May 11, 2011

Complete Conference Release

IRVING, Texas - Three Baylor men's tennis players were among 16 student-athletes honored on the 2011 All-Big 12 men's tennis team and senior John Peers earned the conference's Newcomer of the Year award, league officials announced on Wednesday.

Besides the individual honor, Peers was a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 singles squad, while fellow senior Jordan Rux earned a spot on the team for a third straight year. In doubles, Peers and partner Roberto Maytin were one of four unanimously selected duos.

Peers is the fourth Bear to be tabbed as the Big 12 Conference's Newcomer of the Year and the first since Benedikt Dorsch was so honored in 2003. The Melbourne, Australia, native joins Dorsch (2003), Jorge Aldrete (1999), and Pawl Gajdzik (1998) as recipients of the award.

Sona Novakova of Baylor's women's team was also named the league's Newcomer of the Year to make Baylor one of only two schools in Big 12 Conference history to earn the Newcomer award on both the men's and women's sides in the same year. Texas A&M also accomplished the feat in 2004.

Peers, who is currently ranked No. 19 in the country, is 29-10 overall and 17-5 in dual-match play. This year, Peers is 12-10 against nationally ranked foes and he went 5-1 in Big 12 play.

Rux has not been ranked this season, but has won his last six matches to post a 12-8 dual-match record. After going 4-2 in Big 12 Conference play, the Kerrville, Texas, product is 15-9 on the season.

As a team, the fifth-ranked Peers and Maytin (Valencia, Venezuela) are 30-5 overall and 17-2 in dual-match play with all of those matches coming at the top of the Baylor doubles lineup. The tandem is 14-4 on the year against ranked opponents, while going a perfect 6-0 in Big 12 action.

Baylor has now had at least two singles players make the All-Big 12 team every year since 2002 and has landed multiple players on the list in 13 of the 15 years of the conference's existence. The Bears have had at least one doubles tandem make the league's squad for three straight years and for 14 out of the last 15 years.

The All-Big 12 teams are selected by the league's head coaches who are not allowed to vote for their own players.

The fifth-ranked Bears will be back in action Friday as they host the opening round of the 2011 NCAA Championships. Baylor will face Texas A&M Corpus-Christi at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to take on the winner of the Texas Tech-Rice match. The second round contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.