BATON ROUGE – The 33rd-ranked LSU men’s tennis team will close out the regular season on Saturday against the Arkansas Razorbacks at 1 p.m. CDT at W.T. “Dub” Robinson Stadium.
The Tigers (9-12, 4-6 SEC) look to end their two-match conference skid after dropping a pair of road matches to Vanderbilt and Kentucky last weekend, while the Razorbacks (6-15, 0-10 SEC) try to end their own five-match losing streak and gain their first conference win.
Saturday’s match also marks the last time seniors Sebastian Carlsson and Julien Gauthier will take the courts at the “Dub.” They, along with volunteer assistant Cody Loup and long-time manager Stevie Bacala, will be honored between singles and doubles for their time and accomplishments with the team.
“It’s important for us to get back to a good frame of mind heading into post-season play,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “The way to do that is to compete and win. I’m certain the players are focused on sending the seniors out in style.”
The Razorbacks are led by their lone ranked player, Chris Nott, who checks in at No. 121. The senior is 8-12 on the year, and 3-4 in conference competition on Court 1. Matt Hogan anchors the Hogs at the No. 2 position with an 8-8 record.
The Tigers are led by the 10th-ranked doubles pair of LSU Carlsson and junior Neal Skupski, who are 15-6 on the year on the top doubles court. The duo have notched a 6-4 record in SEC play, and have seven wins over nationally ranked opponents under their belt. Skupski is also ranked 93rd in the nation in singles play.
Gauthier leads the team in both dual and SEC victories on the season, and is currently riding a two-match unbeaten streak. The Repentigny, Canada, product is 12-8 so far this dual season, with a 7-4 SEC mark.
The Tigers have beaten the Razorbacks the last four meetings between the two teams, including a 5-2 win last season in Fayetteville. LSU holds a 22-4 edge in the all-time series record.
Admission to all home matches is free. Fans unable to make it to the match can view the live stats online at www.LSUSports.net/livestats.
For up-to-date information and behind the scenes access to the Tigers, fans can follow the LSU men’s team on Twitter @lsutennis and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lsutennis.