Ira R. Herr Athletic Hall of Fame
The evolution of college tennis has brought with it more matches and more opportunities for the players of this current generation. That makes the career of Michael Bailey all the more impressive.
A standout with the Blue Jays from 1986-89, Bailey's 41 career singles victories still rank eighth in program history. Bailey can proudly claim to be one of the two players that put on the Blue and Gray prior to 2000 to still appear on one of the program's career top 10 wins lists.
Bailey quickly made a name for himself with the Jays, registering an 8-4 singles record and 8-3 doubles mark as a freshman in '86. He played primarily No. 2 singles and went on to compete in the MAC Individual Championships as a rookie.
Bailey ascended to the No. 1 spot in both singles and doubles early in his career making his career 41-13 singles, 27-21 doubles and 68-34 combined records all the more impressive in that a majority came against opponents' top players.
Bailey registered double-digit singles wins in 1987 (11-3) and 1989 (13-2). He was a four-year letterwinner and team captain. Bailey advanced to the singles semifinals in the 1989 MAC Individual Championships as a senior.
