Anderson Takes on DePauw/Principia

The Anderson University men's tennis team takes on DePauw University and Principia College on Saturday in Greencastle.

SETTING THE SCENE

Anderson faces off with DePauw (3-3) at 9 a.m. to start the day. DePauw is ranked No. 10 in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central Region rankings.

"DePauw is a very strong program," Coach Bryant Beard said. "We want to see what we are capable of doing while we measure up with them. If we take some points, it will be a great relative win for us as we start the season. These types of matches are fun. You go in with no expectations and you just give it your all, and learn."

The Ravens then go head-to-head with Principia College (8-0) at 1 p.m.

"Principia has a very strong top of the lineup, that can compete with many NCAA DII programs. However, they don't have a lot of numbers this year, and we have much more depth. I think that can help us secure some points at the No. 5 and No. 6 positions as well as No. 3 doubles. With that being said, I believe my top guys can pull some 'upsets'. I really believe in them."

A LOOK AT THE HCAC

Last season, the Ravens finished 3-9 with a 3-5 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) record. The Ravens placed sixth in the HCAC standings to qualify for the HCAC Tournament.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology was predicted to lock up its sixth consecutive conference title as the Fightin' Engineers were tabbed the favorite in the HCAC preseason poll with 78 points and eight first-place votes. The Fightin' Engineers advanced past the First Round in the NCAA Tournament last season with a 5-1 win against Illinois Institute of Technology.

Hanover College was selected second with 65 points. Earlham College took third with 63 points. Anderson was picked fourth with 53 points and secured the final first-place vote. Transylvania University (45) earned the fifth-place slot and was projected ahead of Franklin College (35), Manchester University (27), Defiance College (21) and Mount St. Joseph University (18), which rounds out the HCAC preseason poll. The top six teams in the HCAC standings earn a berth to the HCAC Tournament.

"I expect us to be in the middle tier of our conference, working on our goals and improvements to keep inching closer to those top teams. We know that we want to make the conference tournament, and we expect that. We really want to distance ourselves from the bottom half of the conference."

A LOOK AT THE RAVENS

On a team with 11 underclassmen, Bradley Rothaar continues to anchor the Ravens in the No. 1 singles spot.

"We are still a very young team and I believe Bradley will continue to find his voice as a leader of this team. The guys really respect what he has to say, and I really want him to take ownership of that."

Seth Nation holds a 3-1 singles record this season, splitting his time between No. 2 and No. 3 singles. Cory Evans has compiled a 2-2 record. Dane Huston/Colton Stevens have put together a 2-2 doubles record while Austin Hostetler/Peter Hallam hold a 3-1 doubles record this season. Conner Page won his only singles match this season. Jesse Hernandez, Parker Bradley and Sam Songer round out the Ravens roster.

"As of right now, it appears we will have three or four of six freshmen players in our varsity lineup. Honestly, all of the incoming athletes have made a large impact on our program. Keep an eye out for the play of Colton Stevens, Cory Evans, Sam Songer, and Peter Hallam."

The Ravens have compiled a level of depth in their roster where they are capable of consistently scoring points in the back of the lineup.

"Our team strength is depth. We have about five different players that could play for our No. 6 varsity singles position."

Anderson battles Franklin (4-3) and Transylvania (1-6) in key conference matchups for HCAC position. The Ravens clashes with Franklin on April 11 at 12 p.m. in Franklin. Anderson rolled to a 9-0 victory in the Fall, but the Grizzlies swept the Ravens in the 2018-19 season. Franklin beat out Anderson for the No. 5 seed last year with a 5-4 victory at AU Tennis Courts. The Ravens then take on Transylvania on April 25 at 11 a.m. at AU Tennis Courts.

"We really think we match up with Franklin. Although we beat them 9-0 in the Fall, I believe they can play much better than that. Also, I have my eyes on Transylvania. They are a tough team but if they are not as strong this year, we may have an opportunity to crack the top four."

The Ravens look to put a premium on the present as they continue to develop throughout the season.

"Our team needs to focus on the Now and let go of past emotions and past play, as well as ambitious future play. Every day we practice, every day we play, we try to remember to be in the moment and let things come as they do. It's about how we respond to these challenges that count. Because we are a very young team, we still have a lot of growth in some ways. We all do. I do too. But we will do that together."