to the national
championship. The Sunbirds won their first title a year ago as the No. 3-seed,
defeating Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 5-3. They will receive a first round bye and
will play the winner of the first round match between Xavier (La.) and Tennessee
Wesleyan, who is making its first appearance.
Along with Tennessee
Wesleyan, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) and St. Thomas (Fla.) are also making their
first appearances. The RedHawks of Martin Methodist will play Indiana Wesleyan
in the first round, while St. Thomas will square off against Lewis-Clark State
(Idaho).
Third-seeded Azusa Pacific (Calif.), Embry-Riddle (Fla.) and
Lewis-Clark State are all making their 11th-consecutive appearance in
the event, since the team format began in 2000, which is the most among the
field.
No. 2-seed Auburn Montgomery leads all schools in the field with
eight national championships. Host school Mobile (Ala.) has won a pair of
titles, while Azusa Pacific, Fresno Pacific and Oklahoma Christian each have
one.
The Golden State Athletic Conference leads all conferences with six
schools in the championship field: Fresno Pacific, Azusa Pacific, No. 5-seed
Concordia (Calif.), No. 6-seed Vanguard (Calif.), No. 8-seed Westmont (Calif.)
and Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). Point Loma Nazarene is the only GSAC squad not
to receive a first round by and will play the host school Mobile in the first
round.
For more information on the Championships | click here