Oklahoma State University Athletics
Friday, April 28
Norman, Okla.
10 a.m.
Oklahoma State University
vs
Texas Tech
Cowboys Return to Norman For 2017 Big 12 Tennis Championship
April 26, 2017 | Cowboy Tennis
PDF Notes
Big 12 Championship Site
STILLWATER – The eighth-ranked Oklahoma State men's tennis team begins postseason play this weekend, as the Cowboys take part in the 2017 Big 12 Tennis Championships. This year's tournament runs from April 27-29 and is being hosted at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
OSU (21-5; 3-2 Big 12) enters this weekend's event as the No. 2 seed in the men's bracket and will receive a first-round bye. The Cowboys' first match will be against either No. 6 Baylor or No. 41 Texas Tech on Friday, April 28, at 10 a.m.
The Cowboys defeated both the Bears and Red Raiders on the road during the regular season, with both victories coming during an eight-day stretch where OSU knocked off No. 6 Texas, No. 42 Texas Tech and No. 3 Baylor.
The Oklahoma State Lineup
- At the top of the Cowboys' doubles lineup is the returning All-American duo of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe. Cash and Kadhe won 34 matches as a tandem last season and became the fourth team in OSU history to earn All-America honors.
- The Cowboys also return five other upperclassmen this season in Lukas Finzelberg, Lucas Gerch, Jurence Mendoza, Tristan Meraut and Nathan Roper. All five figure to play a key role in the OSU lineup this season, including Gerch, whose 79 career singles victories puts him in fifth place on OSU's all-time wins list.
- The final members of head coach Jay Udwadia's roster are newcomers Mathieu Scaglia and Artur Dubinski.
Match Updates
- For updates during matches, follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter and then check okstate.com for post-match results and a recap from the day's action.
- Fans that can't make the trip down will be able to watch all of the action from this week's Big 12 Tennis Championships in Norman. The opening rounds of the tournament will be live streamed on FloTennis, while the championship matches for both the men and women will be aired on Fox Sports.
- All information regarding match times or other details about the tournament can be found at big12sports.com.
Oklahoma State from a Distance
- Oklahoma State returns seven upperclassmen from a season that saw the Cowboys host an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2007 and advance to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history. The Cowboys racked up 20 duals wins for the second time under head coach Jay Udwadia, with 12 of those victories coming against ranked competition.
- Udwadia is currently in his fifth season in charge of the Cowboys. He earned his 75th win as OSU's head coach when his Cowboys blanked No. 14 Kentucky on January 28 to secure their spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. Udwadia is joined by first-year assistant coach Marek Michalicka.
Notable Streaks and Trends
- The Cowboys have been ranked in the top-30 of the ITA Rankings for 39 consecutive weeks. The last time OSU was outside of the top-30 was May 1, 2015. Oklahoma State's No. 8 ranking this week also marked the squad's 10th
consecutive appearance in the top 10, which is the longest streak in team history.
- OSU's victory over third-ranked Baylor marked the third time under head coach Jay Udwadia that the Cowboys have reached the 20-win mark, having done so previously in 2014 and 2016. It is the 17th time in team history that the Cowboys have won at least 20 matches in a season.
- Oklahoma State has had a doubles tandem earn All-America honors in each of the past three seasons. Last season it was Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe achieving the feat, while Kadhe and Jakob Sude recorded the first two during the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Tournaments. OSU's three-year streak is tied for the second longest active streak in Division I and trails only Texas A&M's four-year stretch.
- Since 2013, the Cowboys have made three-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Round of 16 last season. That streak is the second longest in program history, trailing only a seven-year streak from 2003-09 that saw the Cowboys reach the Round of 16 on three occasions.
- Tristan Meraut has won 12 straight singles contests dating back to the Cowboys' shut-out victory over No. 14 Kentucky in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend final. OSU is unbeaten in dual matches this season when he is victorious in singles (11-0).
Record Watch
- Arjun Kadhe and Lucas Gerch are climbing up Oklahoma State's all-time singles wins list. Gerch is OSU's active singles wins leader, and his 79 career victories put him in fifth place. Kadhe, meanwhile, holds 72 singles wins for his career and is currently in eighth place all-time.
- Julian Cash has been a dynamic presence at the top of OSU's doubles lineups throughout the past two seasons. The junior set an OSU record last season by winning 34 doubles contests with Arjun Kadhe. This season, Cash has added 26 more victories to his total and is now just one win shy of breaking into the top 10 on OSU's all-time doubles wins list.
- Arjun Kadhe has proved this season that his doubles success is no fluke, as the senior has matched his own single-season doubles wins record (34) that he and Cash set a season ago. Kadhe will have numerous chances to set and then extend the record throughout the final stretch of the season.
- Kadhe also currently sits with Oleksandr Nedovyesov and his former doubles partner Jakob Sude as the only three-time All-Americans in OSU history. With his senior campaign underway, Kadhe can become the first Cowboy to earn All-America honors on four occasions this year.
