Freshmen Chris Adams and Bryce Bonin will play mere hours away from their hometowns on Saturday when the team travels to Michigan.

Ball State men’s tennis (7-1) will travel to East Lansing to face a pair of Michigan opponents in Detroit and Michigan State. Head coach Bill Richards looks forward to matches like this, as they prepare the team for Mid-American Conference opponents later in the season.

“We try and play a tough schedule and we want to play good teams to help prepare us for the tough matches,” Richards said. “We try and work hard and compete as hard as we can.”

In the Cardinals' last two matches, Adams has been the last player on the court and has had a pair of what Richards considers clutch performances this season.

“A lot of guys go through their whole career without winning that fourth point,” Richards said. “It’s exciting and it’s like a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth in baseball. It’s like a field goal at the gun in football or a Tayler Persons three in [Ball State] basketball. They’re all similar and exciting.”

The pair of freshmen are looking forward to competing near their hometowns on Saturday, as they will be closer to home than they are when competing in Muncie. Adams grew up in Port Huron, Michigan and Bonin is from Crown Point, a town in Northwest, Indiana. 

“I have played at the Michigan State facility before,” Adams said. “I’m pretty familiar with the facility and the area. It should be nice.”

For Adams and Bonin, being closer to home makes it convenient for their friends and families to come support the Cardinals.

“I actually used to play tournaments at Michigan State when I was a kid,” Bonin said. “Growing up, I played there since I was probably 14 years old when I was younger and when I was just trying to get recruited for college. Honestly, I feel very comfortable playing on their courts and am excited for everyone to come watch."

The Spartans sit at 4-7 on the season with wins over Drake, IUPUI and Niagara. However, the team enters Saturday's contest coming off a 7-0 loss to Memphis.

Detroit (5-3) comes into Saturday with a win over Saint Francis and a loss to Duquesne. With a pair of nonconference opponents ahead of them, Richards and the Cardinals are looking forward to the challenge that Saturday will bring.

“Like I keep saying, [nonconference opponents] are one of those types of situations that challenge you or what make you get better,” Richards said. “We just have three weekends before we start MAC play. We’re looking forward to that and it will be here quickly.”

The Cardinal's first match of Saturday's doubleheader is slated for 10 a.m. against the Spartans, followed by a match against Detroit at 2 p.m.

Contact Patrick Murphy with comments at prmurphy2@bsu.edu.

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