Cowboys Looking To Get Back On Top
By: Chad Grubbs
Updated: April 24, 2012
ABILENE, Texas -- Hardin-Simmons'
men's tennis team has one thing on its mind as it heads to Tyler for
the 2012 American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament
-- get back on top of the ladder.
The
Cowboys have won more league titles than anyone with seven, but
Texas-Tyler has won the last four including last year in the ASC final,
5-2, against the Cowboys.
HSU returns five of the seven players that played in the ASC
Championship a year ago.
HSU's
lineup features three sophomores and four seniors. The Cowboys went
10-6 on the year and are 9-3 against Division III teams this season. HSU
earned a first-round
bye as champions of the ASC West.
"We
have a very talented and experienced team," said head coach Shane
Williford. "We are taking it one match at a time because every match is
tough. I think we have
the ability to go out there and win the tournament. Our guys have worked
extremely hard and they are focused."
Sophomore
Erich Bein leads the Cowboys at No. 1 singles. He went 6-0 in
conference and is 11-4 on the season. Senior Sean Strehlow is 8-7 on the
year at No. 2 singles
and was 5-1 in ASC play. Senior Cullen Dees is 7-8 on the year at No. 3
singles and was also 5-1 in league play.
Sophomore
Michael McCullough is 12-4 on the year and went 11-4 at No. 4 singles,
including 6-0 in conference play. Senior Gavin Ybarra went 8-8 at No. 5
singles. Sophomore
Steven Stanley was 8-5 at No. 6 singles.
The
Cowboys have received solid doubles play all year long. Bein and
Strehlow have teamed to go 11-5 on the year at No. 1. McCullough and
senior Tony Record are 10-6
at No. 2 doubles and Stanley and Ybarra are 8-6 at No. 3 doubles.
HSU
will receive a first round bye and will play the winner of Friday's
match between Mississippi College and McMurry at 9:30 at the Tyler
Tennis and Swim Club. If
the Cowboys win, they will play in the final at the Summers Tennis
Center at UT-Tyler on Sunday at 1 p.m for the ASC Championship.
Live
statistics will be available throughout the event as well as selected
live video streaming and video highlights. The links can be found on the
conference's website,
www.ASCsports.org, and the official championships website, www.uttylerpatriots.com.
2012 AMERICAN SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE
TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
April 27-29 / Summers Tennis Center & Tyler Tennis and Swim Club / Tyler, Texas
-Men's Seeds-
East Division: #1 Texas-Tyler (15-5, 6-0 ASC), #2 Mississippi College (10-3, 5-1 ASC), #3 Texas-Dallas (10-3, 4-2 ASC)
West Division: #1 Hardin-Simmons (10-6, 6-0 ASC), #2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (9-6, 5-1 ASC), #3 McMurry (6-10, 3-3 ASC)
MEN'S TOURNAMENT
Friday, April 27
Quarterfinals
Match 1: Mississippi College (E2) vs. McMurry (W3), 9:30 a.m., TTSC
Match 2: Mary Hardin-Baylor (W2) vs. Texas-Dallas (E3), 9:30 a.m., Summers
Saturday, April 28
Semifinals
Match 3: Hardin-Simmons (W1) vs. Winner of Match 1 [MC/McM], 9:30 a.m., TTSC
Match 4: Texas-Tyler (E1) vs. Winner of Match 2 [UMHB/UTD], 9:30 a.m., Summers
Sunday, April 29
Championship
Match 5: Winner of Match 3 vs. Winner of Match 4, 1 p.m., Summers
ALL-TIME ASC TENNIS CHAMPIONS
MEN
Year ASC Champion
1997 Howard Payne
1998 Hardin-Simmons
1999 Schreiner
2000 Mississippi College
2001 Mississippi College
2002 Hardin-Simmons
2003 Hardin-Simmons
2004 Hardin-Simmons
2005 Hardin-Simmons
2006 Hardin-Simmons
2007 Hardin-Simmons
2008 Texas-Tyler
2009 Texas-Tyler
2010 Texas-Tyler
2011 Texas-Tyler
