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Bulldogs Open Season at Ball State Invitational
Sept. 16, 2004 Armed with one of the deepest rosters of his Butler tenure, coach Jason Suscha's Bulldogs begin defense of their Horizon League crown this weekend with the Ball State Invitational in Muncie, Ind. The tournament is the first of four that the Bulldogs will participate in this fall. Gone is two-time Horizon League "Player of the Year" Kevin Gill, but Suscha brought in four new faces in transfer Parker Ross (junior from the University of Iowa) and freshmen Tony Aker, Sam Brown and Eric Breitenbach. The talented newcomers join most of the nucleus from last season's 17-7 squad that advanced to its third straight NCAA Tournament.
Senior Brandon Gill has twice been named to the "All-Horizon League" first team, while sophomore James Low earned second-team honors as a freshman last season. Andy Bartish, Mike Weaver and Evan West rounded out the top six in singles last season, while senior Adam Bordow was a regular contributor in doubles. The Bulldogs also return Scott Newmark, who missed the entire spring dual match season due to injury. Sophomore Chris Peric has one year of collegiate experience under his belt as well. While the Bulldogs' fall schedule does not include dual matches, many of the team's spring opponents appear in this weekend's tournament, including two Horizon League rivals and four in-state competitors. The 17-team field includes Ball State, Bradley, Cleveland State, Illinois State, Indiana State, IPFW, IUPUI, Louisville, Marquette, Northern Illinois, Saint Louis, Toledo, Valparaiso, Western Michigan, Wright State and Xavier, in addition to the Bulldogs. The tournament consists of four flights of singles with draws of 32 apiece and four flights of doubles with draws of 16 each. www.butlersports.com will have a recap of the tournament once it is completed, but live updates can be accessed throughout the weekend by clicking here. |
