After finishing a historic week in Ojai, California with the Big Ten Men’s Tennis title returning home to East Lansing, it’s no surprise that the conference has taken notice of two Spartans who didn’t drop a match all tournament.
Sophomore Matthew Forbes and senior Ozan Baris earned All-Tournament first team honors after leading Michigan State to its first Big Ten Tournament championship since 1967. Forbes was also named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, capping off a dominant weekend on both courts.
Paired together in doubles across all three matches, Baris and Forbes went a perfect 3-0 against the conference’s top duos, reinforcing their status as Michigan State’s go-to pairing in the No. 1 spot.
But their impact went far beyond doubles.
Baris delivered a flawless singles performance, finishing 3-0 with wins over some of the Big Ten’s toughest competition. He opened the tournament with a straight-set victory over Indiana’s Michael Andre before cruising past UCLA’s Emon van Loben Sels. In the championship match, Baris added another key point with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Ohio State’s Preston Stearns, helping shift momentum in Michigan State’s favor.
Forbes matched that dominance with a perfect weekend of his own, though his path required a bit more grit. After earning a straight-set win to open play, he battled through tight moments in the later rounds, including a decisive performance in the championship match against Ohio State’s Jack Anthrop. In a back-and-forth contest that stretched into a third set, Forbes held his nerve in a tiebreak to secure the clinching point for the Spartans.
The final match, which lasted nearly seven hours and included multiple rain delays, underscored Forbes’ ability to close it out under pressure, almost like he’s built for it, and ultimately sealed both the team title and his individual tournament honor.
With the conference tournament crown secured, Michigan State now turns its attention to the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans earned the Big Ten’s automatic bid and will learn their regional placement during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday afternoon.
