Notes / Baylor Live Scoring / Baylor Live Streaming / Texas Live Scoring
Waco, Texas - Heading into the 2016-17 season, the Purdue men's tennis team understood it would face one of the toughest schedules in the country. Eleven of its opponents appeared in the initial top-25 rankings in January, which doesn't include the three teams the Boilermakers will face at the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge in March. While those specific matches haven't been slated, each invitee - other than Purdue - ranked in the top-25.
The first of the Boilermakers' 11 confirmed matches took place two weeks ago against the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia. Purdue lost 4-1 at the ITA Kick-Off Weekend event, but has since won three of its last five.
Their gauntlet continues Friday, however, as the Boilermakers face the No. 13 Baylor Bears at 7 p.m. ET and then travel to Austin, Texas, on Sunday to compete against the No. 11 Longhorns at 2 p.m. This marks the fourth consecutive season in which Purdue will face back-to-back top-25 opponents; the team did it twice in 2014, winning two of the four.
Last year, the Boilermakers dropped both matches against No. 12 Northwestern and No. 10 Illinois - 4-2 and 4-0 respectively.
Another point of interest for Friday's competition specifically is that head coach Pawel Gajdzik is making his fourth trip back to his alma mater since becoming a Boilermaker in 2008.
"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."
A win Friday would mark Purdue's first over Baylor, with the series dating back to 2011. The teams have met five times since then - all but once in Waco, Texas. In 2012, the schools competed in Los Angeles as part of a spring break trip.
Sunday's competition will be the first between the Boilermakers and Longhorns.