2023 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Singles Championship Preview – Evan Erb

ORLANDO, Fla. The NCAA Division III men’s tennis singles championships begin Thursday and Washington and Lee sophomore Evan Erb (St. Louis, Mo. / MICDS) will play in a first-round game at 10 a.m.

Erb will face Caleb Wilkins of Chapman University in the NCAA first round. The NCAA, which announced the names of those participating in the singles tournament last week, made the official announcement Wednesday afternoon. The first two rounds will be played on Thursday, followed by the quarterfinals on Friday, the semifinals on Saturday and the championship game on Sunday.

Erb earned ODAC Player of the Year honors in what has been a very successful campaign for the Generals this season, in addition to earning first-team honors at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles. Erb has compiled an 18-5 record in all singles matches this season and is 4-3 in tournament play. At the ITA Southeast Region Championship in October, Erb reached the quarterfinals before bowing out in three sets to Joe DeMarco of Johns Hopkins.

Erb is making his first appearance at the national singles tournament and is the first W&L representative at the singles championships since Harry Shepherd ’20 went in 2018. Erb can also earn All-America honors with a first-round win.

Wilkins, Erb’s first opponent on Thursday, is a 2023 First Team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) honoree with a 10-10 overall record this season. A three-time First Team All-SCIAC selection, the most in Chapman program history, Wilkins is 2-1 in the tournament this season and is also making his first appearance in the national tournament. He is also the first Chapman men’s tennis player to appear on the national stage since Clifford Yook in 2009.

The winner of Erb vs. Wilkins in Thursday’s 10 a.m. matchup will face the winner of James Hopper of Case Western Reserve University and Joshua Boden of Concordia University (Texas) at 2 p.m.

Hopper earned the overall seed for the championship with a 26-3 record in singles play this season. Hopper, the 2023 University Athletic Association Player of the Year, helped the Spartans win the Division III team title on Tuesday with straight wins in the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship, and is currently on a 12-game hitting streak.

Hopper will also compete in the doubles draw in Orlando, marking the third straight season he has competed in both. He and former doubles partner Jonathan Powell won the 2022 doubles title; Hopper has reached the quarterfinals of the singles tournament in each of his last two matches.

Bode enters tournament play this season with a 20-1 record, with each of his 21 appearances coming in double plays. With a 17-game active hitting streak, Bode was named the American Southwest Conference (ASC) West Division Most Valuable Player this season and is Concordia’s all-time wins leader.

Click to view the entire 2023 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Singles Championship Series here.

Erb’s game against Wilkins on Thursday at 10 a.m. will be broadcast live, with live scores also available.