The Presbyterian Blue Hose (5-8) plays the South Carolina State Bulldogs (6-3) and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (7-6) at the Templeton Tennis Courts this week. First, Presbyterian plays South Carolina State on Friday, March 21 at 1 p.m. Then, the Blue Hose conclude the weekend against Jacksonville State on Saturday, March 22 at noon.  
 
Presbyterian coach Juan Pablo Boada is in his first season at the helm of Presbyterian's men's tennis program.  
 
PC BY THE NUMBERS
This spring, David Mamalat leads the team with six wins. Evgenios Vasilakis and Daksh Prasad are tied for second on the team with five wins apiece. The doubles team of Pedro Cardoso and Prasad lead the team with six wins. The doubles duo of Mamalat and Vasilakis have tallied four wins.

BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
Presbyterian was picked to finish second in the preseason Big South coaches' poll. Gardner-Webb, who won the Big South regular-season title last season, was picked first. After the Blue Hose in the poll was UNC Asheville, the defending Big South tournament champions, who were picked third. Longwood and Radford round out the poll in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
 
In Presbyterian's men's tennis program's history, the Blue Hose have captured three Big South regular-season titles (2014, 2017, and 2023) and three Big South Tournament titles (2017, 2021, and 2023).
 
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
The Bulldogs play Jacksonville State on Thursday afternoon. They enter that match on a three-match winning streak with wins over Wofford, George Mason, and Furman.  Mikalai Bankou and Aissa Benchakroun lead the team with four singles wins apiece.
 
The Blue Hose have won two of the last three meetings between the two teams. South Carolina State beat PC, 4-3, in their most recent matchup at the Templeton Tennis Courts, on March 3, 2024. Mamalat, Cardoso, and former Blue Hose standout Javier Matos posted singles wins in that match.
 
JACKSONVILLE STATE
The Gamecocks play South Carolina State on the road on Thursday afternoon. They enter that match having won three of their last four matches with wins over Tennessee State, Xavier, and Wallace State-Hanceville. David Krasner and Charlie Penman are tied for the team lead with seven singles wins apiece. The doubles duo of Lucius Soller and Zach Murphy have recorded nine wins with six of those victories coming on court one.
 
Presbyterian defeated Jacksonville State, 4-0, on the road in their only previous matchup on February 11, 2017.