Kyle Bailey And Charlotte Men’s Tennis Consistently Improve Their Recruiting Classes
Charlotte Men’s Tennis coach Kyle Bailey announced three additions for the upcoming season on Wednesday.
William Freshwater and transfers Hiiro Sakamoto (Troy) and Cole Thurgur (Rider) will join the 49ers for this fall alongside Charlotte’s five returners — Jack DiMenna, Andres Medus, Moritz Muenster, Emilio Sanchez Bronzetti, and Danny Yassine.
The program will also welcome previously announced signees Noah Bayon and Ben Ostheimer.
“I think each year I’ve been here, we’ve consistently tried to improve each recruiting class, and we did so again with this group,” Bailey said. “William and Noah are among the best domestic freshmen we’ve brought in, and Ben is one of the top international recruits. Adding players like that shows the direction this program is heading.
“The portal class is also the strongest we’ve had. We brought in two guys who were undefeated in their final seasons and, more importantly, were leaders of their teams — something we really prioritized. We added high-character players who fit our program and culture.”
Freshwater comes to the Queen City after capturing Florida state championships in both singles and doubles as a senior at Barron Collier High School. For his efforts, the incoming freshman was named the Southwest Florida Boys Tennis Player of the Year by the Naples Daily News.
He also helped Barron Collier capture the 2024 state title and earned a five-star designation from Tennis Recruiting Network, which ranked him No. 8 in Florida’s Class of 2026.
Sakamoto spent his first two years at Troy before transferring to Charlotte, posting a perfect 20-0 record in dual-match play as a sophomore last season. He earned wins from every lineup position between Nos. 2-5, primarily from the No. 4 spot, where he posted a 14-0 record.
The Kumamoto, Japan native added an 8-2 mark in doubles play, including a 5-0 record from No. 2 doubles.
Thurgur comes to Charlotte on the heels of a perfect individual dual-match slate in his second season at Rider University. The Ottawa native went 16-0 in singles to lead the Broncs while adding a team-high 12 doubles wins in 14 tries.
Charlotte’s latest additions come after a season in which Muenster and Medus — a freshman and transfer addition, respectively — tied for the team lead in singles wins. The two also finished third and fourth, respectively, in doubles victories to help lead the 49ers to a 15-8 record, ITA national ranking, and American Conference quarterfinal win over Florida Atlantic, 4-1, in Tulsa.
“We’ve turned the page on some really historic careers with Vasco and Ivan, just as we did with Matias and Freddie the year before,” Bailey said. “This is an exciting group to bring in for the next wave.”