The Panther team will go on the road to face Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in a non-conference rivalry game.

The Saluki’s have played strongly at home and have amassed four wins and only a single loss and have knocked off two other Ohio Valley Conference teams: Moorhead State and Murray State.

The Saluki’s most efficient players under head coach Dann Nelson this season are Jorge Cavero and Adam Fabik who have posted a respectful combined 17-3 record with Cavero having a 9-1 record as a freshman.

The Panthers enter the game with 2-13 record, but will be rested due to the cancellation of their home game versus Chicago State on Monday. Monday’s cancellation has been one of the multiple unfortunate home games cancelled for the team.

Eastern and SIU were scheduled to play last season, but the match was rained out and never rescheduled. The last time the Panthers actually played the Salukis they lost 6-0 because no doubles matches were played.

The weather will not interfere as it has several times this season with a projected 70 degrees and sunny forecast.

Eastern is led by freshman Kevin Bauman who has posted a 7-8 record this season and is coming off a longer tie-beaker set win over Remi Calleja of Austin Peay. He and sophomore Warren Race have also won three straight doubles matches and have improved their record to 5-8.

The Panther team will have its final home game at Rex Darling Courts on Saturday morning versus Murray State.

The team will look to play well on its home courts for the last time this season.

After the home final, the Panthers will prepare for the OVC Championships on April 15-17.

Head coach John Blackburn and players could not be reached for comment by deadline.

Seamus Riley can be reached at 581-7944 or at srriley@eiu.edu

Matyas Hilgert, junior, returns a serve against Morehead State March 27 at Rex Darling Courts. The men’s tennis team takes on Southern Illinois University-Carbondale today at the Saluki Tennis Center. (Danny Damiani/The Daily Eastern News)

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