Eastern has a chance to see how good it is this weekend when it hosts the Panther Invitational at Darling Courts.

Head coach John Blackburn said he has enthusiasm for his players in this upcoming tournament.

With most of his team returning and healthy, he feels that their experience and the help of some talented freshmen will have a key advantage against the competition.

But this weekend is bigger for some than others. The freshmen will get to show what they are made of with this tournament, as Blackburn will sit three of his 11 players.

The players that aren’t playing have the most experience on the team, as the top three players from last year won’t be playing. Seniors Chuck LeVaque and Brandon Lenfert, as well as sophomore Vuk Milicevic. The reason behind this is that Blackburn will send these players to the Drake Tournament next weekend.

“We only get so many dates a year. I can’t play all of my players this weekend,” Blackburn said.

With these players out, many of the freshmen will get their first chance to play with Eastern. They have been preparing for this and now the time has arrived.

“We’ve been training pretty hard the past few weeks,” freshman Jeffrey Rutherford said. “This tournament is pretty important, a good confidence builder and it gets us more prepared for the season. It’s real important to make a impact and show everyone we can play tennis.”

With the weekend approaching quickly, the anticipation is mounting on the players as they get the chance to compete against other teams for the first time.

“I don’t know what to expect, it’s our first match,” freshman Alex Walczak said. “I feel the pressure to perform.”

Even with Walczak and the other freshmen feeling pressure to perform, Blackburn feels confident in his freshmen.

“They have a chance to make a big impact,” Blackburn said.

The Panthers don’t know much about the competition, but they are looking to learn more about themselves this weekend. The Panthers have confidence that they will perform well this weekend.

“There’s no real concerns,” said Blackburn. “It’s at home, it’s a comfort zone for our players.”

Even for the freshmen that haven’t played a competitive match yet.

“We got a good chance at winning this weekend,” Rutherford said.

The Panther Invitational will be played both Saturday and Sunday at Darling Courts. The tournament lasts all day on Saturday and Sunday, with singles play in the morning and doubles play in the afternoon.