Bears Seek NCAA Titles In Waco

Alex Chang (left) and Mikey Wright (right) start play in NCAA doubles Wednesday in Waco.

MTEN11/17/2024 11:30 PM | By: Cal Athletics

Kris Kwinta leads a talented group of five Golden Bears to Waco, Texas, this week, when the California men’s tennis contingent will try to capture the program’s first NCAA individual championship since 1991. Cal’s six postseason entries – four in singles and two in doubles – are the most of any program, men’s or women’s, in the individual championships. This is also the largest group that Cal men’s tennis has brought to the NCAA individual championships this century. Alex Chang, Theo Dean, Carl Emil Overbeck and Timofey Stepanov will compete in the NCAA Singles Championship, which starts Tuesday at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center. The duo of Dean and Overbeck and pair of Chang and Mikey Wright will start the NCAA Doubles Championship on Wednesday.
 
Traditionally held in the spring after the conclusion of the NCAA team championship, the individual championships are taking place in the fall this season and next season as part of a pilot program. Baylor will also host the team championship from May 15-18.
 
Here’s a look at the Bears’ first-round matchups:
 
NCAA Singles Championship – First Round/Round of 64, Tuesday
No. 123 Alex Chang (Cal) vs. Emon Van Loben Sels (UCLA), 10 a.m. PT
No. 44 Theo Dean (Cal) vs. [9-16] No. 14 Thomas Paulsell (Georgia), 10:30 a.m. PT
[4] No. 56 Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) vs. Roan Jones (Alabama), 12:30 p.m. PT
Timofey Stepanov (Cal) vs. [9-16] Timo Legout (Texas), 1 p.m. PT
 
NCAA Doubles Championship – First Round/Round of 32, Wednesday
No. 13 Alex Chang/Mikey Wright (Cal) vs. [3] No. 1 Petar Jovanovic/Benito Sanchez Martinez (Mississippi State), time to be announced
No. 25 Theo Dean/Carl Emil Overbeck (Cal) vs. Joaquim Almeida/Siwanat Auytayakul (Liberty), time to be announced
 
Here’s more information for the tournaments, including the overall start time for each day:
 
NCAA Individual Championships
When: Tuesday, 7 a.m. PT; Wednesday, 7 a.m. PT; Thursday, 8 a.m. PT; Friday, 8 a.m. PT; Saturday, 8 a.m. PT; Sunday, 9 a.m. PT
Where: Baylor, Hurd Tennis Center, Waco, Texas
Watch: ESPN+ (Cracked Racquets CrossCourt Cast), PlaySight
Draws: Singles, Doubles
Live scores: Sidearm Stats
Baylor’s NCAA Championship…