Feb. 25, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The 17th-ranked Texas A&M men's tennis team will host St. Edward's University and No. 46-ranked regional rival TCU in a twinbill on Friday, Feb. 26 at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center. First serve against St. Edward's is set for noon (CT) and TCU following in the nightcap at 6 p.m. (CT).
The Aggies (6-2) are currently on a three-match winning streak with back-to-back victories in their Sunday doubleheader versus No. 26 Wisconsin and second-ranked NJCAA powerhouse Laredo Community College.
"It will be a bit tricky with two matches in one day," Texas A&M head coach Steve Denton said. "We will play it by ear and see which players have long and difficult matches in the first match against St. Edward's. That will determine who will play in our lineup on Friday night versus TCU.
"In the fall, we played tournaments where our guys had to play two matches in one day. They are accustomed to it, but it is trickier, because our guys are using more emotion now than they did in the fall. We will have to monitor and see, but it gives our other players an opportunity to play and create more adversity for our frontline players. They will have to not only play a match, but have to come back and maybe play an even tougher match. This will be good experience for all of our players."
TCU (4-2) has a long-standing rivalry with Texas A&M. In their last 10 meetings, the Aggies are 5-5 against the Horned Frogs. A&M will play three matches in a span of three days with its second road match of the season at No. 37 LSU (0-4) on Feb. 28 which will start off a tough three-match road stretch ahead. The Aggies will also face a pair of Big Ten Conference powerhouses in hostile territory in No. 13 Illinois on March 5 in Champaign, Ill., and NCAA runner-up and third-ranked Ohio State on March 7 in Columbus, Ohio.
"Last Sunday really helped us get a lot of people involved," said Denton on wins over Wisconsin and Laredo CC. "We had some adversity and we were able to handle it and come out on top. Anytime you have adversity and you can come through, you gain confidence in yourself. I feel like our players were more confident, but at the same time, I know TCU is a very talented team and are capable of coming in here and beating us. We're going to have to be very sharp in order to be successful."
Individually, junior All-American and No. 24-ranked Austin Krajicek (Brandon, Fla.) is an undefeated 6-0 this season playing at the No. 1 line for the Aggies. He has defeated the No. 5, No. 7 and No. 15-ranked singles players in the country, who hail from rival Texas, Wisconsin and Oklahoma State, over the past five-straight dual matches.
Live video and live scoring for both matches will be available on www.AggieAthletics.com. Tickets can be purchased online at: www.12thManFoundation.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-888-99-AGGIE.
Tune-In To The Coach Denton Radio Show...Listen to the Steve Denton Radio Show live every Monday at 4:15 p.m. (CT) on Chip Howard's SportsTalk broadcast live on KZNE 1150 AM The Zone in College Station. Denton joins Chip Howard for the only college tennis coach's radio show in the nation. Each week, the duo will recap and preview matches for the nationally-ranked Aggies. The weekly radio show airs every Monday from February through the NCAA Championships and can also be heard worldwide on the Internet at: www.KZNE.com.
Where's Wilson Promotion...Wilson, a smiling tennis ball, will be hiding at every home match this season at the Mitchell Tennis Center. One lucky fan who finds him this weekend will receive a prize compliments of Texas A&M University and will be entered into a grand prize contest which will be held during the women's tennis team's Lone Star Showdown match versus rival Texas on April 20. Fans are encouraged to come out to the matches early to increase their chances of being the first person to find Wilson.