Baylor Men’s Tennis rolls into Sweet 16, led by Big 12 Player of the Year
For a generation now, Baylor men’s tennis has set the standard for excellence in the Big 12 Conference.
Since the league’s launch in 1996-97 — a 29-year span, when you account for the COVID year — Baylor has:
- Won 14 Big 12 regular season titles (nearly 50%),
- Won 11 Big 12 tournament championships (more than 1/3);
- Claimed eight Big 12 Player of the Year awards (more than 1/4);
- Reached the NCAA tournament 28 times (97%); and
- Reached the NCAA Sweet 16 21 times (almost 3/4).
This spring has added to several of those runs, as the Bears not only made the NCAA tournament, but have once again reached the Round of 16. Hosting NCAA early rounds for the 16th time in program history, No. 11-ranked Baylor swept Tulsa in the first round, then beat No. 22 Auburn 4-1 in the second round last week to advance.
In the Sweet 16, head coach Michael Woodson’s squad will host No. 27 Pepperdine on Friday (6 p.m.) at the Hurd Tennis Center. The winner will advance to the NCAA quarterfinals, hosted again this year by the University of Georgia.
Leading the charge for the Bears this year is Big 12 Co-Player of the Year Devin Badenhorst. Playing No. 1 singles, Badenhorst reached as high as No. 7 in the ITA singles rankings this spring, defeating seven nationally ranked opponents.
Friday marks your last chance to see these Bears at Hurd in 2026. With free admission, free food, and a host of activities for the kids, there’s plenty of reasons to come out and see some of the nation’s best tennis. See you there!
Sic ’em, Baylor men’s tennis!
[UPDATE: Baylor defeated Pepperdine in the Round of 16, 4-3, to advance to the NCAA quarterfinals for the 16th time in 27 seasons. In their Elite Eight match-up, the Bears faced No. 2 Texas, and lost 4-1, finishing the year ranked 10th nationally.]