MGCCC men figure to battle for title

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast men's tennis coach Sam Blackburn has what looks like a powerful team for his first season in charge.

"I'm very excited to see what the men do this year," he said. "We've got two good international players, one of them who was here last year. Along with the rest of our guys, I think we're going to be a dangerous team for anybody we play. We've got a lot of talent and also a lot of depth."

Gulf Coast starts the season Friday when Southwest Mississippi visits the MGCCC Tennis Complex. First serves are set for 1 p.m.

Blackburn was a state champion at Gulf Coast when he played here in the 2015-16 seasons. This version of the Bulldogs is led by a pair of international players.

Seth Macute (Fr., Brisbane, Australia/St Joseph's Nudgee College) is back from Australia for his sophomore season, and he'll play No. 1 singles. 

"He hits a big ball, a big serve and big forehand," Blackburn said. "He's dangerous no matter who he's playing. He's experienced now as a sophomore, and he's going to be a big factor in leading our team."

Pedro Molero (Fr., Maracaibo, Venezuela/U.E. Instituto Americano Joseph John Thomson) arrived from Venezuela over the break, and he's a solid, steady player with strong mental makeup. Blackburn said he loves Gulf Coast and is looking forward to playing for his teammates.

Two players with vast experience are at the Nos. 3 and 4 spots. Wesley Fontaine (So., Biloxi/Biloxi) and Patrick Roth (So., Pascagoula/Resurrection) will be playing their third seasons at Gulf Coast after getting the extra COVID season from the NJCAA. 

"That shows how much they care about our team and how much they care about tennis," Blackburn said. "That fight and want to win, they both told me they have unfinished business. They want to be out here and finish off their Gulf Coast tennis careers in good ways."

Clay Fudge (Fr., Madison/Madison Central) and Grant Eubanks (Fr., Lucedale/George County) will start the season in the final two singles spots. Fudge is a hard-worker who has battled back from injury last season. Eubanks is a selfless player who brings energy to the squad, and Blackburn calls him "one of the best people you'll ever meet." 

Jackson Ward (Fr., Gulfport/Gulfport), Alex King (Fr., Ocean Springs/Ocean Springs), Rives Clark (Fr., Starkville/Starkville Academy) and Mason Chelette (Fr., Vancleave/Vancleave) give the team great depth and will be battling to make it into the starting six all season. 

Blackburn will split his internationals for doubles, pairing Macute with Fontaine and Molero with Roth. The first tandem brings power, and the second has great athleticism. Fudge and Ward will start as the No. 3 doubles team.

Gulf Coast figures to battle Jones, Meridian and Itawamba for the MACCC title. 

There's a new postseason format this year, with the top team in the regular season earning the MACCC championship. The top six teams in the league will advance to the Region 23 Tournament, which will be a team format. No. 3 will play No. 6, and No. 4 will play No. 5. The top two teams will get byes into the semifinals.

"I'm very excited to see the men's and women's team play," Blackburn said. "They're full of great people, and we're going to be well respected on the court as well as being a team folks don't want to have to play. I'm excited to see the character and the integrity of our players be revealed throughout the season." 

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.