JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Jacksonville State men's tennis team kicks off its final homestand of the season Thursday at 6 p.m. with a matchup against Alabama. Belmont visits the JSU Tennis Courts Friday at noon, and a contest against Tennessee State Saturday at 11 a.m. puts the wraps on the Gamecocks' regular season.
 
Senior Day ceremonies will take place Saturday at 10:30 a.m., prior to the start of the TSU match. The Gamecocks are set to honor men's tennis seniors Mathias Chaim, Austin McCormick and Jaryd Reese. Claudia Marsala of the women's tennis team will also be honored prior to the women's match against Tennessee State.
 
JSU (9-7, 2-2 OVC) steps out of conference play to take on the Crimson Tide following four Ohio Valley contests. The Gamecocks currently sit fourth in the OVC standings, representing one of just four teams with a record of .500 or better. Undefeated Tennessee Tech leads the league with a 4-0 record.
 
The OVC Tennis Championships are scheduled to begin April 21 in Nashville, Tenn. The conference's top six teams register for a spot in the tournament.
 
Alabama comes into the Thursday contest with a 10-15 overall record. The Crimson Tide's matchup is their final of the season before beginning the SEC Championship on April 26. The ITA ranks Alabama sophomore Mazen Osama No. 27 and freshman Thibault Cancel No. 97 of the nation's singles players, while Osama and sophomore Spencer Richey are 14th in the nation as a doubles team.
 
Belmont enters the weekend match as the OVC's third-place team. The Bruins have played just three Ohio Valley match, accumulating a 2-1 league record. Belmont's only conference loss of the season came Friday in a 4-3 defeat at Eastern Kentucky.
 
The Gamecocks wrap up the season Saturday against Tennessee State in what could be a very pivotal match. The Tigers enter the weekend with a 1-2 record; just 25 percentage points behind JSU in the OVC standings. TSU will first have to meet with Belmont and Tennessee Tech before Saturday's match with the Gamecocks.
 
For more information on the JSU tennis teams, follow the Gamecocks on Twitter (@JSU_Tennis) and on Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUTennis). For more on all Gamecocks sports teams, follow the official social media accounts of JSU Athletics on Twitter (@JSUGamecocks), Facebook (Facebook.com/JSUGamecocks), Instagram (@JSUGamecocks) and Snapchat (@JSUGamecocks).