MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's men's tennis team finished last season playing for the Midwest Conference South Division Championship, led by three all-conference freshmen.
 
Those are solid building blocks for first-year head coach Trent Schneider and the 2022 Rams, who get their season started Saturday with home duals against Northwestern at 9 a.m. and Loras at 4 p.m.
 
Cornell returns four starters from last year's 10-9 dual team, which took second in the MWC South Division. The Rams are projected third in the 2022 MWC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 23 points, one more than fourth-place Lawrence.
 
Preseason favorite Grinnell received 36 points and six first-place votes, followed by Lake Forest (31 points) with one first-place nod. The top four teams qualify for the MWC Team Tournament April 22 in Middleton, Wis.
 
"I'm excited to see the bonds we can create and the improvement we can make this spring," said Schneider, voted the MWC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year this past fall. "Like the women, we are approaching the season with a 'we, not me' mantra. We want to play for each other and the program. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish."
 
The Rams have youth and talent on their side, highlighted by the all-conference sophomore trio of Federico Polidori, Alexander Hadler-Strumlauf and Chris Penas-Hull. They occupied the top three positions in the singles lineup last season.
 
Polidori notched 15 total wins as Cornell's No. 1 player. Hadler-Strumlauf led the team with 23 victories, going 14-5 in singles play. Penas-Hull won 17 matches in his first collegiate season.
 
"The three sophomores will be huge for us again," Schneider said. "We are a young team in general and are going to lean on them."
 
Juniors Bryce Fincher and Michael Coester also bring back starting experience. Ravi Parekh is the team's captain and lone senior.
 
The Rams welcome four newcomers to the roster, including promising junior transfer Justin Mendez. Orion Mason, Lincoln Rener and Edwin Holyoake are freshmen in the program.
 
Schneider has a full and challenging schedule in store with 21 duals this season. Seven of the team's first eight meets are at home, before the Rams head to Orlando, Fla., for their spring break trip March 5-8.
  
"I'm excited to see what we can do with a tough schedule," Schneider said. "We'll face good competition early and on spring break. Those matches will get us well prepared for our conference season in April."