KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Baptist University men's tennis is headed back to the national stage, as the Spartans earned the No. 12 seed in the 2026 NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship and will face No. 21 seed Marian University in the opening round on May 12 at 9 a.m. at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile.

Missouri Baptist makes its second consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championship after a historic season that has seen the Spartans post a program-record 20 victories and capture the first Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament championship in program history.

The Spartans enter postseason play at 20-6 overall and carry momentum into nationals after defeating Marian, 5-2, earlier this season on Feb. 14. Missouri Baptist has also controlled the all-time series against the Knights, owning a perfect 3-0 record.

Marian enters the national tournament with a 14-10 overall mark.

The 2026 championship field features 24 teams, made up of 12 automatic qualifiers and 12 at-large selections, with matches scheduled May 12-16 at the Mobile Tennis Center. The tournament marks the 22nd consecutive year the national championship has been held in Mobile.

Top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College enters the event seeking its 11th NAIA national title, while Lindsey Wilson College leads the field in tournament appearances with 23.

Missouri Baptist will look to continue its breakthrough season when it opens national championship play against Marian on May 12, with a spot in the second round on the line.

WHAT'S NEXT?
Missouri Baptist opens play in the NAIA Men's Tennis National Championship against Marian on Tuesday, May 12, at 9 a.m. at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.