Andrew Wang, Johns HopkinsJohns Hopkins vs. NC Wesleyan
Hopkins has been away from D3 play for about a month now, but they should be sharp after spending spring break in Florida. NCW struggled in their first real test against Washington & Lee. This isn't a promising sign for a team that expects a lot from themselves this spring. W&L managed to get both of the top 2 doubles spots on Wednesday against NCW. Hopkins is clearly stronger at both of the top 2 doubles spots so I would expect them to get comfortable wins from their top 2 teams. I think NCW needs a win at 3 to stay alive. I would expect wins from Hopkins at the top 2 singles spots to put them up 4-1 heading into the bottom 4 spots. Both teams are strong at the bottom, and I would expect a split of the 3 through 6 lines. #3 is a match to really pay attention to and #4 should be highly contested as well. I'm going with Hopkins in a 6-3 win that never really gets all that close. I think NCW has a while to go before they can break into the top 10. Another factor to consider is that NCW has a morning match against Mary Washington, taking place in Fredericksburg. This will surely be a long, grueling match and I think NCW could be feeling the effects of the morning against Hopkins.
Amherst @ CMS
Amherst has not looked impressive so far this week and CMS was really sharp taking down CMU and Trinity (TX) with ease. The CMS doubles lineup has been outstanding and I think they will dominate Amherst here. The Jeffs are lucky to get 1 win in doubles and honestly I'm expecting a sweep. Amherst picked up their doubles against Redlands and this was a promising sign. CMS has been mixing things up in doubles over their past couple matches but I would expect them to come out hot on their home courts and take at worst a 2-1 lead. #1 will be a great match but Erani has been very strong lately so I have to give the edge to him. #2 should also be close but I have to go with Lim. 3rd singles is a potential winning spot for Amherst and a spot they really need. #4 is also a potential winner for Amherst. At 5 and 6 I have to go with CMS in 2 pretty easy wins. The Stags are just a little too good everywhere and given the home court advantage, this should be a routine win. Remember that CMS beat Amherst 7-2 during the regular season last year and the Jeffs went on to make the national finals. I'll take CMS 6-3 tomorrow.
