SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men's tennis team returns to the courts for two non-conference matches on Saturday, Feb. 26, when the Aztecs play host to Gonzaga at 11 a.m. PT, followed by a clash with Pomona-Pitzer at 4 p.m. Admission to all SDSU home matches at Aztec Tennis Center is free.
SDSU won two of its first three dual matches of the spring, opening with a 6-1 triumph at home over UC San Diego on Feb. 2, before edging Portland in a 4-3 thriller in Seattle on Feb. 5, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in singles with three straight three-set decisions to stun the Pilots.
The Aztecs subsequently fell short to Washington by a 4-0 count in their weekend finale on Feb. 6, losing steam in singles play after a closely contested doubles point. SDSU then dropped tightly contested matches on their central California road trip, at UC Santa Barbara 4-2, vs. Loyola Marymount (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) 4-1, and at Cal Poly 4-2.
Individually, senior transfer Joe Tyler posted a combined 5-0 record in doubles and singles during his first three dual matches for the Scarlet and Black, earning Mountain West Player of the Week honors on Feb. 9. With his results, Tyler and doubles partner Victor Castro currently own a team-best record of 10-5, including a 3-3 mark this spring at the No. 1 position.
A native of Corby, England, Tyler also moved to 10-5 on the year in singles, including a 3-0 mark at the No. 2 spot in dual matches. After Tyler, sophomore Judson Blair, Castro and freshman Alexander Mandma all have recorded eight wins on the year in singles play.
It's a unique weekend for San Diego State. The Aztecs have never faced Gonzaga nor Pomona-Pitzer dating back to 1989. However, the Aztecs are 69-61 all-time against teams out of the West Coast Conference.
Gonzaga (6-1) is coming off a dominant 6-1 win over Idaho in its last outing on Feb. 19. The Bulldogs have knocked off three other Mountain West Schools at home against Nevada (4-0) and New Mexico (5-2) while defeating Utah State (4-3) on the road. Gonzaga's lone loss of the year occurred in a 4-1 setback to Utah in Salt Lake City on Feb. 12.
Pomona-Pitzer, meanwhile, has started its spring season 2-0 in dual matches. The Sagehens recorded a narrow 5-4 decision over Irvine Valley College, followed by an 8-1 conquest of Westmont College. Pomona-Pitzer will also play St. Katherine on Saturday morning before tangling with the Aztecs in the afternoon.
Following Saturday's action, San Diego State will head across town to La Jolla where they will take part in the prestigious Pacific Coast Doubles Championships set for March 4-6 at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.