Men's Tennis Season Preview

By Jim Fenton

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The 2025 Bridgewater State University men's tennis season ended in the championship round of the Little East Conference tournament.

One year after the Bears won their first tourney championship in its current format, they were denied a repeat by Rhode Island College, 5-1.

With nearly the entire roster back plus a promising freshman slotted at the No. 1 single spot, BSU has high hopes of having another successful run in 2026 as it bids for two conference crowns in three years.

The Bears are led by four players who earned All-Little East honors in '25 plus first-year player Will Horton (Lakeville, Mass.), who will be at No. 1 singles and on the No. 2 doubles team.

BSU, which made the program's first trip to the NCAAs in 2024, was picked in the preseason coaches poll to win the Little East title.

"Our first goal is to get back to the LEC championship match where we lost," said coach David Purpura. "We had five guys (still playing this season) who were standing on that court
losing in the championship. They know how crushed they were.

"They realize there's a sense of urgency. They have tasted the NCAA tournament where the best memory of their careers was winning the LEC and playing in the national tournament."

The Bears first match of the spring season is Thursday at 3 p.m. when they host the Wentworth Institute of Technology at the Dr. Henry Rosen Memorial Courts.

BSU, which lost a match to Emerson College in October, 6-0, was scheduled to play its spring opener Monday at the University of New England, but it was postponed due to rain.

Starting the spring season at No. 1 singles will be Horton, who made a strong impression in preseason practices.

"He decisively won all the preseason challenge matches," said Purpura. "He's a really good player, a really good athlete and we're really excited to have him.

"I think the sky's the limit. He's 6-foot-2, he's strong and athletic. He checks all the boxes."

Senior captain Adam Beatrice (Rockland, Mass.) moves from No. 1 to No. 2 singles.

The 2023 Little East Rookie of the Year, Beatrice has been chosen to the all-conference first team in singles all three years.

He made the first team in singles and doubles last season, going 3-2 in the conference and 5-5 overall in singles.

"We feel really good about having him at No. 2," said Purpura of a player who was the conference tournament Most Valuable Player in 2024. "We have big goals and we need him to be a huge presence at the top of the lineup. He'll be pushing Will."

Junior Tom Ayson (Plymouth, Mass.) will be at No. 3 singles after playing No. 2 last season.

Ayson made the All-Little East second team in singles and doubles, going 4-2 in the conference and 6-6 overall in singles.

"He's in shape, he has a huge serve and he's played the No. 3 spot before (in 2024), so we feel good," said Purpura.

Junior Khiem Nguyen (Burlington, Vt.) goes from No. 3 to No. 4 singles. He played No. 1 singles at Vermont State Castleton before transferring to BSU.

Nguyen was 5-1 in the Little East and 6-6 overall in singles. He made the all-conference second team in singles and the first team in doubles.

"He looks as good as he's ever looked," said Purpura. "Having experience in the No. 1 spot is so valuable. We feel we have a No. 1 playing at No. 4 in our lineup."

Junior Anthony Lucas (Weymouth, Mass.), who transferred from Endicott last year, will be at No. 5 singles. He started the '25 season at No. 6 and moved up to No. 4.

"He came on really strong last season," said Purpura. "We have a veteran with experience in that spot."

Senior captain Ryan Hebert (Taunton, Mass.) is at No. 6 singles. He went 3-0 playing No. 5 and No. 6 singles in '25.

"He's worked incredibly hard to become the athlete and tennis player he is," said Purpura. "Nobody works harder. He came in ready and it's showed with his results."

BSU has depth with a pair of freshman at No. 7 and No. 8 -- Jayton Woods (Kingston, Mass.) and Ryan Abreu (Lakeville, Mass.) bidding for a spot in the lineup.

Sophomore Tyler Rocchio (Attleboro, Mass.), who was 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the Little East playing mostly No. 5, is returning from an injury.

Senior Tyler Barros (Somerset, Mass.) is No. 10 and has experience and is followed by freshmen Daniel Parath (Millbury, Mass.) and Jesse Perron (Northbridge, Mass.).

"Our focus this offseason was coming back strong at every single flight and we feel like we've done that and more with the depth we have," said Purpura. "We have six freshmen who could have filled a competitive singles team. I feel good about our present and I feel good about our future."

The first doubles team of Beatrice and Nguyen returns after going 5-2 and 3-1 in the Little East to earn first-team all-conference honors.

"Their chemistry and and experience make them a tough doubles pairing," said Purpura.

Horton and Hebert will be at No. 2 doubles. Hebert was 8-4 and 5-0 in the Little East in doubles last season.

Ayson and Lucas are moving from No. 2 to No. 3 doubles this season. They had a 6-1 record and 3-1 in the conference, making the All-Little East second team.

The Bears start the Little East schedule at home March 28 against Southern Maine and face a challenging non-conference slate game matches.

"Obviously, we need to stay healthy and we need to continue to work to improve," said Purpura. "There's some really good teams in the LEC and in New England. There's a whole other level we're trying to reach.

"We have all kinds of goals and it starts with developing a ladder that is talented and deep, and I feel like we've met that goal. They really do push each other every day.

"There's some really good players in the LEC. RIC is going to improve. UMass Boston added some players and is going to be better. We don't take anything for granted. But we really have high goals and ambitions for this group."