Cowboys in the ITA Rankings
- Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe have posted 26 wins in doubles play this season as they continue to cement themselves as one of OSU's greatest doubles tandems in team history. The duo sits at No. 6 in this week's ranking.
- Kadhe and fellow senior Lucas Gerch are also ranked in doubles, as they sit at No. 50 this week.
- Cash is currently Oklahoma State's highest-ranked singles competitor, sitting at No. 24 this week. He is followed by Lukas Finzelberg (No. 76), Arjun Kadhe (No. 103) and Lucas Gerch (No. 110) in the singles rankings.
Cowboys Chasing First Big 12 Title
- Oklahoma State has 18 conference championships to its name, but the Cowboys have not been crowned as champions since winning the Big Eight in 1991.
- This year, OSU has had its best season in conference play under head coach Jay Udwadia, as the Cowboys defeated three league foes en route to securing their first top-two finish since 2007.
- Two of OSU's victories came over top-10 opponents in successive weekends, when the Cowboys knocked off No. 6 Texas for the first time in a decade and then defeated No. 3 Baylor in Waco, Texas for the first time since 1997. The squad's win over Baylor also marked OSU's first defeat of a top-three opponent since the Cowboys dropped second-ranked Tennessee in 2001.
- Because of its success in league play, OSU will enter this week's Big 12 Tennis Championships as the No. 2 seed in the men's bracket and will receive a bye into the tournament's semifinals. The squad's match against either Baylor or Texas Tech will mark the Cowboys' first appearance in the semifinals since 2014.
- Oklahoma State has twice finished runner-up in the Big 12 tournament (2003 and 2005).
Thriving in the Classroom
- Oklahoma State men's tennis has been a fixture of academic success dating back to the first Academic All-Big 12 team in 1997. In each of the past 20 seasons, OSU has had a representative on the Academic All-Big 12 team and has had multiple Cowboys earn the honor on 18 occasions.
- OSU continued to be a source of academic excellence in the Big 12 this season as a program-record seven Cowboys were named as Academic All-Big 12 selections, with six of those being first team honorees. The seven selections ranks as the second most by a men's tennis program in the Big 12 this season, trailing only Baylor's eight honorees.
- Under head coach Jay Udwadia, the Cowboys now boast an impressive total of 24 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 11 ITA Scholar-Athletes. Senior Lucas Gerch added to OSU's list of academic achievement last season when he was named the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Big 12 Championship Site
STILLWATER – The eighth-ranked Oklahoma State men's tennis team begins postseason play this weekend, as the Cowboys take part in the 2017 Big 12 Tennis Championships. This year's tournament runs from April 27-29 and is being hosted at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
OSU (21-5; 3-2 Big 12) enters this weekend's event as the No. 2 seed in the men's bracket and will receive a first-round bye. The Cowboys' first match will be against either No. 6 Baylor or No. 41 Texas Tech on Friday, April 28, at 10 a.m.
The Cowboys defeated both the Bears and Red Raiders on the road during the regular season, with both victories coming during an eight-day stretch where OSU knocked off No. 6 Texas, No. 42 Texas Tech and No. 3 Baylor.
The Oklahoma State Lineup
- At the top of the Cowboys' doubles lineup is the returning All-American duo of Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe. Cash and Kadhe won 34 matches as a tandem last season and became the fourth team in OSU history to earn All-America honors.
- The Cowboys also return five other upperclassmen this season in Lukas Finzelberg, Lucas Gerch, Jurence Mendoza, Tristan Meraut and Nathan Roper. All five figure to play a key role in the OSU lineup this season, including Gerch, whose 79 career singles victories puts him in fifth place on OSU's all-time wins list.
- The final members of head coach Jay Udwadia's roster are newcomers Mathieu Scaglia and Artur Dubinski.
Match Updates
- For updates during matches, follow @CowboyTennis on Twitter and then check okstate.com for post-match results and a recap from the day's action.
- Fans that can't make the trip down will be able to watch all of the action from this week's Big 12 Tennis Championships in Norman. The opening rounds of the tournament will be live streamed on FloTennis, while the championship matches for both the men and women will be aired on Fox Sports.
- All information regarding match times or other details about the tournament can be found at big12sports.com.
Oklahoma State from a Distance
- Oklahoma State returns seven upperclassmen from a season that saw the Cowboys host an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2007 and advance to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in program history. The Cowboys racked up 20 duals wins for the second time under head coach Jay Udwadia, with 12 of those victories coming against ranked competition.
- Udwadia is currently in his fifth season in charge of the Cowboys. He earned his 75th win as OSU's head coach when his Cowboys blanked No. 14 Kentucky on January 28 to secure their spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. Udwadia is joined by first-year assistant coach Marek Michalicka.
