IU vying for 3 seed in Big Tens

The IU men's tennis team will look to seal the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament this weekend when it travels north to face Michigan and Michigan State for a pair of important contests.\nThe Hoosiers, who are 11-10 on the spring and 5-3 in the Big Ten, will travel to Ann Arbor Saturday for a match with No. 64 Michigan. The duel has important postseason implications, as IU and Michigan are currently tied for third in the Big Ten rankings. A win for either team would provide the crucial tie-breaker when the Big Ten Tournament seeds are released next week. The Hoosiers could guarantee themselves the No. 3 seed with wins in both of their weekend fixtures.\nIllinois and Ohio State are in commanding position for the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, holding the tie-breaker over IU with wins earlier in the season. Michigan, 12-9 overall and 5-3 in the conference, will face Northwestern in its other weekend match.\nBesides Michigan, IU will face another team with a solid overall and Big Ten record in Michigan State. The Spartans, who trail IU and Michigan in the standings, are 12-10 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play.\nThe top five teams in the conference after the weekend will secure first-round byes in next week's Big Ten tournament.