DUDLEY, Mass. – The Nichols College men's tennis doubles team consisting of sophomore Brandon Roode (Griswold, Conn.) and first-year Eduardo Irizarry (Lajas, Puerto Rico) has been tabbed the eighth-ranked duo in the final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) regional rankings. The doubles ranking debut caps a year that saw Roode claim the first-ever regional ranking for the Bison in singles action which was followed by the team's first-ever regional accolade early this spring. Roode was amongst the who's who in the region from November 1, 2012 until May 2, 2013 while the team collectively held the 18th spot from March 28, 2013 until May 2, 2013.
 
Overall, Roode and Irizarry sported a 17-3 record in 2012-13 and were a force to be recon with upon reuniting for the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) regular season finale against Endicott on April 24, 2013. The pair went 6-0 and held opponents to an average of just over two games per set while blanking Roger Williams in the CCC Men's Tennis Championship match and Colby-Sawyer in the NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship First Round. The season culminated with an 8-4 triumph over the top doubles team in the region as the pair claimed the lone point in a 5-1 setback in the second round to nationally-ranked Williams, the eventual team national champions.
 
During the fall portion of the campaign, Roode and Irizarry jumped out to a 3-0 start with victories over Coast Guard, Wesleyan (Conn.) and Springfield. Following a pair of setbacks, including a defeat to the eventual No. 3 Williams team at the uber-competitive USTA/ITA regional tournament, the duo bounced back for a win against regional power MIT before the break.
 
Nichols came out firing in the spring with a resounding 7-0 win over local Division I foe Holy Cross, including a sweep in doubles. Roode and Irizarry carried the momentum into a match with another Division I institution four days later as the pair took down the top doubles pair from Connecticut on the first day of the squad's spring break trip. Later in the week, Roode and Irizarry once again rose to the challenge as they defeated the 10th-ranked doubles pair at the time to help the Bison take down then regionally-ranked Hobart.
 
The Bison completed the 2012-13 campaign 19-6, captured back-to-back CCC titles and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament for the second-straight season under ninth-year head coach Paul Brower.