Positioning for an NCAA Tournament bid will take place today for the LSU men’s tennis team as it hosts in-state rival Tulane at 4 p.m. at the W.T. “Dub” Robinson Tennis Stadium.
Both No. 16 LSU (16-7, 4-6 Southeastern Conference) and No. 17 Tulane (18-4) are vying for an automatic bid to the tournament. Teams that finish the season ranked in the top 16 earn an automatic bid.
“This match has national implications for both teams in the postseason,” LSU coach Jeff Brown said.
Tulane, led by senior Dimitry Koch, has won 12 of its last 13 matches. The Green Wave defeated LSU in 2004, snapping the Tigers 81-match winning streak against in-state competition.
“This match is very competitive now because Tulane has built their program up,” Brown said.
LSU has not hosted Tulane since 2000 when the Tigers posted a 7-0 victory against the Green Wave.
LSU rides a three-game winning streak coming into the match — all coming against SEC West opponents. The Tigers defeated Mississippi State 4-3, Auburn 6-1 and Alabama 5-2 last week.
The Tigers have won the doubles point in eight consecutive matches. The No. 7 doubles team of Mark Growcott and Ken Skupski are on a six-game winning streak on court one. Colt Gaston and Danny Bryan are 7-0 on court two this season and on court three, Peter Richman and Jason Hazley are 4-1.