INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The Tusculum University men's tennis team is seventh in the first NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings of the 2023 season.

The Pioneers, who were among 10 teams listed as under consideration in the preliminary rankings released last week, are one of three South Atlantic Conference teams in the rankings along with Wingate (sixth) and Carson-Newman (ninth).

Columbus State is the top team in the regional rankings, followed by Lander, Flagler, North Georgia and Augusta, all from the Peach Belt Conference. Young Harris, also from the Peach Belt Conference, is eighth with Francis Marion of Conference Carolinas in tenth.

A total of eight teams will qualify for the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Championship from the Southeast Region. Three bids will go to the conference tournament champions from the South Atlantic Conference, the Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas, with five at-large selections. Preliminary round action will begin on campus sites on Friday, April 28.

The rankings are the official poll utilized by the NCAA in the championship selection process and will continue to be released each week by the NCAA Division II Men's Tennis Committee up to the NCAA Championship selections.

Tusculum (15-5, 11-1 SAC) will return to action Thursday, April 20 when the Pioneers play in the SAC Championship quarterfinals at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, South Carolina.

NCAA Division II Men's Tennis
Southeast Region rankings - April 12, 2023