Ball State University Athletics
This is Ball State Tennis...
March 06, 2002 | Men's Tennis
BSU has won or tied for 15 Mid-American Conference Championships, including 12-straight from 1984 through 1995 . . . The 12-straight titles is a feat accomplished by only one other team -- Western Michigan -- in the 54-year history of MAC men's tennis championships, while the 15 total conference titles ranks second all time.
Since capturing its first league title in 1984, BSU has posted a 103-4 regular-season MAC slate for a .963 winning mark . . . During that time span, the Cardinals have logged 13 undefeated regular-season ledgers.
Including its 9-2 record in MAC Tournament competition, BSU has won 119 of 126 matches vs. Mid-Am opponents over the past 18 campaigns for a .944 winning percentage. In its 26 years as members of the MAC, BSU has registered a 162-33 overall record vs. league opponents for an .831 winning mark, including a 153-31 record during regular-season MAC competition.
BSU head coach Bill Richards is the winningest men's tennis coach in school and MAC history . . . Under his guidance, BSU teams have posted a 427-211 overall record, a 162-33 Mid-Am mark and have received national recognition on a regular basis . . . Richards is one of only 14 active Division I coaches to reach the 400-career win plateau.
BSU players have earned First-Team All-MAC accolades a conference-best 46 times since 1973.
Ball State traditionally plays competitive schedules . . . Sixteen of the Cardinals' 27 opponents in 2000 were nationally ranked at the time of the match or at some point during the season . . . All nine of BSU's losses last spring came at the hands of nationally-ranked opponents.
Ball State's three team appearances in the NCAA Championship Tournament are the most of any MAC school . . . The 2000 team earned an automatic berth, while the 1994 and 1995 squads earned at-large bids into the NCAA Midwest Regional.
BSU teams and/or players have been ranked consistently in the Rolex national rankings in each of the past 16 seasons, including a top-20 team ranking in 1990, a No. 1 doubles ranking in 1992 and top-40 singles rankings in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1998 . . . The 2000 team spent the entire season ranked among the top 60 teams with a final ranking of 49th . . . In addition, Ryan Baxter and Jason Pressel ranked as high 24th in doubles, while Baxter tied for 95th at one point in singles.
