SURPRISE, AZ- Felipe Escobar and Mateo Ruiz will make FGCU history this week as they have received a wild card to the Oracle ITA National Championships in Surprise, Arizona following their final four finish in the ITA Southeastern Regional two weeks ago.
 
"This is very exciting to be invited to this tournament" said head coach CJ Weber. "This is a program first for us to be selected to compete in this tournament. Feli and Mateo have been playing great together, and they're a tough team for anybody to beat; so I'm very much looking forward to seeing how they do against the nation's best."
 
Escobar (Pereira, Colombia/TCU) and Ruiz (Bucaramanga, Colombia/Oklahoma State) become the first FGCU players in program history to receive an invite to the tournament.  The unique tournament, which includes Regional Champions and Wild Cards from around the Division I ranks, as well as National Champions from other divisions including NJCAA, Division II, Division III, and NAIA, begins Wednesday and runs through Sunday when the overall National Champion will be crowned.
 
The Eagles will take on North Carolina State's Saveljic brothers, Igor and Ivan in the first round on Wednesday at 6:30 PM EST. 
 
To follow along with the tournament CLICK HERE or to see the bracket for the tournament, CLICK HERE.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of FGCU men's tennis follow us on Twitter & Instagram @FGCU_MTEN and visit www.FGCUAthletics.com where full recaps and results will be available at the end of the competition.

CJ WEBER
FGCU is led by CJ Weber who has coached 29 ASUN All-Conference selections since joining the Green and Blue in 2011. In his seventh year, Weber has compiled a 83-68 (.549) overall record and a 32-17 (.694) record in ASUN play. In 2014-15, Weber guided the Eagles to their first-ever ASUN Championship and first-ever ASUN Regular Season title after a program-best 17 wins. In his third season, Weber led Jordi Vives to a No. 35 national ranking, a nation-leading 14-match unbeaten streak and the round of 32 in the 2014 NCAA Tournament - the program's first appearance. The Eagles completed consecutive perfect ASUN seasons in 2016 and back-to-back conference titles as well as a second-straight Coach of the Year honor for Weber. FGCU again won the ASUN Championship in 2017, advancing to its second NCAA Tournament. 

#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.