National Semifinalist Ferris State Inks Spanish Import Pablo Munoz Baroja

Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's tennis program, which advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four for the first-time ever this past spring, has bolstered its returning lineup with the addition of recent signee Pablo Munoz Baroja (San Sebastian, Spain). The announcement was made by FSU head coach Chad Berryhill.

Baroja has been ranked among the top Spanish players in the past year and has competed in more than 20 futures events in countries such as France, Croatia, Serbia, Greece and Turkey among others. He had his best results in the last round of qualifying and was tabbed as the number one player in Guipuzcoa State.

"Pablo is an experienced tennis player and has been well-coached," Berryhill said. "He is getting the opportunity in his most recent tournaments to play Futures events and national tournaments against very good competition."

"In addition, Pablo should be able to make an immediate impact on our team and further provide added depth to our roster," he added. "I know he is excited to be a Bulldog and wants to be a difference maker."

Baroja has been coached by former ATP player Adolfo Gomez Pinter since May 2014. The son of Angelika and Jose Maria, Pablo also has an uncle who presently works as an industrial engineer in Detroit.

Ferris State wrapped up the 2015-16 season with a 25-4 dual record while finishing with the most wins in school history during a historic and record-breaking campaign. FSU picked up four-straight victories in the national tournament before falling to eventual national champion Hawaii Pacific in the semifinals at the Division II Festival in Denver.

The Bulldogs were only the third team ever from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to advance to the national semifinals this campaign. They punched their ticket to Denver by capturing one of two Midwest Regional bracket titles with a thrilling 5-3 victory over West Michigan rival Grand Valley State at the FSU Racquet and Fitness Center in Big Rapids.

Ferris State, which made its 20th all-time NCAA Tournament bid, advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in school history, but the first time since 2005. FSU had not advanced to the Elite Eight since 2004 and this season's semifinal berth was the first in school history.

Along with capturing the Midwest Regional crown and reaching the national semifinals, Ferris State also won the GLIAC's outright regular-season title this season for the second-straight year. The 2016 campaign represented the first-time ever in which FSU had won both the GLIAC Regular-Season & Tournament Championships in the same year since the tournament moved to its current dual team format.