Notable Streaks and Trends
- The Cowboys have been ranked in the top-30 of the ITA Rankings for 39 consecutive weeks. The last time OSU was outside of the top-30 was May 1, 2015. Oklahoma State's No. 8 ranking this week also marked the squad's 10th
consecutive appearance in the top 10, which is the longest streak in team history.
- OSU's victory over third-ranked Baylor marked the third time under head coach Jay Udwadia that the Cowboys have reached the 20-win mark, having done so previously in 2014 and 2016. It is the 17th time in team history that the Cowboys have won at least 20 matches in a season.
- Oklahoma State has had a doubles tandem earn All-America honors in each of the past three seasons. Last season it was Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe achieving the feat, while Kadhe and Jakob Sude recorded the first two during the 2014 and 2015 NCAA Tournaments. OSU's three-year streak is tied for the second longest active streak in Division I and trails only Texas A&M's four-year stretch.
- Since 2013, the Cowboys have made three-straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including advancing to the Round of 16 last season. That streak is the second longest in program history, trailing only a seven-year streak from 2003-09 that saw the Cowboys reach the Round of 16 on three occasions.
- Tristan Meraut has won 12 straight singles contests dating back to the Cowboys' shut-out victory over No. 14 Kentucky in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend final. OSU is unbeaten in dual matches this season when he is victorious in singles (11-0).
Record Watch
- Arjun Kadhe and Lucas Gerch are climbing up Oklahoma State's all-time singles wins list. Gerch is OSU's active singles wins leader, and his 79 career victories put him in fifth place. Kadhe, meanwhile, holds 72 singles wins for his career and is currently in eighth place all-time.
- Julian Cash has been a dynamic presence at the top of OSU's doubles lineups throughout the past two seasons. The junior set an OSU record last season by winning 34 doubles contests with Arjun Kadhe. This season, Cash has added 26 more victories to his total and is now just one win shy of breaking into the top 10 on OSU's all-time doubles wins list.
- Arjun Kadhe has proved this season that his doubles success is no fluke, as the senior has matched his own single-season doubles wins record (34) that he and Cash set a season ago. Kadhe will have numerous chances to set and then extend the record throughout the final stretch of the season.
- Kadhe also currently sits with Oleksandr Nedovyesov and his former doubles partner Jakob Sude as the only three-time All-Americans in OSU history. With his senior campaign underway, Kadhe can become the first Cowboy to earn All-America honors on four occasions this year.
Cowboys in the ITA Rankings
- Julian Cash and Arjun Kadhe have posted 26 wins in doubles play this season as they continue to cement themselves as one of OSU's greatest doubles tandems in team history. The duo sits at No. 6 in this week's ranking.
- Kadhe and fellow senior Lucas Gerch are also ranked in doubles, as they sit at No. 50 this week.
- Cash is currently Oklahoma State's highest-ranked singles competitor, sitting at No. 24 this week. He is followed by Lukas Finzelberg (No. 76), Arjun Kadhe (No. 103) and Lucas Gerch (No. 110) in the singles rankings.
Cowboys Chasing First Big 12 Title
- Oklahoma State has 18 conference championships to its name, but the Cowboys have not been crowned as champions since winning the Big Eight in 1991.
- This year, OSU has had its best season in conference play under head coach Jay Udwadia, as the Cowboys defeated three league foes en route to securing their first top-two finish since 2007.
- Two of OSU's victories came over top-10 opponents in successive weekends, when the Cowboys knocked off No. 6 Texas for the first time in a decade and then defeated No. 3 Baylor in Waco, Texas for the first time since 1997. The squad's win over Baylor also marked OSU's first defeat of a top-three opponent since the Cowboys dropped second-ranked Tennessee in 2001.
- Because of its success in league play, OSU will enter this week's Big 12 Tennis Championships as the No. 2 seed in the men's bracket and will receive a bye into the tournament's semifinals. The squad's match against either Baylor or Texas Tech will mark the Cowboys' first appearance in the semifinals since 2014.
- Oklahoma State has twice finished runner-up in the Big 12 tournament (2003 and 2005).
Thriving in the Classroom
- Oklahoma State men's tennis has been a fixture of academic success dating back to the first Academic All-Big 12 team in 1997. In each of the past 20 seasons, OSU has had a representative on the Academic All-Big 12 team and has had multiple Cowboys earn the honor on 18 occasions.
- OSU continued to be a source of academic excellence in the Big 12 this season as a program-record seven Cowboys were named as Academic All-Big 12 selections, with six of those being first team honorees. The seven selections ranks as the second most by a men's tennis program in the Big 12 this season, trailing only Baylor's eight honorees.
- Under head coach Jay Udwadia, the Cowboys now boast an impressive total of 24 Academic All-Big 12 selections and 11 ITA Scholar-Athletes. Senior Lucas Gerch added to OSU's list of academic achievement last season when he was named the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Players Mentioned
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