MT Earns No. 2 Overall Seed in 2021 NCAA Championship

By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
            It's hard for the No. 1-ranked team in the country to have a chip on its shoulder, but that's exactly what the NCAA selection committee gave the Baylor men's tennis team when the field for the NCAA Tournament was announced Monday.
            Despite earning their first No. 1 ranking in 16 years, the Bears (29-4) were selected as the No. 2 overall seed for the NCAA Championship and will host the 1^st and 2^nd round this weekend at the Hurd Tennis Center. In the first-round pairings, Alabama (14-11) faces Oregon (16-6) at 11 a.m. Saturday, followed by Baylor versus Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (19-4) at 2, with the winners playing for a spot in the Round of 16 at 2 p.m. Sunday.
            "I think for us to be a 2 (seed), it just gives us a little bit extra motivation," said interim head coach Michael Woodson, whose team earned its highest seed since 2015, when the Bears were also the No. 2 overall seed and advanced to the semifinals. "We're always looking to be the hunters, and I think we're going to get another opportunity to do that."
            While the seeding provides "some bulletin-board material," Woodson said the team is excited to be hosting the first and second round of the tournament for the 14^th time in the last 19 years and 15^th time overall.
            "We've got some of the top teams from the best conferences in the country coming in, so we're going to have to bring our 'A' game and be ready to go," Woodson said. "Every chance is a blessing, and we're going to make the most of it."
            All six teams from the Big 12 were named to the field, with Baylor, Texas (4^th) and TCU (7^th) selected as host sites. The Bears are 15-4 versus the tournament teams, including a 3-1 mark against the Longhorns, 2-1 against the Horned Frogs and non-conference wins over 8^th-seeded Texas A&M, No. 10 seed Wake Forest and 16^th-seeded Illinois.
            "We will have an even stronger hold on the No. 1 ranking in the computers, because last week they didn't account for our win over Texas," Woodson said. "So, I'm quite surprised. (Florida) didn't make indoor nationals, we made the finals. We beat the team (Texas) they had just lost to, so it is a little surprising. Normally, they don't make changes like that, especially since they went straight down the rankings after 1 and 2."
            Florida is the overall No. 1 seed and one of seven SEC teams to earn a top-16 national seed for the tournament. Each of the second-round winners advance to the final site in Orlando, Fla., and a Round of 16 matchup.
            Two years ago, Baylor was the No. 6 seed and lost to third-seeded Florida, 4-0, in the quarterfinals. Texas, the No. 4 seed that year as well, won its first national championship by beating Wake Forest, 4-1, in the final.
            Selections for the NCAA Championship singles and doubles will be announced Tuesday at ncaa.com.

WACO, Texas – For the 14^th time in the last 19 years, the No. 1-ranked Baylor men's tennis team will host first- and second-round action of the NCAA Tennis Championship, as announced by the NCAA Monday evening.

Baylor, the event's No. 2 overall seed, will welcome Alabama, Oregon and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to Waco and the Hurd Tennis Center for play on Saturday and Sunday, May 8-9.

"Anytime that we're able to be a top-four seed in the country is a huge honor," said interim head coach Michael Woodson. "Obviously an honor to be able to host a regional. We've got some really good teams from all over the country coming in to play this weekend, so we're going to need to be ready to go and bring our A-game if we're going to have a chance to advance to Orlando."

This is the first time since 2015 that BU has received a top-four overall seed, when the team also entered the tournament as the No. 2 overall seed. Currently, BU is 29-4 on the 2021 season and ranked the No. 1 overall team in the nation per the latest Oracle/ITA team rankings.

The Bears will be making their 23^rd-consecutive NCAA Championship appearance following last season's canceled postseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Baylor is hosting for the 15^th time overall and 14^th time in the last 19 seasons.

Action in Waco begins on Saturday, May 8, as second-seeded Alabama (14-11) and No. 3 seed Oregon (16-6) will play at 11 a.m., followed by the Bears taking on fourth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (19-4) in first-round action at 2 p.m. The winners of those two matches will then square off on Sunday, May 9, at 2 p.m. for a spot in the Round of 16.

Baylor is 59-21 all-time in NCAA Championship play and 30-1 when hosting in Waco.

The Bears are coming off winning the program's 24^th overall conference title after taking a share of the Big 12 regular-season crown and collecting the postseason tournament trophy on their home courts.

Baylor is one of 16 host sites around the country for the opening rounds of the NCAA Tennis Championships. Regional winners will advance to Orlando, Fla., for the Round of 16 on Monday, May 17, followed by quarterfinal, semifinal and championship action at the USTA National Campus on May 20-22.

The 2021 Singles and Doubles Championships will take place May 23-29 in Orlando, with selections for those tournaments to be announced on Tuesday.

For the latest news on the Baylor men's tennis team all season long, follow their official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorMTennis.

NCAA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
(Hurd Tennis Center, Waco, Texas)

First Round:
Saturday, May 8:
No. 2 seed Alabama (14-11) vs. No. 3 seed Oregon (16-6), 11 a.m.
No. 1 seed Baylor (29-4) vs. No. 4 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (19-4), 2 p.m.

Second Round:
Sunday, May 9:
Alabama/Oregon winner vs. Baylor/Texas A&M-Corpus Christi winner, 2 p.m.

-BaylorBears.com-

MT Earns No. 2 Overall Seed in 2021 NCAA Championship

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