SHAWNEE – As daunting as starting your season off against two Division I opponents is, it has paid dividends for the Oklahoma Baptist men's tennis team. Since dropping those first couple matches, OBU is 4-1. That 4-1 record comprises two shutouts, a 4-3 upset over then No. 15 Midwestern St., and a 4-3 conference win over Newman.
Next up for the Bison is their second conference match of the season when Northwest Missouri St. comes to Bison Hill this Saturday, Feb. 29. With a win, OBU will kick off its MIAA campaign with a 2-0 start.
Defeating the preseason MIAA North Division favorites will be no small task. OBU has never beaten the Bearcats in the two all-time meetings. Last year, NWMSU defeated the Bison 6-1 in Maryville, Missouri.
The past two games, OBU has been without its lead-singles man No. 22
Bruno Suiama. The Bison will need Suiama against the Bearcats and No. 35 Franco Oliva.
The transfer from Crowley County College has played well against nationally ranked players this season. Against Midwestern St., Suiama defeated No. 5 Angel Palacios 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Suiama was tied at one set a piece with Drury's No. 20 Nico Hadeler before suffering an injury in the third set, forcing him to retire. That injury is responsible for Suiama's current two game absence.
Senior
Gianlucca Galdi is 3-1 in his last four matches with the one loss coming against No. 43 Alex Martinez-Roca out of Midwestern St. Galdi had his own injury battle earlier this season when he was held out of the Texas A&M-Texarkana match.
Matching Galdi's production is freshman
Aaron Brewer, who has seen a 4-1 singles record in his last five matches. Sophomore transfer
Kaey-Den Tan is 3-0 in singles at No. 6 and has yet to drop a set.
All of this will be put to the test Saturday at 10 a.m. For live updates for all the Bison's matches, as well as the latest OBU tennis news, follow the team's official Twitter account (
@OBU_Tennis).
