EAST LANSING, Mich. — Fresh off becoming the first Michigan State men’s tennis player to win the ITA Midwest Regional Singles tournament, Ozan Baris added another first in becoming the only Spartan to win three career Big Ten Player of the Week awards, as Baris was named Co-Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office Wednesday afternoon.
The MSU junior shares the weekly league award with Michigan’s Gavin Young, who was part of the winning doubles team of the ITA Midwest Regionals.
Baris, a local talent from Okemos, Michigan, is the first player in MSU program history to earn three Big Ten Player of the Week Awards, pulling away from a three-way tie at two career awards with Drew Leid, who earned these awards in January and April of 2014, and Nick Rinks winning these awards in March 2007 and January 2008.
Congrats to Ozan Baris on being named #B1GMTennis Co-Player of the Week!!
He becomes the first Spartan to earn three career B1G Player of the Week awards!!
📰: https://t.co/ui8EZ9YEou#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/KvYVQbLf3z
— Michigan State Men’s Tennis (@MSU_MTennis) October 16, 2024
He is also the second Spartan to earn the B1G weekly award this season, joining Max Sheldon who garnered the accolade on Sept. 25. MSU has won two of the five awards presented through the first five weeks of the season.
In the ITA Midwest Regional Tournament, Baris defeated the 5th, 11th, 12th, and 16th-seeded players who were also Big Ten players during the tournament, including 12th-seeded William Mroz of Illinois in the semifinals, (6-4, 6-4) and fifth-seeded Kenta Mioyshi, from Illinois in the final, (6-4, 6-3). The Spartan won five of his six matches in straight sets, only needing to go into one tiebreaker of those 12 sets won.
Baris is MSU’s second-ever ITA Regional title winner, as Francisco Trinidad and Ken Kigongo won the doubles crown in 1998.
🚨 #B1GMTennis Co-Players of the Week! 🚨
🔗 https://t.co/PTwfAKJNPV pic.twitter.com/M0LNGAHxhJ
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) October 16, 2024
While Baris’ Regional ITA crown is MSU’s first singles title, it adds to his award collection, which includes ITA All-American last season, earning both Athletic and Academic All-American accolades, becoming the first ever men’s tennis winner of the George Alderton Award, and winning the ITA Fall National Championship…
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