Men's Tennis | 4/21/2016 6:52:00 PM

Championship Central | Video | Live Stats

Brevard, N.C.----The 48th-ranked Wingate University Bulldogs are the number two seed in this week's South Atlantic Conference men's tennis tournament. Wingate had an opening-round bye and will face third-seeded Queens in Friday's SAC Tournament semifinal match at 1 p.m.

The Bulldogs won a third consecutive regular season SAC title and sixth in the last eight years during the 2016 season. Ranked 48th in the ITA rankings, Wingate is 17-4 overall, with a 10-1 mark in league play. The Bulldogs are 17-2 against NCAA Division II opposition this season. Wingate has advanced to six consecutive SAC Tournament championship matches, winning three titles in that span.

Wingate's top two singles players both picked up first team All-SAC singles and doubles honors, led by senior Sebastian Hall (Lorrach, Germany). The three-time all-conference selection played at number one singles all year for Wingate, going 14-6 overall with a 9-2 mark in SAC play. Hall enters the SAC Tournament having won six of his last seven matches.

Junior Connor Kudrick (Spring, Texas) is also a first team All-SAC honoree, picking up all-conference accolades for the third straight year. The junior is 12-8 this year, registering 11 wins at two singles and one victory at number one singles. Kudrick is 8-3 against conference opponents, while posting a 12-6 record against Division II opposition.

The first team all-conference doubles team of Hall and Kudrick is 14-4 this season, with all 18 matches coming at number one doubles. The duo is 10-1 in SAC play and 14-3 against Division II opposition. Hall and Kudrick have won seven of their last eight matches entering the SAC Tournament, which includes a win at No. 49 Tusculum's number one doubles team, who dropped only one match in league play all season.

Junior Filippo Pezzoli (Milan, Italy) and sophomore Josh DuToit (Charlotte, N.C.) are both honorable mention All-SAC selections. Pezzoli  earns all-conference recognition for the second time in his career, posting a 14-6 record on the year, with all of those wins coming at number three singles. Pezzoli went 9-2 against SAC opponents, while posting a 14-4 record against Division II opponents. He enters the SAC Tournament having won six of his last seven matches. Pezzoli is 53-11 in his singles career, going 31-2 in conference play. DuToit has piled up a team-best 15 singles wins, going 15-5 overall with 13 wins at five singles and two victories at four singles. DuToit went a perfect 11-0 in SAC play, going through the conference without dropping a set. He is 15-3 against Division II opponents this year. DuToit is 22-0 in SAC play through his first two seasons, dropping only one set in the 22 matches.

Sophomore Amir Zari (Jerusalem, Israel) has compiled a 7-2 record against the SAC at number four singles. Zari and freshman Duncan Addison (Halifax, Canada) are 5-4 at two doubles against league opposition this year. Pezzoli and junior Tyler Schofer (Graham, N.C.) are 10-4 at number three doubles, going 6-3 in league play.

Wingate and Queens met in early April, with the Bulldogs prevailing 6-3. Hall and Kudrick won 9-8 at number one doubles, while Zari and Addison won by the same score at two doubles, with both matches going down to a tiebreaker. Hall rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win at number one singles, while Pezzoli won 6-0, 7-5 at three singles. DuToit rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 victory at five singles, while Zari added a 6-2, 6-7, 1-0 win at four singles.

The Bulldogs and Royals also met in last year's SAC Tournament semifinals, with Wingate winning 5-4, going 4-2 in singles play with victories at three, four, five and six singles. Queens is 11-3 overall, going 9-2 in SAC play this season. The Royals defeated sixth-seeded Coker 5-3 in Thursday's quarterfinal match.

The winner of the Wingate-Queens match faces the winner of the Tusculum vs. Newberry contest in Saturday's championship match. The Bulldogs won 5-4 against Newberry this season, while falling 5-4 at Tusculum. Wingate and Tusculum met in last year's championship match, with the Bulldogs prevailing 5-1. Saturday's SAC championship match is for a 12 p.m. start.