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Mississippi State Tennis Making Run at SEC Title

By Jeremy Purdum

HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 31: Mississippi State Bulldogs mascot Bully XX stands on the sidelines during the Advocare Texas Kickoff between Oklahoma State Cowboys and Mississippi State Bulldogs at Reliant Stadium on August 31, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 31: Mississippi State Bulldogs mascot Bully XX stands on the sidelines during the Advocare Texas Kickoff between Oklahoma State Cowboys and Mississippi State Bulldogs at Reliant Stadium on August 31, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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Mississippi State Tennis to Challenge for Southeastern Conference Title

The Mississippi State Men’s tennis team is currently on a tear in SEC play coming down the stretch. The Dawgs are currently 14-1 Overall and 8-0 in SEC play. The Dawgs are chasing their first SEC West since 2012 and Coach Matt Roberts first. Of the 8 SEC wins, 5 were against ranked opponents. The SEC is considered top to bottom one of the toughest leagues like in most sports.

One of those wins came this past Friday in Athens, GA vs #20 ranked Georgia where few teams in the SEC, or the nation for that matter, come out with a victory.

A home victory over then #9 Florida highlights the biggest home win to date for these Dawgs. With favorable upcoming weekend of match ups with Arkansas and Ole Miss, the SEC West and Overall Championship could be on the line when the Dawgs head to College Station to face Texas A&M on April 13.

The Mississippi State Tennis Roster is Loaded with Talent

The current Bulldog lineup is very stacked with ranked players such as Nuno Borges currently ranked #4 in the nation with a record of 12-2. Giovanni Oradini has been a pleasant surprise after a strong Fall coming in at #23 with a record of 9-4. Strahinja Rakic has been on a hot streak of late and currently is ranked #83 in the nation at 9-3 on the year.

While the ranked players may garner the headlines, in my opinion, the back half of the lineup is where MSU has won many of its matches. Niclas Braun (10-1), Florian Broska (9-4), and Trevor Foshey (8-3) have come up clutch time and time again, especially in SEC play where the trio is 13-3 combined.

At the doubles position, Mississippi State tennis experimented with a number of pairings and lineups early in the season but has settle on their strongest 1 through 3 over the last few weeks. Borges/Rakic have proved to be a strong team at the number one spot with an 8-4 overall record and are ranked #46 in the nation.

The strongest team record wise at a perfect 9-0 is Braun/Oradini who garnish a ranking of #42. Foshey/Broska have been steady at the number three spot securing a record of 5-3.

What does this all translate to?

Well, it means that on any given day when someone is just off, this team is so deep that it rarely skips a beat. For example two weekends ago, when Borges had a rough couple of outings going 0-2 at singles, which is a rarity for a player of his caliber, the team still managed to put away two ranked opponents 4-2 and 5-2, respectively.

This team has the firepower at the top and depth all the way to number six to play with any team in the country.

Next week could be the proverbial SEC Championship match with A&M, but regardless of the outcome, this team will most likely host an NCAA Regional in Starkville in May, where the Dawgs are undefeated this year.

Let this team get a lead on you in doubles and they have proven they can put you away in singles. I know this is a sport that does not produce a ton of headlines and buzz, but I wouldn’t be shocked if MSU appeared in another NCAA Championship Game/Match this year.

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