After its recent loss to Indiana, the Eastern men’s tennis team looks to redeem themselves on Saturday against Ball State.

The Panthers dropped their first match 7-0 to Indiana on Monday, but the season has just begun.

The last time Eastern and Ball State met was last season, and Ball State had the upper hand also getting the shutout 7-0.

The Ball state win last year marks the Cardinals eighth straight win against Eastern, who remains winless against the Cardinals in program history.

A bright spot for Eastern against Ball State was senior Grant Reiman. Reiman pushed his opponent Nemanja Guzina, to a third set in the No. 3 position. Reiman would eventually lose 6-2, 4-6, 1-0.

During both fall and spring seasons, senior Trent Reiman, sophomore Freddie O’Brien, sophomore Gage Kingsmith and freshman Logan Charbonneau are all tied with two wins this season.

The Panthers have combined for 10 wins through the fall and spring schedule, but have lost 54 matches.

Two Eastern players have not won a match yet this season, but that all could change coming up this week against Ball State.

In doubles competition, Trent Reiman and O’Brien have fared well overall, sitting 5-5 as a team, which has totaled more than half of the Panthers wins in doubles competition with nine.

Eastern coach Sam Kercheval says Ball State will be another tough team but will be different than the Indiana match.

“Ball State is always a very solid team and tough to play,” Kercheval said. “They graduated a couple of their top players and have some younger guys in the lineup. But it will be a good test and a bit different certainly than IU (Indiana University) last weekend.”

Something coach Kercheval says his guys know what they should be doing and what their primary strategy is and how to go into the match.

“It starts with us controlling our game, out effort, our mentality,” he said. “I feel my job on match days are to help remind them of the things we have worked on and help them see patterns in the opponent that we can take advantage of.”

The Panthers head to Ball State Saturday at noon, and Kercheval knows his team has to play at a high level.

“When we get out there is has to be that we play high percentage tennis to start and get a feel for any adjustments we may need to make,” Kercheval said.

Vince Lovergine can be reached at 581-2812 or vplovergine@eiu.edu