by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Barton College will take its undefeated overall record into league play when the Bulldogs begin Conference Carolinas men's tennis action at ITA 37th-ranked Limestone College on Sunday at Noon.
Barton tennis fans can follow the Bulldogs throughout the season on www.BartonBulldogs.com and via social media including Twitter and Facebook.
Barton College Men's Tennis
The Bulldogs remained perfect to begin the spring season with a 5-2 win against Chowan University on Monday. Barton (4-0 overall) also defeated Carson-Newman, Brevard and Catawba in the Conference Carolinas/SAC Challenge hosted by Barton in October. The Bulldogs went 3-7 in league play last season.
BC boasts a 14-1 doubles record in dual matches. The top duo of sophomore Rafael Ruiz and freshman Jake McCartney are undefeated at 4-0 while the second pair of juniors Jorge Pradilla and Max Leppert are 3-1. Sophomore Nick Genest is 4-0 at No. 3 winning the first three matches paired with classmate Daniel Radu and the spring opener with freshman Yaxi Pintado.
Ruiz (3-1) has seen the most singles action atop the Bulldogs lineup. McCartney (2-0), Leppert (2-0), and Genest (2-0) are all undefeated in singles dual matches. Ruiz and Leppert were both tabbed All-Conference in 2013.
Barton was swept by Limestone, 9-0, last season in Wilson.
Limestone College Men's Tennis
The Saints also started the season with three wins in the Conference Carolinas/SAC Challenge hosted by Barton against the same three teams but has been swept in its first two spring matches to Division I foe College of Charleston and No. 7 ranked Lander University.
Limestone (3-2 overall) is ranked No. 37 in NCAA Division II and No. 9 in the Southeast Region. The Saints went 9-1 in the league last season but is without the reigning two-time Conference Carolinas Player of the Year in Carlos Yanes and First Team selection Rafael Ferla.
Senior Antoine Le Dore (3-2) was a Third Team All-Conference honoree last season and has taken over the Saints top position in the lineup. Junior Lucas Guinski, sophomore Benji Lascari Diaz and freshman Giacomo Campus are all 2-2 in the middle of the lineup.
The Saints are used a mixed lineup in doubles with at using three different pairings at all three positions in the lineup thru five matches.
Guinski, Le Dore, Lascari Diaz and senior Daniel Lopez (2-0) all picked up singles wins from No. 3-6, respectively, in last year's win against Barton.
