Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Illinois State University
Men’s Tennis Travels to Illinois State Wednesday; Hosts Michigan State Saturday
February 22, 2022 | Men's Tennis
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State men's tennis team (5-3) will play two matches this week in non-conference action. First will be a road match at Illinois State on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET before the Cardinals get ready to host Big Ten foe Michigan State at home Saturday for a 1 p.m. ET first serve.
The Cardinals competition at Illinois State marks the seventh-straight road match for BSU. Ball State is coming off a 6-1 win against IUPUI on Sunday, Feb. 20. The Redbirds enter this week's matchup with a 3-9 ledger and are coming off a 6-1 victory at Marquette on Sunday as well.
On Saturday, Ball State will welcome the Spartans of Michigan State to Muncie. There's a lot of history between these two programs competition wise and personally.
Current BSU junior Vince Orlando is the son of Michigan State's head coach Gene Orlando, who is also a Ball State tennis alumnus and is also a member of the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame. Gene played on four Mid-American Conference championship teams for Ball State head coach Bill Richards from 1984-87 and has been the head coach for the Michigan State men's tennis team since 1992.
Michigan State own a 7-3 ledger and recently fell to fellow Mid-American Conference member Western Michigan by a score of 6-1 on Feb. 5 in Kalamazoo, Mich.
The Spartans have won the last 14 matches between the two programs. The last time Ball State and Michigan State met in Muncie was on Jan. 26, 2019, resulting in a 4-3 win for the Spartans.
Players Mentioned
