PROVO, Utah — BYU men’s tennis is set to begin Big 12 play this week, hosting No. 25 Oklahoma State March 21 and No. 17 Oklahoma on March 23 at the Outdoor Tennis Courts.
The contests mark the start of a four-match home stand in what will be a seven-match Big 12 slate (four home, three road) to conclude the season.
Match Information
Oklahoma State
-Start Time: March 21 at 5 p.m. MDT
-Venue: Outdoor Tennis Courts
-Live Stats
-Live Stream: Forthcoming
Oklahoma
-Start Time: March 23 at 11 a.m. MDT
-Venue: Outdoor Tennis Courts*
-Live Stats
-Live Stream: Forthcoming
*Weather permitting - follow BYU Men’s Tennis on Instagram and X for updates.
BYU Notes
-Head coach Zack Warren is in his first season with a record of 11-3. Assistant coach Jonathan Sanchez is also in his first season with the Cougars.
-BYU’s 11-3 record this season includes an active 10-match winning streak, the program’s longest since seizing 11 straight in 2018-19.
-Wally Thayne (11-2) and Redd Owen (11-2) lead BYU in singles victories with 11.
-Zach Fuchs (9-4) is second in singles victories with 9 wins.
-Jack Barnett (8-3) and Tygen Goldammer (8-4) both own eight singles wins apiece.
-Barnett and Owen hold a team-high 10 doubles victories at 10-2 and are winners of eight straight.
-Thayne and Fuchs are 7-2 at No. 1 doubles
-Freshmen David Duong, Tygen Goldammer and TJ Wells have all seen significant opportunities. Goldammer is 8-4 and Duong is 7-3 in singles, while Goldammer and Wells are 6-4 together in doubles play.
-All Cougars hold a winning record across both singles and doubles competition.
Oklahoma State Notes
-2023-24 record: 13-4
-Thursday’s match will be Oklahoma State’s 18th of the year, but only its third on the road.
-Head coach Dustin Taylor is currently in his third season, with a 39-30 record. Taylor led the Cowboys to an NCAA Tournament appearance last season, taking down Florida in the first round before falling to No. 14 Arizona in the round of 32.
-Eight of 12 roster members return, including 2023 All-Big 12 Second Team Singles honoree Tyler Zink.
-Nationally-Ranked Athletes: Tyler Zink and Isaac Becroft are slated at No. 35 (doubles) in the ITA’s March 19 rankings. Zink is also ranked No. 18 in singles and is joined by teammates Isaac Becroft (No. 70) and Alejandro Garcia (No. 77).
Series Information
-Series record: BYU leads 2-1
-Last Meeting: BYU fell 5-1 in Stillwater, Oklahoma on March 8, 2004
Oklahoma Notes
-2023-24 record: 12-2
-The Cougars and Sooners have faced zero common opponents thus far this season.
-Oklahoma went 15-12 last season, going 9-3 at home, 2-6 on the road and placing fourth in the Big 12 standings (2-3).
-The Sooners are led by eighth-year head coach Nick Crowell. Crowell has a 118-71 record, most recently guiding Oklahoma to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023 before losing to Georgia in the round of 32.
-Seven of 10 roster members return from last year, including 2023 All-Big 12 Second Team Singles honoree Alex Martinez.
-Nationally-Ranked Athletes: The duo of Martinez and Khololwam Montsi are ranked No. 63 in doubles, with Martinez at No. 20 and Montsi ranked No. 107 in singles.
-Saturday’s match marks Oklahoma’s second Big 12 road match as the Sooners will compete at Texas Tech on March 21.
Series Information
-Series record: Tied 1-1
-Last Meeting: BYU defeated Oklahoma on Jan. 13, 2001 in the Team Tennis Regional Championships at the Indoor Tennis Courts.