Regular Season Ends With Bedlam Battle

No. 1 Oklahoma vs. No. 29 Oklahoma State

April 19, 1:00 p.m. | Headington Family Tennis Center

Norman, Okla.

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NORMAN – The top-ranked Oklahoma men's tennis team concludes the regular season portion of its schedule Sunday afternoon when it hosts No. 29 Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. at the Headington Family Tennis Center. With a win the Sooners can claim at least a share of the regular season Big 12 championship for the second consecutive year.

BIG 12 RACE

The Sooners are 3-1 in conference play which has them in a tie for first place in the conference standings with Baylor, also 3-1. Should both teams finish the season with one loss, the conference would name the teams co-champions. The Sooners are 3-0 against Baylor this season including earning a 4-3 win in Waco, Texas during conference play.

Should the Sooners finish with two losses, a one-loss Baylor would take the crown. If both Baylor and OU have two losses there could be up to a 4-team tie for first at two losses.

Either Oklahoma or Baylor has won the Big 12 regular season title every year dating back to 2011 and has won the Big 12 tournament title the last three years. The Sooners took the regular season title in 2012 and split it with Baylor and Texas in 2014. Oklahoma won the Big 12 Championship title in 2012 and 2013.

BEDLAM

The Sooners have won the last six meeting with Oklahoma State dating back to 2010. Oklahoma has not lost to Oklahoma State under head coach John Roddick. In their last meeting, the Sooners topped OSU 6-1 in their 2014 regular season finale to claim a share of the Big 12 regular season title.

SCOUTING REPORT: NO. 29 OKLAHOMA STATE

Oklahoma State is 16-7 this season and sits at No. 29 in the ITA team poll, however the Cowboys are winless in conference play with four losses. OSU has dropped its last two matches and four of its last five, all conference matches. The Cowboys have yet to win a doubles point in conference play and have dropped the point in six of their last eight matches.

Ranked Cowboys:
No. 40 Jacob Sude – 9-8, 7-8 at No. 1 singles
No. 114 Lucas Gerch – 14-3, split time at 1, 2, and 3 singles

No. 33 Kadhe/Sude – 7-10, all at No. 1 doubles

SENIOR NIGHT

Before Sunday's match gets underway, the Sooner seniors will be honored. Co-captains Dane Webb and Nick Papac are the only two seniors for OU.

Webb is the Oklahoma all-time leader in doubles wins with 103 and is second in Sooner history with 104 career wins in singles. Webb ranks third in program history with 136 singles matches played. The Richardson, Texas native is 14-4 in dual play this season anchoring the three spot for OU. Webb is 15-6 in doubles having played every match at number one doubles with partner Axel Alvarez.

Papac has missed the 2015 season due to injury. The Norman, Okla. native began his career at Fresno State before transferring to OU after his freshman season. Playing primarily in doubles, Papac has helped the Sooners win both a Big 12 regular season (2014) and tournament championship (2013). Papac was also in integral part of the 2014 Sooner squad that made history with a program-best runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships.

MAKING HISTORY

Axel Alvarez made history on Tuesday, becoming the first Sooner ever to be ranked No. 1 in singles by the ITA. The junior is 19-0 in dual play this season with 17 of those wins coming straight sets and 13 of them coming against ranked opponents. Alvarez, who had spent the entirety of the season to that point in the top-10, rose to No. 1 after topping previous No. 1 Julian Lenz of Baylor in three sets in Oklahoma's thrilling 4-3 win over No. 2 Baylor in Waco Friday night.

KINGS OF THE HILL

For the seventh consecutive week and the ninth time in program history, the Sooners sit atop the collegiate tennis world as the top-ranked team in the nation. The Sooners' current streak is the only time in program history the team has been No. 1 in consecutive weeks. The team also occupied the top spot for a single week immediately following its title at the indoor championships in February and in 2014 after topping Ohio State at home.

BATTLE TESTED

The Sooners have risen to the top spot by virtue of incredible play against stiff competition. Oklahoma has racked up a record of 21-2 while playing perhaps the toughest schedule in the nation. OU has 14 wins over teams currently ranked in the ITA top-25 and seven wins over teams ranked in the top-10 including three wins over second-ranked Baylor. Only three times this season have the Sooners faced a team ranked outside the top-30 at the time of their match.

GOING DEEP

One explanation for the Sooners' play this season is the incredible depth of their roster. Currently, four Sooners are ranked in singles while three doubles pairing find themselves in the polls. OU has two players in the top-6 of singles while no other team has more than one player ranked in the top-15.

Ranked Sooners:
No. 1 Axel Alvarez – 19-0
No. 6 Andrew Harris – 14-4
No. 34 Dane Webb – 14-4
No. 78 Ghilea – 14-3

No. 8 Alvarez/Webb – 15-6
No. 66 Papa/Harris – 6-5
No. 70 Ghilea/Harris – 8-5

QUICK HITS

- With a win Oklahoma can claim at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title.
- Dane Webb and Nick Papac will be honored pre-match as Sunday is Senior Day.
- The Sooners are 7-2 outdoors this season and 14-0 indoors.
- Oklahoma is an undefeated 10-0 at homes this year.
- OU boasts 14 wins over current top-25 teams and seven over top-10 teams.
- Oklahoma is 9-2 when losing the doubles point and undefeated when winning it.
- The Sooners are an unbeaten 17-0 this season at No. 2 singles.
- The four Sooners ranked in singles are 61-11 in dual play this season.
- Alvarez and Harris are unbeated in singles in Big 12 play.
- The doubles pair of Ghilea and Harris is unbeated in Big 12 play and have won four straight.
- Oklahoma has won its last six meetings with Oklahoma St.
- The Sooners have not lost to Oklahoma St. under head coach John Roddick.
- OU's top doubles pair of Alvarez/Webb has lost its last 3 matches, the last two coming in tiebreaks.
- A win Sunday would give OU 22 on the season, tied for fourth most in a year in program history with the 1994 Sooners squad.