Due West, S.C. – With only three returning upperclassmen on the roster, a young Erskine men’s tennis team faces a tough challenge this season after losing their top two players, Angelo Ciarrocchi and Vincent Chauvette, to graduation.  Last season the Flying Fleet finished 5-17 overall and 3-7 in conference and are picked to finish 8th in the recent released conference coaches’ preseason poll.

Junior Jack West (Belton, SC, Emerald High School) is the top returning player from last season.  West was the only player to have winning record, posting a 12-9 overall record and 6-4 in conference from the #3 singles position.  SeniorJames Hoatson (Harding, South Africa, Maritzburg High School)lost several close conference matches last year and has the ability to improve on his 4-6 conference record.  Senior Matthew Twitty (West Columbia, SC, Brookland-Cayce High School) has shown tremendous improvement and worked his way into the lineup to pick up his first collegiate victory.

Sophomores Robert Clarke (Due West, SC, Belton-Honea Path High School) and Coleman Welch (Belton, SC, Belton-Honea Path High School) also saw time last year and will push Twitty at the #6 position.

The Flying Fleet will also seek help from three new players, two freshman and one transfer, who should figure prominently in Erskine’s top 6.  Freshman Dean Harris (Benoni, South Africa, Christian Brothers College) enrolled this winter term after completing his high school studies in South Africa.  A highly skilled player, Harris has the athletic ability and skill to play at the top of the order.  Wilson Mathewes comes to Erskine from USC-Lancaster after one year.  With college tennis experience, Coach Cox is hopeful that Mathewes will make an immediate impact.  Freshman Alan Pearce (Simpsonville, SC, Mauldin High School), a local product from nearby Mauldin School, displayed considerable talent at the conference fall tournament advancing to the semi-finals where he lost a dramatic tie-breaker 10-8.

On the schedule, Erskine plays seven preseason nationally-ranked teams, including two Top 25 teams, #20 Francis Marion and #23 North Georgia, for their first two matches.  Erskine will also play #8 Lander, #16 Georgia College, and #35 USC-Aiken from the Peach Belt Conference and #26 Wingate from the South Atlantic Conference.  Within Conference Carolinas, Mt. Olive opens the season at #46. 

Erskine Roster

Erskine Schedule