By Nathan Keil | Sports Editor
The Baylor men’s tennis team won’t be the only ones heading to College Station to compete in the NCAA Championships.
The men’s golf team punched their 21st straight NCAA Tournament appearance Wednesday afternoon, earning the No. 2 seed in the Bryan regional hosted by Texas A&M University.
The three-day, 54-hole tournament will take place at the Traditions Club with the top five teams advancing as well as the low individual on a team that does not advance. Those five teams will then move onto the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship at the Karsen Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
Joining top seed Texas A&M and Baylor as the top two seeds in the Bryan regional are Clemson, Kentucky, UCLA, Ole Miss, South Carolina, San Francisco, Georgia, Mississippi State, UNC Wilmington, Northern Colorado and Bradley.
Baylor is led by junior Garrett May, who averages 70.68 strokes per round while junior Braden Bailey and senior Matthew Perrine both average 71.29.
Baylor has made the NCAA regionals all four years under head coach Mike McGraw and is looking to advance to the NCAA Championships for a third straight year.
The regional tournament will be played May 14-16. The NCAA Championships will then take place May 25-30.
A day after Baylor men’s tennis found out it will head to College Station to take on Arizona State in the NCAA Championships, it received some more good news Wednesday.
The 11th ranked duo of junior Johannes Schretter and redshirt junior Will Little received an at large bid into the NCAA Doubles Championships.
Courtesy of Baylor Athletics
The Championships will run May 23-28 in Winston Salem, N.C. after the completion of team championship play.
Shretter is also the sixth alternate for the 64-man singles bracket.
But before Schretter and Little prepare for doubles, the focus is still on Arizona State, a tough task according to head coach Matt Knoll.
“We’re in and we’re excited. It’s going to be fun to play. I know our guys are pumped up,” Knoll said after the selection show” We got ourselves a very tough draw. Arizona State has a very good team. We’re excited to play them. We’re going to have our hands full with them.”
Despite not having any players drafted over the weekend, several Baylor football players signed professional contracts this week.
Offensive lineman Mo Porter and tight end Ishmail Wainright signed with the Buffalo Bills while defensive end K.J. Smith signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
Porter played in 25 games in his two years in Waco, including 11 starts in 2017. Wainright, who played in 132 games with 76 starts over four years for Scott Drew and the men’s basketball team, Wainright played in nine games last season for the Bears. He caught four passes for 34 yards and two touchdowns.
Liesje Powers | Multimedia Editor
Wainright announced his thanks through Twitter on Monday.
“I just want to thank the @buffalobills for the opportunity,” Wainright wrote. “I can’t wait to get to work ! #BillsMafia.”
Smith tallied 138 tackles and 12 sacks in 39 games for Baylor.
Baylor football opens the season the season against Abilene Christian on Sept. 1. The time has yet to be announced.
