MATCH INFORMATION
Match No. 20
Daemen Wildcats (5-14, 0-2 ECC) vs. Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks (5-11, 0-2 ECC)
Tuesday, Apr. 3 | 2:30 PM | Williamsville, N.Y. | Miller Tennis Center
THE SERVE
The Daemen men's tennis team returns to East Coast Conference play Tuesday by hosting rival Roberts Wesleyan. Both teams will be seeking their first ECC win of the season, and a chance to stay in the conference tournament hunt. The Wildcats will be playing at home for the first time since late February, and they'll be seeking their first-ever win in the series with RWC.
THE COACH
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.
THE RETURNERS
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.
THE NEWCOMERS
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 SETS CAREER WINS MARK
With wins in both singles and doubles during an 8-1 defeat of RIT on Sept. 27, senior Mark Veitengruber surpassed Gregory Lowe's program-record for combined singles and doubles wins (62). Veitengruber, already the program's all-time leader in singles wins (46), now has a combined 77 wins in his career.
RUIZ MARTINEZ SETS SINGLE SEASON WINS MARK
With a three-set win (7-5, 4-6, 1-0) over SNHU's Ricardo Marreiros, junior Ricardo Ruiz Martinez has surpassed Mark Veitengruber's record for singles wins in a season. Ruiz Martinez has won six of his last seven singles matches to improve to 14-7 on the season. Veitengruber had set the previous mark when he went 13-16 during the 2015-16 season.
ROBERTS WESLEYAN SCOUTING REPORT
Roberts Wesleyan is led by veteran head coach Tom Linhart who has guided the Redhawks to a 90-71 record in his seven-year tenure to date. Senior Hugo Ball-Greene, a second-team All-ECC selection last season, headlines the team's returners. The Redhawks were picked fifth in the ECC preseason poll. Four of their five wins this season have come against NCAA Division III opponents, and they'll enter Tuesday's match looking to snap a 10-match losing streak.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Roberts Wesleyan: 0-5
Streak: Lost 5
Last Meeting: RWC 6, Daemen 3 | April 13, 2017 | Rochester, N.Y.
ON THE HORIZON
Unbeaten NYIT (6-0, 1-0 ECC) comes to Western New York this weekend with a dual vs. Daemen scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday morning.
