Championship Central I
Tournament Bracket
DETROIT (4/28/17) – The University of Detroit Mercy men's tennis team will be looking for the program's first title when the Titans head to the Horizon League Tournament this weekend. After earning the two-seed and a first round bye, the Titans will face No. 6 Cleveland State on Saturday at 12 p.m. from the University of Michigan Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The winner of No. 2 Detroit Mercy and No. 6 Cleveland State will advance to the championship, where either No. 1 Valparaiso or No. 4 Youngstown State await.
The match is set to stream on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN applications.
THE MATCH-UP
No. 6 Cleveland State (9-16, 2-5 HL)
No. 2 Detroit Mercy (11-12, 5-2 HL)
The Titans earned a hard-fought 4-3 win over the Vikings on the road Apr. 9, when the teams squared off for the first time this season. Cleveland State opened the match by winning the doubles point, but the Titans took four of six singles matches to earn the win.
VARSITY TENNIS CENTER LOCATION
Varsity Tennis Center
2250 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
TICKETS
- Adults: $7
- Youth (18 & under) & Seniors (65 & older): $5
- Horizon League students: Free (with ID)
SCOUTING THE TITANS
The Titans are 5-1 in their last six contests entering the Horizon League Tournament. Detroit Mercy had its five-game win streak snapped last weekend at No. 1 Valparaiso as the Crusaders picked up a 5-2 win over the Titans from the confines of their home building. The Titans have 11 wins this season, the most for the program since the 1991 team also racked up 11.
Sophomore
Artem Vasheshnikov and junior
Nathan Ponton lead the squad with 19 singles wins apiece, with senior
Patryk Koscielski adding 16 singles wins of his own. Koscielski and Ponton have shined in HL play, going 6-1 and 5-2 in league action from the second and third lines, respectively, to lead the Titans. Seniors
Kacper Stelmaszak and
Chance Conley have played a vital role down the stretch for Detroit Mercy as well, with three conference victories apiece. In doubles, Vasheshnikov and Ponton are 4-2 from the top line, while Koscielski and Conley have teamed up to pick up four wins as well.
LINEUP LAST TIME OUT
Singles (HL Record)
1.
Artem Vasheshnikov (3-4)
2.
Patryk Koscielski (6-1)
3.
Nathan Ponton (5-2)
4.
Kacper Stelmaszak (3-4)
5.
Adam Zychowicz (2-5)
6.
Chance Conley (3-4)
Doubles
1. Vasheshnikov/Ponton (4-2)
2. Koscielski/Conley (4-3)
3. Stelmaszak/Zychowicz (2-3)
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS
Cleveland State is 9-16 overall and went 2-5 during the regular season to earn the six-seed. The Vikings upset No. 3 Green Bay in the opening round of the tournament, 4-3, to advance to the semifinals.
Nico Mostardi leads the team with 18 wins while playing on the Vikings top line. Colton Buffington has 15 wins, followed by Benjamin Slade with 14 and a team-best four in Horizon League play. In doubles, Mostardi and Andre Mick lead the squad with 10 doubles wins, including a perfect 4-0 mark in league play.
LINEUP LAST TIME OUT
Singles (HL Record)
1. Nico Mostardi (2-5)
2. Colton Buffington (3-4)
3. Benjamin Slade (4-3)
4. Mirko Radosevic (2-5)
5. Kevin Goth (2-5)
6. Andre Mick (1-0)
Doubles (HL Record)
1. Radosevic/Slade (3-2)
2. Buffington/Goth (0-2)
3. Mostardi/Mick (4-0)
UP NEXT
The winner of Saturday morning's showdown will advance to the Horizon League Championship, meeting the winner of No. 1 Valparaiso and No. 4 Youngstown State. The championship match is set to begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning from UM's Varsity Tennis Center. Live video will be available on ESPN3.
