OSU Freshmen Headline Exciting Future for Cowboy Tennis
Oklahoma State is having its most successful season in years, and a talented freshman class has been in the middle of that success.
No. 24 OSU has emerged as one of the nation’s elite men’s tennis teams this season. The freshman class has led to optimism about the team’s future, but one freshman has quickly become a core member.
Freshman Erik Schiessl’s career is off to a strong start. He is 3-4 in doubles sets but 8-0 in singles.
Although a freshman having this type of success could be surprising for some, OSU coach Dustin Taylor knew what to expect.
“Schiessl kind of showed from day one that he’s an established player,” Taylor said. “With how good of a fall he had, and he’s rolled that into a great spring season so far.”
Before coming to OSU, Schiessl won the Bavarian Championships four times and was German Vice Champion in doubles. With Schiessl’s rank of No. 124 in Germany, it might only be a matter of time until he becomes ranked as a Cowboy.
“I just feel like we have a really good energy,” Schiessl said. “Me and the other freshmen, we have a great connection. I think that helps a lot.”
Although Schiessl has been the leader among the freshman class, other Cowboys have made an instant impact. Ty Wunderlich and Goran Zgola are the other freshmen to play.
Zgola has not played much throughout his first season with the Cowboys, but he has had important moments. One of those moments came in the Cowboys’ 7-0 win against Drake on Feb. 17.
With OSU struggling to take control during the doubles point, Zgola and Francisco Pini needed to win Court 3. After trailing in much of the set, Zgola and Pini won nine straight points to take the set and win the doubles point after OSU split the other courts.
“That was like the first time that everything was dependent on me, on us,” Zgola said. “It stressed me out a little bit more, but at the same time, I feel like it gave me crazy motivation to just push through and win this match.”
Having the ability to trust young players such as Zgola has been one of the driving forces in Taylor’s optimism this season. With OSU hosting the NCAA Championships from May 16-26, Taylor has had high expectations for his team since the season began.
With the team’s progression, including clear improvements from freshmen throughout the season, those dreams have a legitimate chance of being realized.
“Zgola’s the one to really get excited about,” Taylor said. “Because he came here injured, he came here having to work back into match shape, having not as much experience, especially in matches over the last year, year and a half. To see him blossom and now find his way in the doubles lineup and get opportunities in the singles and take care of those opportunities like he did again today.”
Despite the success freshmen have had this season, the Cowboys’ upperclassmen have largely decided the team’s wins. Tyler Zink and Alex Garcia are OSU’s only ranked singles players and have been the stars of OSU’s season.
With years of college experience, they understand how important depth is in tennis. Luckily for the Cowboys, Schiessel and the other freshmen have been some of the most reliable players in some matches.
“I think they’ve helped our culture so much,” Zink said. “They’re four very, very great guys. I know the locker room; with them, it’s a better place. Me personally, I’m very close with them and very lucky to have them.”
Senior Isaac Becroft has also been a star for OSU. His dominance in singles and doubles has helped OSU become the No. 24 team.
Considering Becroft’s impressive play throughout the season, his praise of the freshman class is not something to take lightly.
“Yeah, it’s been amazing, especially a guy like Schiessl,” Becroft said. “Every time he steps on court, he really believes that he’s going to win. And it’s not easy as a freshman.”
With many talented players with years of experience, players such as Zink and Becroft are natural leaders. Yet, the freshmen have been vocal as a group.
Despite the potential help they could get, freshmen such as Schiessl and Becroft do not often find themselves leaning on the more experienced players.
“These guys got a lot of people to lean on, but to be completely honest, they haven’t really had to lean on too many people,” Taylor said. “They really blossom, they really enjoy their time, they haven’t really hit a rut yet. I’m sure it’ll come at some point, but they’re leaning on each other, which is really special to see.”
The three freshmen who have played plus Derek Pham, who is cleared to make his debut soon, have built a firm foundation in a short time.
Although the freshmen have made significant contributions this season and have sparked optimism about their futures, they have helped the team in another way. Taylor said a strong freshman class such as this one is a great tool for recruiting.
“Looking and seeing not only their success early on in their career, but just their dynamic, the culture,” Taylor said. “They really represent Cowboy tennis and what we’re about and what we’re looking to do. And these recruits get to see that they get to spend the next three years with those guys.”
Considering some of OSU’s most significant contributors will be gone next season, finding new players to bring in can present a challenge. That might lead most teams to be concerned about the future.
OSU is not like most teams.
“That whole freshman class is obviously the future of Cowboy tennis,” Taylor said. “Alex Garcia and Tyler Zink and Leighton Allen and that whole first crop is moving on after this year and kind of passing the torch to Becroft in a veteran role and a couple other of the veteran guys. But then, you know, the freshman fab four, those guys will be stepping up for years to come.”
In a win against Wichita State on Sunday, Schiessl and Zgola played side by side on Courts 4 and 6. They hyped each other when possible and had pride in watching the other’s success.
The Cowboys have shown their abundant on-court chemistry, but their bond away from tennis is just as strong. With a four-man freshman class, Taylor understood there was never a guarantee it would become this close.
Luckily for the Cowboys, Zgola and Schiessl have been like brothers since arriving on campus. For Zgola, that can mean seeing Schiessl’s face all day.
“We’ve got pretty much all of our classes together because we’re both international,” Zgola said. “So, for example, we have international English, we’re both in the same major, we both study finance. So, our schedules are pretty much the exact same.”
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