SAC Champion Bulldogs Receive Nine Seed in NCAA Tournament; Face GRU Augusta in First Round
NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Bracket
Indianapolis, Ind.----The back-to-back South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament champion Wingate University Bulldogs are the number nine seed in the NCAA Southeast Regional men's tennis tournament. The bracket was released Tuesday night. Wingate earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the SAC Tournament. The Bulldogs will face eighth-seeded GRU Augusta in the opening round Sunday in Savannah, Ga.
Fourth-ranked Armstrong State is the number one seed, with seventh-ranked Lander earning the number two seed. The three seed goes to 20th-ranked Georgia College, with eighth-ranked Columbus state getting the four seed. No. 21 North Georgia is the fifth seed, followed by 32nd-ranked Mount Olive at six. No. 48 Young Harris is the seven seed in the regional, followed by No. 23 GRU Augusta and Wingate.
Wingate will face GRU Augusta in the opener Saturday, May 2 at Armstrong State in Savannah, Ga. The winner will take on the host Pirates on Sunday. Columbus State and North Georgia will also play Sunday in Savannah. The winners of those two matches meet Monday in Savannah.
Lander hosts the other half of the bracket. The Bearcats host Young Harris on Sunday, while Georgia College will take on Mount Olive. Those two winners meet Monday at Lander.
Wingate is 15-5 overall, with a15-3 mark against NCAA Division II opponents. The Bulldogs went 10-1 in the SAC, winning their fifth regular season conference title in seven years. Wingate went on to win the SAC Tournament championship, giving the 'Dogs two straight tournament titles and three in four years. Wingate will be making its sixth NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Bulldogs are led by second team All-SAC singles selection Sebastian Hall (Lorrach, Germany). The junior is 13-5 on the year, going 4-1 as the number two singles player while winning seven of his last nine matches. Hall was 10-1 against the SAC this year. Amir Zari (Jerusalem, Israel) was named the SAC Freshman of the Year, while also earning honorable mention all-conference honors. He is 13-7 on the year, picking up five wins at number three singles and six victories at two singles to go along with a pair of wins at number one singles. Zari was 8-3 in conference play.
Sophomore Filippo Pezzoli (Milan, Italy) was also an honorable mention All-SAC selection. He is 18-1 on the year, which includes two wins against NCAA Division I opponents. The SAC Tournament MVP is riding a 15-match winning streak. Classmate Connor Kudrick (Spring, Texas) is 14-3 at number four singles, going 10-1 against the SAC while winning eight of his last nine matches. Freshman Josh DuToit (Charlotte, N.C.) is 16-2 on the year, going 11-0 against conference opponents. He has piled up 14 consecutive wins. Senior Neal Towlson (Warwick, Bermuda) has played 13 matches at number one singles and five at number two singles this season, picking up four victories.
Kudrick and Zari earned All-SAC doubles honors, going 8-5 at number two doubles with a 7-2 record in SAC play. Pezzoli and sophomore Tyler Schofer (Graham, N.C.) have teamed up in the last six matches, going 5-1 at number three doubles, including a 2-0 mark in the SAC Tournament.
NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament
Saturday, May 2 at Armstrong State
#8 GRU Augusta vs. #9 Wingate
Sunday, May 3 at Armstrong State
#1 Armstrong vs. GRU-WU winner
#4 Columbus State vs. #5 North Georgia
Monday, May 4 at Armstrong State
Arm-GRU-WU winner vs. CSU-NG winner
Sunday, May 3 at Lander
#2 Lander vs. #7 Young Harris
#3 Georgia College vs. #6 Mount Olive
Monday, May 4 at Lander
Lander-YH winner vs. GC-UMO winner