WEST WINDSOR, N.J. — The Wagner men's tennis team made history on Saturday, clinching its first-ever NEC Championship and earning its first berth in the NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament.
This marked the Seahawks' first win in a championship match in three appearances, having previously fallen in the title match in 2018 and 2019. The victory also represents Wagner's first win over Binghamton in program history, after dropping the only previous meeting between the two in 2024
The Seahawks got off to a slow start, losing the doubles point on courts 1 and 2 by identical 6-3 scores. They had won the doubles round in their last two matches, and so had to play down 1-0 for the first time in the tournament.
In the singles round, sophomore
Eddie Schmidt and redshirt freshman
Lukas Escher were each able to bounce back after their first doubles loss. Schmidt clinched the first singles match of the day with a 6-3, 6-4 victory on court 1. After a loss on court 5, Escher tied the match at two with another straight set victory (6-4, 6-4). Both Schmidt and Escher won all of their singles matches throughout the tournament, going 5-0 between them.
Minutes after Escher clinched his singles match, sophomore
Joshua Zhao fought back from a set deficit on court 6 to win 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to give the Seahawks a 3-2 lead.
The match came down to courts 3 and 4, with the Seahawks only needing one win to capture their first-ever NEC crown. Graduate student
Tom Lamers found himself closest with a 5-4 lead in set three, but Binghamton took the potential winning game to tie the set at five. Senior
Pablo Rodriguez Gonzalez was playing through his own third set, but was not able to finish because Lamers won two straight games to clinch his match, and Wagner's first-ever men's tennis championship.
After the match, Schmidt, Escher and Rodriguez were named to the NEC All-Tournament Team, with Schmidt earning MVP honors.
The Seahawks will learn who they will play in the NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament during the selection show, which will be aired on a date to be determined. The NCAA Tournament will begin on Friday, May 1.
