Minnesota head men's tennis coach Geoff Young faces his former squad, highlighting a pair of season-opening matches against nationally-ranked opponents for the Gophers this weekend at the Baseline Tennis Center.

Young, in his second season at Minnesota, spent the previous six years at Denver and will face the Pioneers in the season opener on Fri., Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. It is the second straight year the Gophers have opened with Young's former team, beating the Pioneers 4-3 last year in Denver.

Minnesota enters the weekend ranked 40th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, while Denver is ranked 67th. The Gophers will also host Middle Tennessee State on Sunday at 9 a.m. The Blue Raiders are ranked 59th in the country. Denver and Middle Tennessee State play on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Friday's match features a showdown at No. 1 singles as Minnesota's Raoul Schwark is ranked 46th nationally and takes on Denver's Adam Holmstrom, who is ranked 17th. Young recruiting Holmstrom to Denver and coached him to Sun Belt Conference singles titles in 2005 and 2006. Holmstrom beat Schwark 6-1, 6-2 in last year's dual.