Out of the eight NCAA regionals, Wash U‘s is the only one with just two nationally ranked teams. And, that’s not a bad thing…if you’re a UW-Whitewater fan. The Bears and the Warhawks should be very well rested for their probable Sweet 16 clash on Sunday. However, it’s important for me to write about every team because qualifying for NCAAs is a huge accomplishment. Let’s dive right in.
The Teams
Wash U
Wasn’t it just a few short months ago that many were saying Wash U wouldn’t receive a bid to the tourney? Now, those same people think the Bears will make a deep run. The team from St. Louis has done big things as of late, notably taking 2nd place in the UAA. It seems like the Bears’ lineup is finally set, and I’m a big fan of it. Up until UAAs, it appeared as if Wash U’s doubles lineup was shaky, but you have to be impressed with their 2-1 leads over both Chicago and Emory. The underclassmen duo of Jason Haugen and Konrad Kozlowski at No. 1 can compete with the best, and the addition of Johnny Wu at No. 2 is one I see as a positive. Finally, you can’t go against Jeremy Bush and Tyler Kratky at No. 3, considering there was a time this season where they held the top spot. In singles, 2-5 is the Bears’ bread and butter, so even if they are down 2-1 after doubles, I could always see them mounting a comeback. The Bears are the favorite to win this regional, but keep in mind that they barely bested the Warhawks of UW-Whitewater 5-4 about one month ago. The match came down to a 3-set Tyler Kratky W. More on this possible rematch later.
UW-Whitewater
This has been a historic season for the Warhawks. It all started back in in early February when UW-Whitewater upset Kenyon. Since then, the cheese heads have beaten Kalamazoo, Gustavus Adolphus, DePauw, Oberlin, and Coe. In fact, the Warhawks’ only D-III losses have been to Chicago and Wash U (5-4). What’s so impressive about UW-Whitewater is that their starting lineup is filled with TRN 2-stars. For them to be ranked 16th in the country is truly remarkable and speaks to the team’s work ethic as well as great coaching by Frank Barnes. The Warhawks qualified for NCAAs, as one of three Pool B teams, for the 10th year in a row. Yet, this is the best opportunity UW-Whitewater has had in those 10 years to qualify for the Elite 8.
Rose-Hulman
Without any losses to teams that are not nationally ranked, the Fightin’ Engineers claim the 3-seed in the Wash U regional. However, Rose-Hulman has fallen to every nationally-ranked opponent they have faced this year: Wash U, Coe, and DePauw, all by scores of 8-1. The problem is that their second round opponent UW-Whitewater has beaten Coe 8-1 and DePauw 5-4. The Fightin’ Engineers most consistent doubles team is at No. 1, but the Warhawks’ top tandem is favored to win that match. It seems like the Warhawks outmatch Rose-Hulman in singles as well. This is a tough year for any team to go up against UW-Whitewater, and it’s hard to see Rose Hulman pulling off the upset.
Grinnell
Grinnell comes into the NCAA tournament via Pool A after winning the Midwest Conference. The Pioneers most respectable result this season has been a narrow 5-4 loss to Coe. Grinnell had a 2-1 lead after doubles and split singles matches. The thing that caught my eye was No. 1 singles player Jose Coloma being bested by NCAA singles qualifier Brady Anderson in a very tight three sets. At the same time, Grinnell has suffered some tough losses to Carleton, Wartburg, and Connecticut College. However, the Pioneers are currently riding an 11-match winning streak, so confidence should be high.
Edgewood
It’s pretty tough to characterize Edgewood’s season succinctly. Until conference play started, things weren’t looking great for the Eagles. Between February 6th and April 3rd, they accumulated a 4-9 record. Out of those nine losses, only one was to a nationally-ranked team (UW-Whitewater). But, after April 3rd, it was smooth sailing for Edgewood. The Eagles went undefeated in NACC play and rolled through their conference tournament to receive a Pool A bid.
By looking at common opponents alone, Grinnell is favored to take out Edgewood. Take a gander at this table I created:
| Grinnell | Edgewood | |
| Augustana | 5-4 Grinnell | 9-0 Augustana |
| Carthage | 5-4 Grinnell | 9-0 Carthage |
| UW-Oshkosh | 8-1 Grinnell | 6-3 UW-Oshkosh |
| UW-Whitewater | 8-1 UW-Whitewater | 9-0 UW-Whitewater |
| UW-La Crosse | 7-2 Grinnell | 8-1 UW-La Crosse |
| Luther | 8-1 Grinnell | 9-0 Luther |
| Monmouth | 9-0 Grinnell | 9-0 Monmouth |
Of course, Edgewood’s losses to common opponents were in the first half of the season, but it’s hard to pick against Grinnell.
Sweet 16 Match, Sunday, Noon Central
Wash U vs. UW-Whitewater
When the Bears squared off against the Warhawks about one month ago, UW-Whitewater took a 2-1 lead after doubles. However, Wash U’s top 2 doubles teams are different now. That said, Michael Schnarr and Grant Thompson defeated Jeremy Bush and Tyler Kratky at No. 3.
In singles, Wash U handedly won at Nos. 2, 4, and 6, while Jake Humphreys only allowed one game to John Carswell at No. 1. Nos. 3 and 5 went to three sets, as Zane Navratil took out Jason Haugen and Tyler Kratky clinched with his win over Rithwik Raman.
I wrote a preview before that match, and I still agree with almost everything I said, so here is an excerpt:
“…Meanwhile, it’s no secret that Wash U is getting hot at the right time. I agree with most of what D3Central had to say, except one important point. D3Central seems pretty confident that Humphreys will take out Carswell. Yes, Humphreys is favored, but Carswell has been playing some great tennis as of late. Despite Humphreys’ grinding style, if the Bear’s forehand is on point, the Warhawk is going to have a tough time. Much like some of Carswell’s recent matches, I expect a marathon 3-setter. Ultimately, although Humphreys may very well be my favorite D-III player, I’m going with Carswell. Another singles match to take note of is Jason Haugen vs. Zane Navratil. The blog has been pretty high on Haugen, but Navratil has gone relatively unnoticed, so let me tell you something about Zane; he’s really, really good, and the results back this up. Navratil’s only D-III loss in 2016 comes at the hands of Chicago’s Luke Tsai. Even so, the defeat came only hours after the Warhawks upset the Lords. Ok, so how does UW-Whitewater beat Wash U? Much like D3Central said, they would need to take at least a 2-1 lead heading into singles, Navratil would need to oust Haugen, Humphreys would need to defeat Carswell…that’s four points. But, where does Whitewater take a fifth point? Treis clinched the match against Kenyon while cramping, but Johnny Wu has proven himself as one of the top No. 2 singles players there is. I think Wash U is deeper, so I predict that the Bears pull off wins at 4 (especially if Bush is playing at that spot) and 6. Therefore, it’s on Rithwik Raman to overtake the senior Tyler Kratky. It’s an uphill battle for the Warhawks, but it can be done! However, I’m predicting a 6-3 Wash U win.”
The only thing I have to disagree with my earlier self on is picking against Jake Humphreys. It’s tough to go against him this time around when he only allowed one game to Carswell in their earlier meeting.
TL;DR In order for the Warhawks to upset the Bears, they need a 2-1 lead after doubles and wins at Nos. 1, 3, and 5 singles.
It should be a great one!