The third-ranked Ohio State men's tennis team (28-2, 10-0 Big Ten) will face No. 21 Michigan at 12 p.m. Sunday at the outdoor Varsity Tennis Courts in its final regular-season match.
The Buckeyes will look to extend their Big Ten win streak to 90 consecutive matches (regular season and Big Ten tournament) against the Wolverines. The last time Ohio State lost a conference match was in the 2004-05 Big Ten tournament final vs. Illinois.
Big Ten Dominance
With its 7-0 win vs. Purdue Wednesday, the Buckeyes clinched a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship for their seventh-consecutive title. A win vs. Michigan would give Ohio State the outright title or a loss by Michigan Friday at Penn State. The seven consecutive titles are the most by any team in Ohio State history. Football (2005-10), women's basketball (2005-10) and men's golf (1982-87) are the other Ohio State sports that had previously won six consecutive titles.
Senior Day vs. Michigan
Following the match vs. Michigan, the Buckeyes will honor seniors
Chase Buchanan and
Steven Williams.
The 2012 Ohio State men's tennis senior class, represented by co-captains Buchanan and Williams, will conclude its time in Columbus as one of the most successful in program history. After their win vs. Purdue, they have now accumulated 133 team wins, which currently is the third most victories by a senior class, to just nine losses during their four years donning the Scarlet and Gray,. The pair has never lost a home match, going an impressive 74-0 record in Columbus, the most of any class in Buckeye history. . . .
In the Hall
Head coach
Ty Tucker will officially be inducted into the Zanesville City Schools Hall of Fame May 12 at Zanesville High School. A 1988 graduate of ZHS, Tucker was a high school All-American, nine-time National Junior Champion and remains the only freshman at ZHS to win an Ohio High School State Championship title.
Ty-rific
Head coach
Ty Tucker has been nothing short of successful during his tenure at Ohio State. Tucker, who replaced John Daly as coach prior to the 1999-2000 season, has an overall record of 354-56 (.863) as the Buckeye mentor, including a 151-17 mark vs. Big Ten competition. He has posted 12 consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins and is on pace to reach his sixth-consecutive campaign with 30 or more victories.
Besides his first season as coach in which the Buckeyes finished fourth in the Big Ten, Tucker's teams have never finished below second in the final conference standings. Under his tutelage, Ohio State has won the Big Ten regular season seven consecutive seasons and the conference tournament championship six consecutive seasons, earning him Big Ten Coach of the Year honors each of those six years. Tucker was named National Coach of the Year in 1999(sic, 2009). . . .
Wolverine Watch
Michigan is ranked 21st and currently boasts an 8-1 record in Big Ten play, matching its most conference wins since 1999. Entering the weekend, the Wolverines have won six consecutive matches and 11 of their last 12. They are 6-2 on the road. Michigan is led by All-American Evan King who is ranked No. 8 nationally. King and sophomore Shaun Bernstein are the Wolverines, top doubles pair at No. 22.
Ohio State vs. Michigan
Ohio State is 29-73-2 overall vs. Michigan. However, the Buckeyes have claimed the last 11 meetings, winning the previous match 6-1 last year in Columbus. . . ..
Up next, Ohio State will attempt to win its seventh-consecutive Big Ten tournament championship when it travels to Evanston, Ill., April 26-29. Northwestern is serving as hosts.
