Bears Celebrate Senior Day, Battle The Citadel On Saturday

MACON – The Mercer men's tennis team will snap the lid on the regular season portion of its 2026 spring schedule on Saturday morning when the Bears suit up to take on Southern Conference rival The Citadel at the Copelan Tennis Complex. Start time has been scheduled for 11 a.m. and admission is free.

Saturday's league matchup will be preceded by a Senior Day celebration as MU's Class of 2026 – Howell Burns, Amen Prince Gandonou, Hod'Abalo Isak Padio and Nemanja Stefanovic – will play their final home match in the Orange & Black. Senior Day recognition is slated to get underway at 10:30 a.m.

Winners in four of their last five outings, the Bears (8-12, 3-3 SoCon) have rattled off a 6-3 clip in Macon so far this season, and can wrap up their fourth-straight winning season in league play with a victory on Saturday. Stefanovic has captured 11 of his last 13 singles outings dating back to mid-February and has teamed up with Padio to register an 11-2 record at No. 1 doubles this season. The tandem will carry a 5-match win streak into Saturday's tilt.

The Bulldogs (5-23, 0-6) are just 2-12 away from Charleston, S.C., this season, and will ride a three-match skid into Middle Georgia following a 6-1 home setback to East Tennessee State on Wednesday. The Citadel picked up its fourth doubles point of the season in a 5-2 loss to UNC Asheville on March 12, but have dropped the doubles point in 10-straight matches since. Reece Beckendorf shows a team-high eight singles wins in 2026, but is just 1-8 since being promoted to Court No. 3.

Mercer leads the 25-year-old series with the Bulldogs, 15-4, and will ride a 14-match series skid into Saturday's matchup in Macon. The Citadel's last victory over MU came in 2004 – a 6-1 triumph in Charleston.

Bears Celebrate Senior Day, Battle The Citadel On Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Howell Burns

Amen Prince Gandonou

Hod'Abalo Isak Padio

Nemanja Stefanovic

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