February 5, 1999
GREENVILLE -- Furman men's tennis coach Paul Scarpa will open his 33rd season at Furman in the Furman Shootout on Saturday. Emory, Erskine, Presbyterian, and South Carolina State join the Paladins in the annual one-day event. Weather permitting, each team will play two dual matches on Saturday.
The Paladins will have a new look in 1999, as Furman welcomes 13 newcomers to the mix while only three starters return from last season's Southern Conference champions. Sophomore Lee Nickell is expected to play No. 1 singles, while incumbent starters Drew Parker and Brian Gill also expect to play in the top three positions. The rest of the Paladin lineup will consist of newcomers.
Furman, who completed the 1998 Southern Conference season 9-0, was picked fourth in the Southern Conference preseason coaches poll. East Tennessee State, Chattanooga, and UNC Greensboro held the top three spots in the poll.
Scarpa, the third winningest active coach in Division I, has coached in 972 matches while at Furman and will reach 1000 matches this season. He has a career record of 645-382 in 35 years of coaching as has posted a 609-363 record at Furman in 32 seasons.