Mississippi State University Team Page

STARKVILLE, Miss. - After sweeping its opening weekend of play last week in Houston, Texas, the 11th-ranked Mississippi State men's tennis squad (2-0) will begin home action this weekend by hosting the ITA Kickoff Weekend Saturday and Sunday at MSU's A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.

"We are excited to play at home," head coach Per Nilsson said on opening season play at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre. "It'll be fun for our team, especially the new guys to experience the Bulldog home court."

The Bulldogs will begin play Saturday against the No. 25 LSU Tigers (1-0) at approximately 1 p.m. That contest will follow the opening match between the No. 21 Auburn Tigers (3-0) and the 23rd-ranked Indiana Hoosiers (1-2), set to begin at 10 a.m. CT.

Saturday's losing teams will play a consolation match at 10 a.m. Sunday, while the winners will play at 1 p.m. Sunday for the right to advance to Seattle, Wash., to play in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship from Feb. 15-18.

State comes into the weekend off impressive victories against the No. 29 Texas Tech Red Raiders and the No. 54 Rice Owls this past weekend.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs is senior James Chaudry, No. 81 junior Malte Stropp and the freshman duo of No. 25 Romain Bogaerts and Jordan Angus, who all combined for an 8-0 record to start the 2013 campaign.

In doubles play, the Bulldogs' 28th-ranked duo of Angus and Stropp also put together a perfect opening weekend, going 2-0 and defeating the top doubles squads from Texas Tech and Rice.

MSU's Saturday opponent, the LSU Tigers, are led by the 33rd-ranked doubles squad of Chris Simpson and Stefan Szacinski, who defeated the No. 60 Southern Miss tandem of Matt Frost and Andrew Goodwin 8-1 to start the season.

For more information on Mississippi State men's tennis, follow the Bulldogs on Twitter (www.twitter.com/mstatemt) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/mstatemt).

The ITA Kickoff Weekend in Starkville can be followed at hailstate.com.