2017 Schedule / Live Stream /
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The men's tennis team begins 2017 with a home tripleheader -- the first since 2013 when Purdue swept Toledo, Butler and IUPUI. The Boilermakers hope to repeat their 3-0 start Saturday when they take on Ball State (Noon ET) and Chicago State (4:30 and 7 p.m.) on the Basham Courts of the Schwartz Tennis Center.
The team then travels to Athens, Georgia, for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend; the Boilermakers first face No. 5 Georgia on Jan. 27 and the winner of Alabama and Washington the following day.
After a road trip to Louisville on Feb. 3, Purdue competes in its second home triple header Feb. 5 against Drake University and Indiana Tech twice. A visit to the state of Texas follows, with matches against two top-25 opponents. Purdue faces No. 22 Baylor -- head coach Pawel Gajdzik's alma mater -- on Feb. 10 and No. 4 Texas two days later.
"It's a great opportunity for our team," said Gajdzik, referencing the matchup between the Boilermakers and Bears. "We always strive to play against the best competition out there, and Baylor certainly meets that mark. Having high quality teams on our schedule helps us get better."
Gajdzik insisted, though, that he expects nothing less than a victory over his former team.
"Baylor will always be a special place for me, but I put those feelings aside during competition. We'll be playing to win."
Home matches against DePaul and IUPUI finish out the month of February, before the team opens Big Ten play March 1 when No. 17 Illinois visits West Lafayette, Indiana.
Half of the team's next six matches feature top-25 squads; Purdue visits No. 13 Northwestern on March 24, plays No. 21 Michigan at home April 2 and travels to No. 3 Ohio State on April 9.
The team's last home stand begins April 14 against Iowa and finishes April 16 verse Nebraska. Matches at Minnesota and Wisconsin complete the regular season, with the Big Ten Tournament beginning April 27. This year's tournament is hosted by Purdue.
