Men's Tennis | 4/15/2026 7:00:00 AM

WEEKEND PREVIEW 
Entering the NEC men's tennis championship tournament's opening round with an overall record of 4-16 and a conference record of 1-5, Saint Francis, the eighth seed, aims to secure a victory against ninth-seeded Chicago State on April 16 at 9 a.m. This match will be the first round of the tournament, hosted at the Mercer County Tennis Center in West Windsor, N.J.

LAST TIME OUT  
Saint Francis dropped its final game of the 2025-26 regular season, a 4-0 loss to Siena, on Sunday afternoon at the Tri-City Fitness Center in Albany, NY. Despite being shut out by the Saints, the sophomore duo of Blake Lorenzo and Beau Welker had no issues with their opponents, shutting them out with a final score of 6-0. This marks the team's eighth win of the year.

OPENING SERVE VS CHICAGO STATE 
Entering this tournament with an overall record of 2-19 alongside an overall record of 0-5 in conference play, the Cougars look for their first NEC win when it matters the most. Alongside Coach Keiran President, Chicago State's best player is Sophomore Joao Teixeira, with a record of 7-15.

THE LAST TIME WE MET ON THE COURT 
The Last time these two teams faced off on the court was way back in 2015, when the Red Flash beat Chicago State 5-2 in Fort Wayne, Ind.

HEAD TO HEAD 
This Thursday's matchup will be just the third time in program history that the two teams will face off. Saint Francis has won the past two matchups.


AT THE HELM 
As head coach, Hovan continues his fifth season in Loretto. Very few words can describe his career other than "successful," as he's helped both the men's and women's teams reach new heights. In 2023-24, he was named NEC Coach of the Year after helping the men reach their second NEC Championship Game. Last season, the women's tennis team made the NEC Championship Game for the first time in program history.

PRESEASON POLL
After finishing 6-13 and placing seventh in conference play, the Saint Francis men's tennis team was selected to finish seventh in the NEC preseason poll, which includes nine teams. Binghamton topped the poll with seven first-place votes, followed by Fairleigh Dickinson at No. 2, which received the remaining two first-place votes.

THE KINGS COURT
Men's tennis sophomore and reigning Rookie of the Year Kevin Titus Suresh has been dominant this 2025-26 season, proving why he has earned the nickname "The King." In the fall, Suresh posted a team-high 10-6 record across six tournaments, positioning himself for a chance to claim his first NEC Singles Championship, which earned him a spot in the ITA Masters in San Diego in early November. 

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK 
While the Red Flash retained many key players from last year's quarterfinal team, Coach Hovan and assistant coach Palko added four first-year players: Mario Beckles (Bordentown, N.J./Bordentown Regional), Luke Mitchell (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area), Jonah Ng (Fairview, Pa./Pennsylvania Cyber), and Deven Pandey (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley High School).