SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Lawrence Tech enters the 2026 men's tennis season with a clear identity and a straightforward objective. The Blue Devils are young but talented, and the early focus is on building consistency while developing winning doubles combinations. Lawrence Tech begins the year with a roster centered on growth, pairing chemistry and a chance to establish itself quickly against a mix of tournament and dual-match competition.
Two returning players give the Blue Devils an experienced foundation in Augustin Patte and Carlos Patricio. Their presence should help steady a team that is still taking shape, especially in the opening weeks when lineups and doubles teams are often tested. Lawrence Tech's preseason outlook points directly to that balance, younger talent gaining experience while proven returners set the tone in singles and help anchor doubles play.
That doubles piece could be one of the defining storylines of the season. Lawrence Tech's stated emphasis on developing winning combinations suggests the Blue Devils will use the fall to sort through pairings and identify the partnerships that can consistently deliver the first point in dual matches. Patte and Patricio stand out as natural names to watch in that process, whether paired together or used to stabilize separate flights as the staff evaluates the best overall configuration.
The fall portion of the schedule offers immediate measuring-stick events. Lawrence Tech opens Sept. 12-13 at the Hillsdale Invitational in Hillsdale, Mich., one of the program's notable early dates and a useful first look at how the roster responds to outside competition. The Blue Devils then head to the ITA Regional Tournament at the Sutter Tennis Center in Marion, Ind., from Sept. 22-25, before closing the fall slate at the Wayne State Doubles Invitational in Detroit on Oct. 30. Those events should give Lawrence Tech valuable match reps in both singles and doubles before the winter and spring dual season begins.
The winter schedule resumes Jan. 30 at Wayne State, followed by a Feb. 5 match against Davenport University in Grand Rapids. Lawrence Tech's home opener comes Feb. 6 against Goshen College at Franklin Athletic Club in Southfield, a matchup already identified as one to watch. Additional home-area dates at Franklin Athletic Club follow against Spring Arbor on Feb. 13, Bethel on Feb. 20, Taylor on Feb. 27 and Ashland on March 6, all set for 3 p.m., before the Blue Devils close the regular schedule March 20 at Hillsdale. For a young team, the season's early months may be as much about discovering the right combinations as the results themselves, but Lawrence Tech has enough returning experience to make that process worth watching from the start.
