Notes

The table above lists all recruits as of May 19, 2024. In addition to the Star Rating, we display the highest TRN, ITF junior, WTN, and UTR metrics for each player since August 2023, and for international players we display the TRN ranking they would hold if eligible.

 

Also Receiving Consideration

We reviewed the resumes for more than 50 teams for these rankings. Teams that received strong consideration and almost made our list are (alphabetically) as follows:   Bucknell, College of Charleston, Dayton, Johns Hopkins, Samford, Western Michigan

 

Rising Waves

Two weeks ago, our panel annointed the Pepperdine Waves the No. 2 recruiting class in all of college tennis. Today, it is no surprise that TRN and Inspiration Academy name Adam Schaechterle’s trio of recruits the No. 1 class on our mid-major list.

German star David Fix has committed to Pepperdine
© Contributed Photo

The Waves have a long and storied history - winning 45 West Coast Conference titles and the NCAA Team Championship in 2006. Schaechterle, now entering his seventh season at the helm, has Pepperdine back on the national college tennis landscape with more conference hardware - as well as a streak of four consecutive NCAA appearances. The 2024 recruiting class should help move that cause forward even more.

David Fix of Germany headlines the group as the only recruit on the entire mid-major list with a UTR in the 13+ range. Since competing in last summer’s French and Wimbledon Juniors, Fix has primarily played M15 and M25 events - reaching the quarterfinals in Antalya, Turkey, this spring. Fix is joined by fellow countryman Lasse Poertner and Aleksa Pisaric of Serbia - who both have UTRs above 12.9. These recruits have all been Top 51 in ITF juniors, played in slams and have multiple ATP points.

Schaechterle can’t wait to get these young men to Malibu.

 

Five at the Top

The University of San Diego, another WCC program, stands tall at No. 2 on our list.

4-Star William Semler is heading to San Diego
© Contributed Photo

The Toreros have a pair of strong recruits in 4-Star graduate William Semler out of Portland, Oregon, and Swiss standout Adrien Berrut. Semler has competed on the largest stages of American junior tennis, posting 3 singles wins at The Nationals in Kalamazoo in 2023. Berrut, who was very accomplished on the ITF junior circuit and won a singles title at the J200 in Rakovnik, Czech Republic, has posted wins in both M15 and M25 singles events at the professional level. 2024 marks San Diego Head Coach Ryan Keckley’s fourth class ranked in the Top 2 of mid-majors in the past five years. Not too shabby.

The University of California at Santa Barbara - yet another California school - checks in at No. 3 on our list. The Gauchos class is led by a pair of 5-Star seniors from San Diego - Mario Garcia and Matei Gavrea. They are joined by 4-Star senior Charlie Underwood (Montara, Calif.) and Italian standout Teo Masera.

A pair of strong Florida programs - the Florida Atlantic Owls and South Florida Bulls - round out the Top 5 classes at No. 4 and 5, respectively.

 

Conference Call

The 25 teams in our rankings come from 13 different conferences across the country - but the American Athletic Conference looms largest with 7 ranked classes.

We already mentioned Top 5 programs Florida Atlantic (No. 4) and South Florida (5) - who both hail from the AAC. Those two are joined in the rankings by the UTSA Roadrunners (10), UAB Blazers (15), Charlotte 49ers (16), Rice Owls (17), and Tulsa Golden Hurricane (20). The AAC sent four programs to the 2024 NCAA Tournament last month.

The West Coast Conference is next in line with 4 ranked classes - with the Santa Clara Broncos (11) and Pacific Tigers (24) joining Pepperdine (1) and San Diego (2) on the list.

 

D-III Presence

Almost all of the programs in our rankings come from NCAA Division I programs. However, we do open the list up to all divisions - and NCAA D-III tennis always gets strong talent. This year, two Division III schools made the cut - the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens (No. 21) and Carnegie Mellon Tartans (22) appear in our mid-major rankings.

We expect to highlight both of these programs when we release our D-III rankings next week.

 

Drop Shots

Scattershooting through the rankings:

  • State by State - 12 states are represented in the rankings. California leads the way with seven ranked classes - while no other state features more than two.
  • Warm Welcome - Three programs are making their debut in our recruiting class rankings. Please welcome the Grand Canyon Antelopes (No. 12), Lehigh Mountain Hawks (19) and Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens (21) on their first-ever recruiting class rankings at this level.
  • Welcome Back - Three programs are back in the mid-major recruiting class rankings after a 6-year absence. South Florida (5), the Georgia Southern Eagles (13), and Pacific (24) are on our list for the first time since 2018.
  • Streaking at the Top - Pepperdine (1) has strung together a number of strong classes - 2024 marks the sixth straight appearance in the mid-major rankings for the Waves - every year since 2019. The ODU Monarchs (7) and Rice Owls (17) are next in line with four consecutive appearances.
  • Best Ever - In addition to the three schools making their debut in the mid-major rankings, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks are posting their best-ever recruiting class ranking at No. 8. This is NAU’s second-ever ranked class - and their first in the Top 10.
  • Year by Year - UCSB (3) is making its 14th appearance in our mid-major rankings - more than any other program. Other schools who have appeared more than 10 times over the years are Rice (17) and the Cal Poly Mustangs (23) who have appeared 11 times apiece.
 

Coming Friday … Mid-Major Women

The women are up next. This coming Friday, TRN and Inspiration Academy will release rankings of the top 25 women's mid-major recruiting classes. Shortly afterwards, we will wrap up this ranking season with our lists of the top NCAA Division III programs.

 
 

About Inspiration Academy

Inspiration Academy is proud to sponsor the Roundtable Discussion series of articles at TennisRecruiting.net.

Inspiration Academy is a LIFE preparatory school that believes in training student athletes from the inside-out. Whether it's baseball, tennis, sand volleyball, Filmmaking, Music or strictly Innovative Education you're after, Inspiration Academy provides industry professional mentors specifically designated to each student for the most individualized training program you will find anywhere. With boarding, beaches, great training facilities and world class coaching - get Inspiration!

For more information on what Innovation Academy looks like, check them out on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube - or on their website.

 

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