Bears Picked Fifth in Little East Men's Tennis Preseason Poll

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University men's tennis team has been picked to finish in fifth place in the Little East Conference (LEC) standings as the 2024 Little East Men's Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll was released today by LEC Associate Commissioner, Daryl Konicki.

The Bears received 19 points in the poll. Rhode Island College is the preseason favorite to capture the Little East title as the Anchormen Beacons recorded 32 points including a trio of first-place votes. RIC edged Salem State University by just one point in the poll as the defending LEC champion Vikings (31 points) picked up a pair of first-place votes. Western Connecticut State University rounded out the top three teams with 25. UMass Boston finished fourth in the poll with 23 points and two first-place votes.

Under the guidance of head coach Dave Purpura (8th Year), the Bridgewater State men's tennis team posted a 5-9 overall record in 2023 with a 3-3 conference mark. Seeded fourth in the Little East Tournament, the Bears posted a 5-0 quarterfinal round victory over #5 UMass Boston before dropping a 5-2 decision to #1 Salem State in the semifinals.

Returning to Bears' lineup in 2024 are senior Nicolas Levine (Raynham, Mass.); juniors Matthew Krampf (Littleton, Mass.) and Charles Malinowski (East Bridgewater, Mass.): and sophomores Tyler Barros (Somerset, Mass.), Adam Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.) and Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass.).

The Bears will open the season at home on Tuesday, March 26th when they welcome Wentworth Institute of Technology to the Rosen Courts. The Little East schedule gets underway on Saturday, March 30th as the Bears travel to VTSU-Castleton to take on the Spartans. Click here for the 2024 BSU men's tennis schedule.