SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's tennis team returns to the courts on Saturday when it plays host to Boise State in the Mountain West opener for both squads at Aztec Tennis Center. First serve is set for noon PT.
SDSU (2-4) will be looking to put the brakes on a two-match losing streak after dropping a 4-2 decision to UC Davis at home on March 5. The Aztecs received victories by Johannes Seeman and Ignacio Martinez at the top of their singles ladder but found themselves in pursuit mode on the team scoreboard for most of the afternoon after stumbling earlier in the doubles round.
A sophomore transfer from Fresno State, Seeman leads the Scarlet and Black with a 4-2 record at No. 1 singles, including a three-set triumph over Ivan Thamma, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1, in his last outing vs. UCD.
Freshmen Judson Blair and Roni Rikkonen also have a pair of victories under their belts this spring. Blair has seen action at both the fourth and fifth spots, while Rikkonen has played primarily in the sixth position along with a start at No. 4. In addition, Blair has teamed with former Cerritos College standout Victor Castro for two wins at the No. 3 doubles position.
SDSU is 10-10 vs. Boise State all-time after surviving a 4-3 thriller on the road last year in its only Mountain West match before the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the victory, the Aztecs snapped a six-match road losing streak to the Broncos, winning in Boise for the first time since 1994.
San Diego State has captured seven of its last nine MW openers and is 111-64 overall against current league members.
Martinez is lone SDSU returner to emerge triumphant in that match, posting a 6-1, 6-4 decision over former Bronco Mark Papadopoulos at No. 6 singles.
Boise State is off to an 8-1 start this spring and has won six straight, including a 4-1 decision over intrastate rival Idaho in a neutral-site clash on March 7 at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. Prior to Saturday's clash, the Broncos will square off against UC San Diego on the Tritons' home courts in La Jolla.
Wyatt DeMulling and Lawrence Sciglitano both sport 6-1 singles records to lead Boise State. DeMulling has posted a 3-0 mark in the fifth spot, rotating between the third and fourth positions as well, while Sciglitano has alternated between the fourth and sixth slots, recording a 4-0 ledger in the latter. In addition, Simon Arca Costas (5-0) has notched victories in the top four positions on the Broncos' ladder, including a 2-0 mark at No. 4.
Not to be outdone, Boise State has four additional players with five wins, including Blake Bayldon, Luka Soskic and Michael Bott. Bayldon has combined with Arca Costas for a 3-0 mark at No. 1 doubles, while the pairing of Lukas Ridemar and Caden Moorgat is 4-2, highlighted by a 3-1 ledger at No. 2.
Following Saturday's encounter, San Diego State steps out of conference once again for its next match on Wednesday, March 17, when it welcomes Loyola Marymount to Aztec Tennis Center, starting at 2 p.m. PT.