LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's tennis team kicks open the 2018 dual season on the road for a pair of neutral matches Saturday before returning home for its home-opener against Mesa Community College on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 11 a.m. (MT).
 
Head coach Carlos Vargas and company kick things off with a 10 a.m. contest against San Francisco before wrapping up the day against Saint Mary's on Saturday, Jan. 27, at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Arizona.
 
The Gaels enter the match 1-1 overall on the year, winning its first dual match of 2018 against Sacramento State 4-3 before falling to Fresno State 6-1 on the road. The Aggies will be Saint Mary's first opponent in Tucson before taking on the host, Arizona, on Sunday, Jan. 28. NM State defeated the Gaels last season 4-1 at the Golden State Invitational co-hosted by UC Davis and Sacramento State.
 
San Francisco also won its first match of the season, a 4-0 decision against George Washington to start the spring season after Dons had their match against Stanford then-No. 13 Stanford postponed. San Francisco starts the weekend off with a match against Arizona on Friday, Jan. 26, before facing off against the Aggies. NM State defeated USF 4-3 the last time the two programs squared off in 2016 at the Mountain Pacific Invitational hosted by New Mexico.
 
New Mexico State then returns home for its home-opener against Mesa Community College on Sunday, Jan. 28, for an 11 a.m. match at the NM State Tennis Center. The Thunderbirds will open its season the day before in Las Cruces against Western New Mexico before facing off against the Aggies. NM State took the match 7-0 last season at home against MCC to kick off its dual season.