EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Oakland City University's dominance of the River States Conference men's tennis scene continued on Saturday, as the Mighty Oaks won their fifth consecutive River States tournament title. The Mighty Oaks claimed the crown with a 4-0 victory over second-seeded Midway University. The final was held on the campus of the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville.
Oakland City has dropped just a single point to a conference opponent in the past two seasons. The Mighty Oaks have won each of the last four River States titles by sweeps, with Midway the opponent in the final each of those four years.
The Mighty Oaks needed less than a half hour to secure the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead in the championship match. Oakland City's top team of conference Player of the Year Jose Andres Perez Perez and Alejo Chlpac cruised to a 6-0 victory in 20 minutes. Five minutes later, the third flight duo of Juanes Pinto and Nelson Ramos finished up a 6-2 victory, sealing the doubles point. The Mighty Oaks also led the match at the second doubles flight, with Agustin Siufi and Michael Wassef holding a 4-1 lead.
Juanes Pinto put the Mighty Oaks up 2-0 with the first singles point of the afternoon, claiming a 6-3, 6-1 victory at the fifth flight. Louki Nivarlet then put the Mighty Oaks one point away from the title with a 6-4, 6-2 win at the sixth flight. The clinching point was provided by Alejo Chlpac, who finished off the title with a 6-2, 6-4 win at the third flight. The remaining three matches were all abandoned in the second set, with all three looking ticketed for a third set.
Oakland City advanced to Saturday's final with a 4-0 victory over fourth-seeded Indiana University East. Midway's path to the final featured a 4-0 victory over third-seeded Brescia. In the quarterfinals, Brescia advanced with a 4-0 win over Shawnee State, and IU East won what was the best match, regardless of gender, in the tournament with a 4-3 victory over IU Southeast to end the night on Thursday. The first two days of competition were held at the Wesselman Tennis Center in Evansville, with action shifting to Southern Indiana on Saturday.
The Mighty Oaks will head to the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship for the fifth consecutive year, with action set to begin in Mobile, Alabama on May 12. The Mighty Oaks will be looking to match their performance from the 2023 season, when the Mighty Oaks advanced to the round of 16 with the tournament's biggest upset, knocking out the No. 12 seeded Cumberland Phoenix to earn the first national tournament win in program history.