The Basics

Oklahoma State's men's tennis team (6-5 overall; 0-0 Big 12) will continue its non-conference slate as it hosts Nebraska-Omaha (6-8 overall; 0-0) and No. 15 Middle Tennessee (14-3; 0-0) this weekend. The Cowboys and Mavericks will square off at 5 p.m. (CST) on March 4. OSU will take on the Blue Raiders on March 6 at 1 p.m. (CST) in Stillwater. 

 

Following the Action

All matches can be viewed at this link: https://okla.st/2XJRbik. Live stats can also be viewed at https://okla.st/2VueDNm. For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State Men’s tennis, follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter and Instagram.

 

In the Rankings

Oklahoma State is not ranked in the ITA Division 1 Rankings. 

 

Series History 

Oklahoma State holds a 2-0 all-time record against Omaha. The Cowboys have swept both meetings with the Mavericks, dating back to the 2014 season. This will be the first meeting between Middle Tennessee and Oklahoma State in program history. 

 

Oklahoma State From A Distance 

The Cowboys continue their homestand after coming off a series sweep of UTRGV in the Greenwood Tennis Center last Saturday. The wins extended OSU’s four-match winning streak and pushed head coach Dustin Taylor’s squad to 6-2 at home. Freshman Fran Pini ran his winning streak to 10-0 after a pair of dominating victories where he only dropped a single game in the doubleheader, 6-0, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-0. 

 

The remainder of OSU's spring slate is filled with a competitive schedule full of opportunities for the new class of Cowboys. OSU began a new chapter in 2021-22 with nine new faces and one veteran that fill the roster. Luke Hammond highlights the new season as the only returner from the 2020-21 season. Hammond leads a class of three freshmen, two sophomores and four juniors. Notably, six of the new faces first-year head coach Dustin Taylor recruited are transfers from Power Five schools.

 

The biggest storyline has been Tyler Zink who earned a main draw wild card at the U.S. Open. The two-time All-American finished the 2021 season with a final ITA ranking of No. 8 in doubles at the University of Georgia. Zink also had a run in the ITA All-American Championships as well as individual tournaments throughout his fall campaign. The junior also found himself ranked among the nation's best by the ITA Preseason ranking at No. 30. 

 

Accompanied by Taylor is assistant coach Dane Webb. During his collegiate career at the University of Oklahoma, Webb was a three-time All-American, and the most decorated Sooner in the program with a total of 212 during his run. The tandem holds skill that will lead the

program to navigate a successful spring.

 

Streak and Trends 

  • OSU is 2-0 against Nebraska-Omaha after sweeping the last two meetings dating back to the 2014 season.
  • The Cowboys have won the doubles point in the last seven consecutive matches. 
  • Fran Pini is undefeated in singles going 10-0 during the 2021-22 season. 
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An Oklahoma State Win Would...

  • Improve OSU’s all-time record to 3-0 against Omaha 
  • Mark OSU’s first win against Middle Tennessee State
  • Give OSU a six-match winning streak during the 2021-22 season. 
  • Give head coach Dustin Taylor his seventh and eighth win in the Greenwood Tennis Center for his first season at OSU.