LONG BEACH, Calif. - The PacWest Conference announced the 2026 Men's Tennis preseason coaches poll on Thursday afternoon. Fresno Pacific was picked to finish sixth in conference, trailing behind Point Loma and Hawaii Hilo.
The Sunbirds collected 37 points in the coaches poll, falling behind Hawaii Hilo by 13 points. With three PacWest Championships under their belt, Azusa Pacific was the favorite pick in the coaches poll, collecting 76 points and a substantial six of the nine first-place votes. Biola trailed in second-place with 69 points with Hawaii Pacific more than ten points behind (57). Point Loma (56) and Hawaii Hilo (50) came in fifth and sixth, respectively.
Fresno Pacific men's tennis went 20-33 overall and 10-9 in conference last year under the leadership of head coach Sam Gaeddert. Gaeddert's fourth season coaching for the 'Birds will include five returning players, no transfers, and a bold, large freshmen class into the mix.
Cedric Kaufmann,
Emilio Seelbach, Angel Espana,
Joaquin Salinas, and
Ryoma Okamoto are returning for the 'Birds. The Blue and Orange have a lot to prove after last year's fight for fifth place at the PacWest Championships. Freshmen
Jordi Gonzalez (Spain),
Felix Devallius (Sweden), and
Tim Bangert (Germany), and
Diego Yasuda (Japan) will have the opportunity to shine in their season debuts as Sunbirds and contribute to the returners' competitive edge.
After competing at the 2025 Fall ITA Regionals, several Sunbird players received regional and national recognition for their play style, such as returners Kaufmann and Salinas who reached the semifinals in the Doubles Championships, as well as freshman Gonzalez. Nationally, Kaufmann and Salinas are ranked 24th in doubles and fourth in the regional rankings. Gonzalez earned his first-ever regional ranking as a Sunbird, coming in at number 16.
The season kicked off with a tough exhibition against DI opponent UC Davis to help the Sunbirds prepare for their first conference match of the season. There is much in store for the Sunbirds!
NEXT UP: The 'Birds face Menlo on Saturday February 7 at 11 am for the conference opener!
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