MT Prepares for 2026 Fall Slate
8/18/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Bears to host Waco Invite and ITA Sectionals
WACO, Texas – Baylor men's tennis will open its fall slate later next month, with head coach Michael Woodson's squad set to compete in 10 tournaments and events across five states before wrapping up the semester at the NCAA Individual Championships in Athens, Georgia.
The Bears begin the fall Sept. 19-27 at the ITA All American Championships in Tulsa, Okla., followed by the Columbus ATP 75 in Columbus, Ohio, from Sept. 28-Oct. 4. Baylor will then head to Fort Worth for the ITA Texas Regionals (Oct. 8-12) before playing in the Rice Invite in Houston (Oct. 16-18) and the M15 Fayetteville in Arkansas (Oct. 19-25).
The Bears will host the Waco Invite Oct. 23-25 before splitting into multiple tournaments over the following two weeks, including the Norman 25k in Oklahoma, the SMU Invite in Dallas, the Charlottesville ATP 75 in Virginia and the Harlingen 25k in Texas. Baylor will also host ITA Sectionals Nov. 5-8 before the fall slate concludes with the NCAA Individual Championships Nov. 17-22 in Athens.
Three of the events on Baylor's fall calendar, the ITA All American Championships, the ITA Texas Regionals and ITA Sectionals, double as qualifying stops for the NCAA Individual Championships. The All American Championships in Tulsa carry the most direct path, sending 10 singles players and four doubles teams to the NCAA field. Players who don't qualify in Tulsa get another chance at the Regional level, where the two singles finalists and the doubles champion from each of the 13 regions around the country punch their tickets. For those still seeking a spot, the ITA Sectionals serve as the last opportunity, advancing six singles players and three doubles teams from each of the four sections to the national tournament in Athens.
The fall schedule follows a 2025-26 season in which Baylor reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2022. The Bears finished 25-10 overall and 6-2 in Big 12 play, posting seven wins over top-25 opponents and an 18-2 record at home before falling to No. 2 seed Texas in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Baylor closed the season ranked 10th nationally.
Several key contributors from that run are back on the 2026-27 roster, headlined by Devin Badenhorst, who earned ITA All-American honors and a spot in the PIF ATP Next Gen Accelerator Program. Calvin Baierl, Louis Bowden, Drew Hedgecoe and Connor Van Schalkwyk also return to a squad that will look to build on last year's Elite Eight appearance.
Baylor's fall also brings a mix of newcomers to the program. Freshman signee Connor Doig from South Africa, who won the 2026 Australian Open boys' doubles title, joins the Bears after a standout junior career on the ITF circuit. Senior transfer Erik Schiessll arrives from Florida State by way of Oklahoma State, bringing a career singles record of 56-33 and a doubles mark of 47-31. Also joining the program are freshmen Radek Chodora of Prague, Czechia; Gordon Gallagher, a top-30 national recruit from New Canaan, Connecticut; and August Bröstrom Poulsen of Copenhagen, Denmark, a six-time Danish national doubles champion and the brother of former Baylor standout Oskar Bröstrom Poulsen.
2026 FALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 19-27 — ITA All American Championships — Tulsa, Okla.
Sept. 28-Oct. 4 — Columbus ATP 75 — Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 8-12 — ITA Texas Regionals — Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 16-18 — Rice Invite — Houston, Texas
Oct. 19-25 — M15 Fayetteville — Fayetteville, Ark.
Oct. 23-25 — Waco Invite — Waco, Texas
Oct. 26-Nov. 1 — Norman 25k — Norman, Okla.
Oct. 30-Nov. 1 — SMU Invite — Dallas, Texas
Nov. 2-8 — Charlottesville ATP 75 — Charlottesville, Va.
Nov. 2-8 — Harlingen 25k — Harlingen, Texas
Nov. 5-8 — ITA Sectionals — Waco, Texas
Nov. 17-22 — NCAA Individual Championships — Athens, Ga.
- BaylorBears.com -
The Bears begin the fall Sept. 19-27 at the ITA All American Championships in Tulsa, Okla., followed by the Columbus ATP 75 in Columbus, Ohio, from Sept. 28-Oct. 4. Baylor will then head to Fort Worth for the ITA Texas Regionals (Oct. 8-12) before playing in the Rice Invite in Houston (Oct. 16-18) and the M15 Fayetteville in Arkansas (Oct. 19-25).
The Bears will host the Waco Invite Oct. 23-25 before splitting into multiple tournaments over the following two weeks, including the Norman 25k in Oklahoma, the SMU Invite in Dallas, the Charlottesville ATP 75 in Virginia and the Harlingen 25k in Texas. Baylor will also host ITA Sectionals Nov. 5-8 before the fall slate concludes with the NCAA Individual Championships Nov. 17-22 in Athens.
Three of the events on Baylor's fall calendar, the ITA All American Championships, the ITA Texas Regionals and ITA Sectionals, double as qualifying stops for the NCAA Individual Championships. The All American Championships in Tulsa carry the most direct path, sending 10 singles players and four doubles teams to the NCAA field. Players who don't qualify in Tulsa get another chance at the Regional level, where the two singles finalists and the doubles champion from each of the 13 regions around the country punch their tickets. For those still seeking a spot, the ITA Sectionals serve as the last opportunity, advancing six singles players and three doubles teams from each of the four sections to the national tournament in Athens.
The fall schedule follows a 2025-26 season in which Baylor reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2022. The Bears finished 25-10 overall and 6-2 in Big 12 play, posting seven wins over top-25 opponents and an 18-2 record at home before falling to No. 2 seed Texas in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Baylor closed the season ranked 10th nationally.
Several key contributors from that run are back on the 2026-27 roster, headlined by Devin Badenhorst, who earned ITA All-American honors and a spot in the PIF ATP Next Gen Accelerator Program. Calvin Baierl, Louis Bowden, Drew Hedgecoe and Connor Van Schalkwyk also return to a squad that will look to build on last year's Elite Eight appearance.
Baylor's fall also brings a mix of newcomers to the program. Freshman signee Connor Doig from South Africa, who won the 2026 Australian Open boys' doubles title, joins the Bears after a standout junior career on the ITF circuit. Senior transfer Erik Schiessll arrives from Florida State by way of Oklahoma State, bringing a career singles record of 56-33 and a doubles mark of 47-31. Also joining the program are freshmen Radek Chodora of Prague, Czechia; Gordon Gallagher, a top-30 national recruit from New Canaan, Connecticut; and August Bröstrom Poulsen of Copenhagen, Denmark, a six-time Danish national doubles champion and the brother of former Baylor standout Oskar Bröstrom Poulsen.
2026 FALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 19-27 — ITA All American Championships — Tulsa, Okla.
Sept. 28-Oct. 4 — Columbus ATP 75 — Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 8-12 — ITA Texas Regionals — Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 16-18 — Rice Invite — Houston, Texas
Oct. 19-25 — M15 Fayetteville — Fayetteville, Ark.
Oct. 23-25 — Waco Invite — Waco, Texas
Oct. 26-Nov. 1 — Norman 25k — Norman, Okla.
Oct. 30-Nov. 1 — SMU Invite — Dallas, Texas
Nov. 2-8 — Charlottesville ATP 75 — Charlottesville, Va.
Nov. 2-8 — Harlingen 25k — Harlingen, Texas
Nov. 5-8 — ITA Sectionals — Waco, Texas
Nov. 17-22 — NCAA Individual Championships — Athens, Ga.
- BaylorBears.com -
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