Ball State University's men's tennis team will end the regular season with plenty on the line.
Saturday's match with Northern Illinois University will determine the level of difficulty Ball State will face at the Mid-American Conference Tournament next weekend.
"If we win, it will give us the two seed and a first-round bye," coach Richards said. "You want to get as high as a seed as you can. It's about finishing second in the league rather than third or fourth. So there is a lot riding on this match."
Ball State has an outside shot of clinching a share of the Mid-American Conference title with a win and a Western Michigan University loss. The Broncos took control of the conference race by beating the Cardinals in Muncie Saturday 5-2.
Even if Ball State wins Saturday, the University of Toledo would have to pull off an upset victory at Western Michigan Sunday for the Cardinals to get a share of the MAC championship. The Broncos are 6-1 at home this season.
Northern Illinois is 6-9 on the year and is looking to improve its seeding too. The Huskies have played three home matches this season. Northern has lost to Toledo, a team Ball State has defeated.
Saturday's match will be the final time for seniors Jose Perdomo and Jorge Rodriguez to play at Ball State. Richards said there isn't anything special planned for Saturday in terms of a public ceremony, but the team will recognize the seniors in a quiet manner.
The Cardinals are 11-10 on the season after losing to No. 20 Notre Dame. A win against Northern Illinois would secure a winning season.
"I don't pay much attention to our record," Richards said. "If I cared about our record I wouldn't schedule a tough schedule. We would only play teams we could beat."
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