ANDERSON, S.C. - After a stellar 2009 campaign, the Anderson men's tennis team has been selected to finish second in the league this season in a vote by Conference Carolinas coaches. The Trojans are coming off a very successful 2009 season, finishing 14-7 overall and were ranked 22nd in the nation after advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans suffered just one conference setback en route to capturing the programs' sixth straight Conference Carolinas men's tennis tournament title and its eighth in nine years. Second-year head coach Joey Eskridge will look to a blend of talented veterans and versatile newcomers as the Trojans return four letterwinners from last season. Sophomore Stephane Murray and senior Renato Assuncao were named to the 2009 Conference all-tournament team, while and Assuncao and Benjamin Pepion each garnered wins in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Anderson opens the season on Feb. 6 by playing host to the College of Charleston on the men's side and the Trojan women's team will face USC Upstate. "Our team is excited about the upcoming season," said Eskridge. "Although we are not as top-heavy as last year with Pakebusch at the number one singles spot we have Stephane Murray, who dropped just one set conference play. Our team is much deeper than last year and we look forward to hitting the court against two D-1 teams with good tennis programs. It will be the first time the College of Charleston has played at Anderson so we are really excited about this opportunity and the rest of the season." Being picked second takes the pressure off the guys so their level of play should improve as the season goes on. Now that we have the target off our backs and everyone focusing on another team at the top, our guys can play free and the results should be good for the Trojans." Conference Carolinas Pre-Season Coaches Poll (1st place votes in parenthesis) 1. Lees-McRae College (7) 77 2. Anderson University (2) 71 3. Limestone College 64 4. Queens University of Charlotte 52 5. Mount Olive College (1) 50 6. Barton College 46 T-7. Erskine College 32 T-7. Pfeiffer University 32 9. Coker College 17 10. Belmont Abbey 9