GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's tennis team has released the spring portion of its 2024 schedule, head coach Tim Dunford has announced.

Tusculum, which picked up wins over Milligan and North Greenville during the fall, will play at least 16 additional matches in the spring including 12 contests against South Atlantic Conference opponents. The Pioneers finished 17-7 overall last season and in second place in the SAC with an 11-1 record, advancing to the SAC Tournament finals and earning an NCAA Division II Tournament berth.

Tusculum was ranked 28th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division II National Team Rankings at the end of last season, and will face no fewer than seven opponents who were ranked in the ITA Top 50 in the final 2023 poll.

Tusculum opens the 2024 spring season by traveling to Wesley Chapel, Florida for a pair of matches on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4. The Pioneers will face Georgia College for the first time on Feb. 3. The Bobcats went 8-10 last season and tied for fourth place in the Peach Belt Conference at 2-4, with a 4-1 loss to Lander in the league quarterfinals. Georgia College ended the season ranked 41st in Division II. Tusculum's opponent on Feb. 4 will be determined by Saturday's results.

After returning from Florida, the Pioneers will be back on the court on Wednesday, Feb. 21 against North Georgia. The Nighthawks were 8-9 overall last season and 2-3 in the Peach Belt Conference, falling 4-3 to Augusta in the conference finals before beating the Jaguars 4-0 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. North Georgia lost 4-0 to Columbus State in the second round and wrapped up the season ranked 27th in Division II by the ITA. The Nighthawks beat the Pioneers 5-2 at home last season and lead the all-time series 7-0.

Tusculum heads to the road to West Virginia to face the University of Charleston on Sat., Feb. 24. The Golden Eagles were 6-0 in the Mountain East Conference, but lost 4-3 to Fairmont State in the league title match. The Golden Eagles went to the national tournament but lost 4-0 to Barry in the round of 16 to end the year at 16-6 and ranked 33rd nationally. The Pioneers beat the Golden Eagles 4-3 in a neutral-site match last February and lead the all-time series 4-1.

The Pioneers open SAC play to end February as the Pioneers visit Newberry on Wednesday, Feb. 28. The Wolves went 5-7 for eighth place in the conference last season and lost 4-0 to Wingate in the quarterfinals to end the year with an 8-12 overall record. Tusculum beat Newberry 5-2 last season at home for their 15th straight win over the Wolves and a 22-7 lead in the all-time series.

Following spring break, the Pioneers will return to the court on Saturday, March 16 at Coker. The Cobras finished 4-13 overall last season and in 10th place in the SAC with a 3-9 record. Tusculum beat Coker 7-0 last season to increase its lead in the all-time series to 9-2.

The Pioneers will host Anderson on Sunday, March 17. The Trojans finished fourth in the SAC at 9-3 but fell 4-1 to Limestone in the SAC quarterfinals to end the season at 14-5 and ranked 44th in Division II. Tusculum beat Anderson 5-2 on the road last season but trails the all-time series to the Trojans by an 11-7 margin.

The Pioneers return to the road on Wednesday, March 20 at Lincoln Memorial. The Railsplitters took sixth place in the SAC with a 7-5 record and were eliminated 4-0 by Carson-Newman in the quarterfinals to end the season at 14-10. The Pioneers earned a 7-0 sweep over the Railsplitters last season and moved ahead 14-13 in the all-time series.

Tusculum will play its next four matches at home, starting Saturday, March 23 against Limestone. The Saints were fifth in the SAC at 8-4 and lost 4-0 to Wingate in the conference semifinals to end the year at 11-8 and ranked 46th in Division II. The Pioneers earned a 4-3 road win over the Saints last season and lead the all-time series by a 5-3 margin.

The Pioneers host Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday, March 29 in a rematch of last year's SAC quarterfinals, won 4-0 by the Pioneers. Tusculum also won the regular-season meeting 6-1 over the Bears, who finished seventh in the SAC at 6-6 and with an 8-15 overall record. Tusculum leads the all-time series over Lenoir-Rhyne 16-2.

Tusculum begins April with a home match against Mars Hill on Wednesday, April 3. The Lions were 11th in the SAC at 2-10 last season and finished with a 4-16 overall record. The Pioneers earned a 6-1 win over the Lions for their 14th consecutive victory in the series and a 24-7 lead all-time over Mars Hill.

The Pioneers close their home stand against Carson-Newman on Thursday, April 4. The Eagles placed third in the SAC at 10-2 in the regular season, then lost 4-2 to the Pioneers in the conference semifinals to end the year at 13-8 with a number 36 national ranking. The Pioneers also beat the Eagles 4-3 in the regular season, giving Tusculum 15 wins in a row over Carson-Newman and a 25-6 edge in the all-time series.

Tusculum's annual showdown with Wingate will be played Saturday, April 6 at Wingate. The Bulldogs completed a perfect 12-0 regular season in SAC play and beat the Pioneers 4-2 in the SAC championship final, before being ousted in the second round of the NCAA Tournament 4-1 by Flagler to end the season at 21-3 and ranked 11th in Division II. The Bulldogs beat the Pioneers 5-2 in the regular season and hold a 21-12 lead in the all-time series.

Tusculum will open the last week of the regular season with a visit to UVA Wise on Tuesday, April 9. The Cavaliers were winless in 12 conference matches last season and finished with a 10-12 overall record. The Pioneers beat the Cavs 7-0 last season and leads the all-time series 19-3, with 16 consecutive victories.

The Pioneers finish on the road on Thursday, April 11 at Emory & Henry. In their first season as a SAC member, the Wasps went 1-11 in league play and 5-14 overall. The Pioneers beat the Wasps 7-0 in their first meeting since 2001, extending their lead in the all-time series to 5-3.

The final regular-season match for the Pioneers is Sunday, April 14 against Catawba. The Indians were ninth in the SAC last season with a 4-8 record, and ended the year with a 6-14 overall record. The Pioneers earned their 15th straight win over the Indians by a 7-0 score and now lead the all-time series by a 20-4 margin.

The SAC Men's Tennis Championship tournament will be held April 18-20 at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, South Carolina, with the top eight teams in the conference qualifying. The NCAA Division II Tournament will begin with regional play May 13-14 and conclude with nationals from May 20-25 at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida.