The Mississippi State men’s tennis team begins Southeastern Conference play this weekend, hosting 35th-ranked Auburn on Friday and 29th-ranked Alabama on Sunday. The two matches will be MSU’s first since defeating South Alabama 5-2 on Feb. 20.
The SEC boasts some of the best teams in the nation every year, and the Bulldogs have been no exception. Under the tutelage of former coach Andy Jackson, who now coaches at Florida, State reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament every year in the ’90s, making the quarterfinals five times and the semifinals twice. MSU finished in the top 10 seven straight years, from 1992-98.
In its history, State has produced 17 All-Americans. Four Bulldogs have reached the No. 1 ranking in singles, and two have finished the season still holding the top spot.
“Our players come to MSU because of our tradition of winning,” MSU head coach Sylvain Guichard said. “Coach Andy Jackson and myself have been a part of that tradition. It’s a lot of pressure for both players and coaches.”
This year, the Bulldogs have their work cut out for them. While State is currently ranked 43rd in the nation, they are the lowest ranked team in the SEC. Nine teams from the SEC rank in the nation’s top 25, and both Mississippi and Florida are ranked in the top five.
“It’s going to be a very open league this year,” Guichard said. “We have a good chance to beat any team in this league, but we can also lose to anyone in this league. That’s how open the SEC is.”
State will welcome the Auburn Tigers on Friday in a match scheduled for 2 p.m. at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. Auburn will bring a 3-3 record into play, with all three of their matches coming against top 40 teams.
“Auburn is going to be mighty tough,” Guichard said, adding, “But any match in the SEC is going to be tough this year.”
After a break on Saturday, MSU will play host to Alabama on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Razorbacks currently hold a 4-2 record, with both of their losses also coming against top 40 teams.
“I’ve been telling the guys everyone is first right now in the SEC as far as records are concerned,” Guichard said. “We’re out to win this thing. We can win every match, but we have to take it one match at a time.”
The two matches will conclude an MSU five-game homestand. The Bulldogs will then travel to Montgomery, Ala., for the annual Blue-Gray National Collegiate Classic March 11-14.