DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's tennis team begins the 2018 season on Friday as the Bulldogs hosts Tennessee Tech at 6 p.m. at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center. The Bulldogs' weekend continues with a pair of matches on Saturday against Northern Illinois at 9 a.m. and Western Michigan at 6 p.m.
 
Head coach Davidson Kozlowski returns seven student-athletes from last year's squad, including five All-Missouri Valley Conference selections.
 
The Bulldogs are a upperclassmen-laden team with three seniors and three juniors. Seniors Calum MacGeoch, Ben Stride and Ben Wood combined for 24 singles victories and 41 doubles wins last year. Juniors Vinny Gillespie, who was named MVC Player of the Year, and Tom Hands led the team with 18 singles wins apiece last spring. Fellow junior Ben Clark begins the 2018 dual season ranked No. 124 in singles after going 5-1 during the 2017 fall season.
 
Sophomore Barny Thorold earned valuable experience last spring and will use that to add depth the back half of the lineup.
 
Drake welcomes two freshmen to the squad, Freddie Powell from Poole, England and Finley Hall from Wellington, New Zealand.
 
Following this weekend matches, the Bulldogs travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. for the ITA Kick-off Weekend hosted by North Carolina. Drake opens the event against No. 3 Tar Heels at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27.