Undefeated Spartans to Take on Three Ranked Opponents at Spring Break Tournament

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Undefeated and 21^st ranked men’s tennis will face three ranked opponents between Friday and Saturday at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic, starting with No. 51 Boise State Friday at 10 a.m..
 
With the Blue Gray Classic seeding based on the season’s first ITA computerized rankings, the second-seeded Spartans drew a rematch with the Broncos who they took down 5-2 in East Lansing on Feb. 2.
 
Following Friday morning’s match, the Spartans will take on either No. 27 Middle Tennessee State, who they also took down 5-2 in East Lansing on Feb. 4, or No. 48 Auburn in the second round. The second round match will be split across both days with the doubles point being played at 5 p.m. Friday and the singles picking up on Saturday at 11:30 a.m..
 
The four teams on the other side of the bracket that MSU could face in the finale Saturday afternoon are first-seeded and national No. 19 Alabama, No. 31 Princeton, No. 47 Old Dominion and No. 64 Rice.
 
In Michigan State’s ten wins that marks the program’s best start to a season in 64 years, each one has been won by multiple points. The Spartans have come out on top 5-2 five times, 6-1 twice, and 4-1, 4-0 and 7-0 once each.
 
Scouting No. 51 Boise State
The Broncos enter their second matchup of the season with MSU 6-4 and 2-0 on neutral sites. When the Spartans defeated Boise State 5-2 at home on Feb. 2, MSU was without freshman usual No. 3 singles starter Aristotelis Thanos who was representing Greece in the Davis Cup. Boise’s State’s two points came at No. 4 singles and No. 6 singles.   
 
Senior Sam Sippel is the lone Boise State representative in the ITA player rankings, slotted as the nation’s No. 43 singles player. Graduate student Ronald Hohmann III, then ranked No. 12 in the nation, topped Sippel 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at No. 1 singles in the sides’ first meeting.
 
Series History vs. Boise State
Michigan State is 2-3 all-time against Boise State with the Spartans coming out on top 5-2 in the last two meetings. The Broncos claimed the lone battle between the two on neutral grounds.
 
Scouting No. 27 Middle Tennessee State
Prior to the start of the tournament the Blue Raiders are 7-5, which includes a 5-2 road defeat at the hands of the Spartans on Feb. 4. In that matchup that was closer than the score indicated, Middle Tennessee State claimed the doubles…