BILLINGS, Mont. – With just two matches remaining on the schedule in the 2015 regular season, the Montana State University Billings men's tennis team will host Colorado Christian and Colorado Mesa this weekend as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play wraps up.
 
The Yellowjackets (0-9, 0-3 RMAC) will challenge Colorado Christian at 9 a.m. on Friday at the MSUB Tennis Courts on the MSUB campus. On Saturday, Colorado Mesa will face MSUB at 9 a.m. as the regular season concludes.
 
"It will be nice to have the opportunity to play on our home courts this weekend," commented MSUB head coach Becky King. "The men's team has been fighting some injuries lately."
 
Opening conference play up last weekend, the Yellowjackets lost three matches on the road against Western New Mexico, Metro State and Colorado State – Pueblo. In the final match of the week against the ThunderWolves on April 4, Santiago de la Rosa Mora helped account for both of the Yellowjackets' points in the 7-2 loss.
 
A sophomore this season, de la Rosa Mora and Austin Kische teamed up at No. 1 doubles and picked up a tight 8-6 victory. Also winning at No. 1 singles was de la Rosa Mora, who rolled to a 6-2, 6-3 win for the 'Jackets.
 
On the season, de la Rosa Mora has been MSUB's most consistent player as he holds a 4-5 overall record in singles play and has played at the No. 1 position in every match.
 
"We will have Santiago playing both number one singles and doubles," said King. "He is coming off two big wins against Pueblo giving him confidence going into these next two conference matches. I am looking at Santiago for leadership and strength for our team."
 
Making a strong recovery for the Yellowjackets was Josh Hedderig, who returned to action after missing the previous six matches with an injury. Hedderig put up a strong fight in all three of his singles matches last week, and he and freshman Robert Pike narrowly lost at No. 2 doubles 9-7 against CSU-P.
 
"Josh is coming off an injury but is hitting the ball very well," King said. "In just a few short weeks of practice and getting some matches under his belt, he is back to playing a strong game."
 
In his first year in the program, Pike is the other Yellowjacket besides de la Rosa Mora to have collected multiple wins this season, as he has been triumphant in a pair of singles matches thus far. Pike has also shown grit under pressure, holding a 1-1 record in matches that have gone into a playoff and a 1-1 record in matches that have gone to a third set.
 
Friday, April 10 – 9 a.m. – MSUB Tennis Courts
Colorado Christian University Cougars
2015 Record: 1-8, 0-2 RMAC
Head Coach: John Goodrich
 
The Cougars have lost six matches in a row heading into this weekend, and have started RMAC play 0-3 so far this spring.
 
Like MSUB, CCU fell to Western New Mexico 9-0 last week and lost to CSU-Pueblo 7-2 on the road.
 
CCU is also scheduled to play Colorado Mesa in Billings at 2 p.m. on Friday at the MSUB Tennis Courts.
 
Trent Strietelmeier is the lone player for CCU to have multiple wins this season, as his record sits at 2-4 in singles action. He has also been a part of two doubles victories for the Cougars, as he and David Homer have teamed up to go 2-3 at the No. 2 spot this season.
 
The Series: Against CCU MSUB holds an alltime 12-1 record, and has not lost since the inaugural meeting between the teams on March 18, 1999. Since then, the 'Jackets have lost just 12 total points over the last 12 meetings between the two in the one-sided series.
 
Last Time Out: The teams met twice a season ago, with MSUB picking up 8-1 and 5-1 victories in the matches.
 
Saturday, April 11 – 9 a.m. – MSUB Tennis Courts
Colorado Mesa University Mavericks
2015 Record: 8-5, 1-1 RMAC
Head Coach: Dan MacDonald, 10th season
 
The Mavericks have opened up RMAC play this season with a 1-1 record. Last week, CMU lost matches against Metro State and Western New Mexico after picking up a win over the University of Northern Colorado.
 
CMU's hottest stretch of the season came from March 23-26, when it won five matches in a row and lost just eight points.
 
Overall on the season, Andres Garcia-Rojas has been the top player for CMU with a team-best 18 wins. Jordan Lyden and Spencer Weinberg have also stood out with 17 wins apiece, and Cody Freischlag (15) and Trevor Brown (12) are also in double digits in wins.
 
In doubles play, the duo of Lyden and Weinberg has gone an impressive 21-7, including a mark of 15-6 at the No. 1 position for the Mavericks. Duncan Alger and Brown have also had a strong showing with a 12-9 mark including 10-6 at No. 3 doubles.
 
Individually, Garcia-Rojas has won three matches in a row for CMU.
 
The Series: The alltime series is evenly split with the Yellowjackets and Mavericks each having won three matches. CMU has won the last three meetings between the teams, while MSUB won the first three of the series.
 
Last Time Out: CMU won the only meeting between the two last season, picking up an 8-1 victory in Colorado on April 12, 2014.