Credit to Sam Thornton | Assistant Director, Athletics Communications – 12thman.com
FORT WORTH, Texas – The Texas A&M men’s tennis team was selected to its 27th-consecutive NCAA Tournament, earning an at-large bid in the TCU Regional. The Aggies will take on SMU to open the event at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 5th at the Bayard H. Freidman Tennis Center, followed by the matchup of UT Arlington/TCU. The winners of each match will face off on Saturday at 4 p.m.
“We’re in a really high-quality regional,” said head coach Steve Denton. “However, I do think that our experiences last year in the tournament and in matches this season will help us. We have a tough opening match with SMU which we won’t overlook, then hopefully have another opportunity to play on Saturday.”
The Aggies are coming off a top-five finish in the SEC regular season, improving one position from their 2022 campaign. The Maroon & White followed up their conference regular season success with an impressive run in the SEC Tournament, as the team advanced to the semifinals after downing then-No. 6 South Carolina. Fifth-year graduate Guido Marson earned All-Tournament Team honors for his performance.
“I think all of the guys are excited for the start of the tournament,” fifth-year senior Noah Schachter said. “The team is carrying a lot of momentum from the matches at the end of the season and in the SEC Tournament, so we hope to use that in these opening rounds.”
The Aggies picked up a pair of SEC postseason honors, as both Schachter and Raphael Perot were selected to the All-SEC First Team. The duo also earned invitations to the NCAA Singles Championships which will take place following the team championships at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
“I think it is set up well as we are playing in familiar conditions,” Perot said. “We’re excited for the match with SMU, and then I really want to play TCU. Playing the best teams in the nation is always a great experience. I think we have shown we can play with anyone in the country, so we hope to do that this weekend.”
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
- 1st round – Friday – May 5 – Texas A&M vs. SMU – 2 p.m.
- 1st round – Friday – May 5 – TCU vs. UT Arlington – 5 p.m.
- 2nd round – Saturday – May 6 – Winners of opening matches – 4 p.m.
TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets at the main entrance of the Bayard H. Freidman Tennis Center for $5 (cash only).
STREAMING & STATS
The opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament can be followed through Cracked Racquets Cross Court Coverage, where matches will be streamed with commentary throughout the weekend. The action can be followed through the links for both Friday and Saturday.
Fans can also follow the action through TCU’s live stats page.
MATCH STATS
- Raphael Perot has tallied the most singles wins in dual matches on the team with 16.
- Noah Schachter and Perot pace A&M with five ranked wins in dual matches this season.
- Rahul Dhokia and Kenner Taylor hold perfect 4-0 records in dual match singles play.
- Schachter/Trey Hilderbrand lead A&M with 13 dual match doubles wins.
TEAM NOTES
- Every Aggie to take part in a dual match this season has secured a singles win (12 players).
- Noah Schachter boasts two top-30 singles wins so far this season.
- The Maroon & White have won 11 ranked matches this season, five of those have been the top 25.
- The Aggies have reached the SEC Tournament semifinals eight times since they joined the SEC ahead of the 2013 tournament (does not include Covid season).
- A&M reached its 27th-straight, 29th total, NCAA Tournament appearance.
ITA RANKINGS
- The team remains in the top 25, as they land at No. 19.
- Ranked in singles: No. 46 Noah Schachter, No. 53 Raphael Perot and No. 123 Trey Hilderbrand.
- Ranked in doubles: No. 32 Rollins/Matthis Ross and No. 46 Schachter/Hilderbrand.
AWARDS
- Noah Schachter and Raphael Perot were selected to the All-SEC First Team.
- Kenner Taylor was named to the SEC Community Service Team, April 13.