The No. 17 Texas A&M men’s tennis team faced off against the No. 18 San Diego Toreros at the Mitchell Tennis Center in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, May 4. The Aggies managed to weather through the lightning delay midway through the match and defeat the Toreros 4-2.

The Aggies earned the right to play the Toreros after defeating the Rice Owls in a perfect sweep on May 3. The win also saw the Maroon and White move to the second round of play for the 17th year in a row.

A&M continued its doubles success from the first round, as it won the first match in lopsided fashion when the Frenchman combination of senior Raphael Perot and freshman Tiago Pires squashed San Diego’s team of graduate Savriyan Danilov and sophomore Lambert Ruland, 6-1.

Equalizing the score in doubles play, the San Diego duo of sophomore Oliver Tarvet and redshirt sophomore Stian Klaassen defeated the team of junior JC Roddick and freshman Lathan Skrobarcek at a rather fast pace, 6-1.

Then, earning the doubles point for the Aggies, the Turkish and the Italian were to the rescue. The No. 14 duo of junior Giulio Perego and sophomore Togan Tokac defeated the Toreros’ No. 90 duo of redshirt senior Sacchitt Sharrma and junior Iiro Vasa, 6-3.

With a 1-0 lead, the Fightin’ Farmers kept the momentum rolling as junior Luke Casper secured the victory in two sets over San Diego’s Sharma, 6-3, 6-1.

Down 2-0, the Toreros proceeded to turn the tables, winning the next two matches. Klaasen was the first to put his name in the win column after taking down Pires in two sets, 6-4, 6-1. Tying things up at 2 for the Toreros, Danilov defeated Tokac in two sets, 6-2, 6-4.

With things looking up for San Diego, a lightning delay stopped both teams in their tracks. A&M benefited from the stop of play, as Perego proceeded to come out and make the score 3-2 after defeating Ruland in three sets, 7-3, 7-6 (10-8).

With the duel and a ticket to the Super Regional on the line, No. 42 Roddick clutched up for the Aggies. He came back after losing the first set to San Diego’s No. 85 Vasa, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

A&M came out fast and did not let a stubborn San Diego squad stop it from coming away with the win. A&M will now move onto the Super Regional and compete on May 10 or 11 against Texas in Austin.

The San Diego Padres went big game hunting once again on Friday. Padres general manager A.J. Preller pulled the trigger on a trade, bringing in two-time batting champion Luis Arráez. 

Arráez will make his way from South Beach to Southern California. The 27-year-old will be responsible for taking this Friar team over the top and becoming contenders once again. If his numbers tell us anything, he will indeed do just that. 

Arráez is not off to such a hot start in the season, but his numbers through his first five seasons are special. CBS Sports’ social media manager, Danny Vietti, shared via Twitter that his numbers are very similar to those of the Hall of Famer and Padres legend Tony Gwynn. 

This doesn’t mean the Padres have themselves the next Tony Gwynn, but this is crazy. 

Mr. Padre is one of a kind, and no one will ever be like him. In his legendary 20-year career, Gwynn finished with a .338 batting average, .847 OPS, 3,141 hits, 135 home runs, 1,138 RBIs, and only 434 strikeouts in 2,440 games and 10,232 plate appearances. On top of that, he’s a five-time Gold Glove winner, seven-time Silver Slugger, eight-time batting champion, and a 15-time All-Star. It’s safe to say Arráez won’t accomplish that.

While the numbers are similar through their first five seasons, comparing Arráez to Gwynn is unfair. Nonetheless, Arráez is an elite-caliber player. They’ll need him to be as the Padres sit at 17-18, second in the National League West. The two-time All-Star has had himself one heck of a career thus far. He’s recorded a .324 batting average in six seasons, .801 OPS, 122 OPS+, 688 hits, 24 home runs, and 206 RBIs in 569 games, and 2,124 at-bats. 

Men lie, women lie, but numbers do not lie. Preller has done it again.

More Padres: Padres to Make Massive Trade, Acquire All-Star Infielder Luis Arraez From Marlins

The Arc of San Diego held its annual Spring Casino Royale Gala on April 20 at The US Grant Hotel. The event brought together some of San Diego’s most notable philanthropists for an unforgettable evening of glamour, mystery, and excitement for a great cause.

All funds raised benefit The Arc of San Diego and more than 2,000 children and adults with disabilities who annually receive support. Generosity from the attendees ensured the ability to continue providing essential services such as adult day program, vocational training, and employment placement, according to a news release.

Guests were greeted with a captivating cocktail reception adorned with silent auction and whimsical photo booth. Enchanting magicians mesmerized attendees as they mingled, listened to live music, and enjoyed delectable hors d’oeuvres. Guests moved to the ballroom, where they indulged in a lavish dinner and danced to music by Wayne Foster Entertainment. The program also included a musical performance by Arc clients and live auction.

MC Mark Mathis, a meteorologist from KUSI TV, served as the MC. Concluding the evening on a sweet note, guests indulged in a divine coffee and dessert bar before dancing the night away in jubilant celebration.

The Casino Royale Gala owes its success to the tireless efforts of Gala Chair Linda Kurtin, a local philanthropist and longtime supporter of The Arc of San Diego, as well as its generous sponsors. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the generous donors whose unwavering support made our gala a tremendous success,” said Jennifer Bates Navarra, vice president of Marketing & Development at The Arc of San Diego, in the news release. “We would like to thank our sponsors, supporters, and volunteers whose dedication ensured an unforgettable evening.”

For more information on The Arc of San Diego, visit www.arc-sd.com.