Men's Tennis | 9/26/2017 7:25:00 PM
GAME INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. Rochester Inst. of Technology Tigers (1-0, 0-0 LL)
Wednesday, Sept. 27 | 6 p.m. | Amherst, N.Y. | Ellicott Tennis Courts
GAME LINKS
Game Day
BEATTY'S BACK
Stephen Beatty returns for his fifth season as the head coach of the Wildcats...over the course of his first four seasons, Beatty has guided the Daemen men's tennis team to a 25-67 record...a former collegiate player at Division II Northwood University (Mich.) and Division III D'Youville College, Beatty got his coaching start as an assistant to Kelly Brown, serving for one season--Daemen's inaugural season of tennis competition--before being promoted to the top post.
RETURNING WILDCATS
The Wildcats return the core of their 2016-17 team which went 6-18 overall and 0-5 in ECC play. Gone however is John LeMar who graduated as the program's all-time leader in doubles wins with 33. Leading the Daemen returners is junior Ricardo Ruiz Martinez who made an immediate impact last season after transferring from American International. Ruiz Martinez became the first Daemen player to earn All-ECC accolades after he was named to the league's second-team. Ruiz Martinez posted a 10-7 mark in singles play and an 8-7 mark in doubles play last season. Also back is sophomore Fabian Wilde who tied Ruiz Martinez for the team lead in singles wins, posting a 10-15 mark, and senior Mark Veitengruber who enters his senior season already ranking as the program's all-time leader in singles wins (34). Junior David Gonzalez Villegas also returns after leading the team in doubles wins with 12 last season.
FRESH FACES
Daemen welcomes four true freshmen to the mix, three of whom are expected to contribute immediately. Look for German native Tim Georg, Mexican native Pablo Martinez Hernandez and Minnesota native Jose Williamson III to be in the lineup early and often.
GEORG STARTS FAST
Freshman Tim Georg got his collegiate career off to a fast start by winning his singles draw at the Daemen Invitational Tournament which was held Sept. 15-17. Georg went 3-0 at the tournament, and picked up a pair of victories against Division I players in the process. First, Georg knocked off Colgate's Tyler Krantz in the semifinal round (4-6, 6-2, 1-0), and he followed with a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Niagara's Josh Wilson.
VEITENGRUBER ADDS TO RECORD WIN TOTAL
Senior Mark Veitengruber posted a 2-1 record at the ITA East Region Championship tournament held this past weekend at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens, N.Y. Veitengruber was the lone Daemen player to advance out of the qualifying draw and into the main draw. The pair of singles wins gives Veitengruber 36 for his career, the most in team history.
RIT SCOUTING REPORT
RIT is a member of NCAA Division III and the Liberty League. After partaking in a pair of tournaments to open the season, including the Daemen Invitationa, RIT posted an 8-1 win over Rochester-area rival St. John Fisher this past Sunday in their first dual-match of the season. The Tigers are led by junior Chandler Libby who has posted a 5-2 singles record thus far. Libby was the lone RIT player to advance into the semifinal round of his respective singles draw at the Daemen Invitational earlier this month. The Tigers went 5-1 in singles play in Sunday's defeat of SJFC, picking up wins from Libby, Jared Ingoglia, Ben Lynaugh, Michael Peters and Mac Yang Li. The Tigers went 3-12 overall and 2-5 in Liberty League play in 2016-17.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. RIT: 0-1
Streak: Lost 1
Last Meeting: RIT 6, Daemen 2 | Feb. 22, 2015 | Rochester, N.Y.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats are back in action with weekend dual-matches at home vs. Walsh (Saturday, Sept. 30) and Oswego State (Sunday, Oct. 1)
