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| Rob Postma |
The Tigers have one more opportunity this week to do the unexpected. After starting out the season an unprecedented 11-0, Wittenberg has fallen in the last two weeks to Division II Northern Kentucky and perennial NCAC powers Denison and Kenyon. That leaves the Tigers, currently on the outside looking in at the regional rankings, with their work cut out at this weekend's NCAC Championship tournament at Ohio Wesleyan.
Following last week's lone match, a 6-1 loss at nationally ranked Kenyon, Wittenberg has three players in possession of the top marks at their singles flight positions. Junior Casey Clagett (Steamboat Springs, Colo./Steamboat Springs) is tops with a 22-3 mark at No. 1 singles, including a perfect 4-0 mark in the NCAC West, junior Mike Herzog (Springfield, Ohio/Northwestern) shows the way at No. 4 singles with a 14-6 record and senior Rob Postma (Tallmadge, Ohio/Tallmadge) is the best currently at No. 6 singles with a 12-3 mark. The current lineup of Clagett and Ben Hodgkiss-Lilly (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights)at No. 1 doubles, sophomore Duby Lakos (Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) and Postma at No. 2 doubles, and junior Eric Cusick (Lima, Ohio/Senior) and Herzog at No. 3 doubles have combined for an 19-7 overall record and a mark of 10-2 in the NCAC West, including an NCAC best mark of 7-2 for Clagett and junior Hodgkiss-Lilly at the No. 1 doubles spot.
Clagett is ranked among the top players in the region heading into the NCAC tourney. In order to make the national tournament as an individual, he must finish among the top eight players in the region as teammate Bryan Heft did a year ago.