RICHMOND, VA -- The University of Delaware men's tennis team has earned the seventh seed in this week's Colonial Athletic Association Championships, where the Hens will face No. 10 seed George Mason in a first-round match-up Thursday afternoon at Huntington Park Tennis Center in Newport News, VA.

Delaware has gone 8-6 this season, 3-1 in conference play. The Hens' league mark is their best since going 4-0 in 2001-02.

Sophomore Austin Longacre (at right), the Hens' No. 1 singles player for the last two years, comes into the tourney with a 21-10 singles record and has more than doubled last season's win total. Freshman No. 4 Chris Hincker has also shined for Delaware, going 18-8 in a stellar rookie campaign, while senior Jonathan Schwartz has posted a 14-6 mark at sixth singles.

The Hens will also look to junior No. 2 Nolan Greenberg (14-11), sophomore No. 3 Sam Barrer (12-11), and sophomore fifth man Camilo Perez (13-7) to pick up victories on Thursday.

In the 2007 CAA Championships, the seventh-seeded Blue Hens toppled No. 10 George Mason 4-0 in the first round before dropping a 4-0 quarterfinal decision to Old Dominion.

Delaware has won eight consecutive meetings with GMU, including a 6-1 victory over the Patriots just three weeks ago.

The Blue Hens have been seeded seventh in each of the last six CAA tournaments. They are a perfect 4-0 all-time in the first round, but have lost all six of their quarterfinal match-ups.

GMU (7-12, 0-4 CAA) is led by junior Brian Fitzgerald, who has gone 13-5 at first singles and 17-10 overall this year.

VCU, winner of 10 of the last 12 CAA titles, earned the tournament's top seed on the strength of its 16-7 record and No. 26 national ranking. Defending champion Georgia State claimed the No. 5 seed.

AGATE:

Colonial Athletic Association Tennis Championships - April 17-20 - Huntington Park Tennis Center - Newport News, VA

Men's Draw:

First Round - Thursday, April 17
#10 George Mason vs. #7 Delaware, 2 p.m.
#9 Drexel vs. #8 Hofstra, 2 p.m.

Quarterfinals - Friday, April 18
#6 James Madison vs. #3 Old Dominion, 9 a.m.
George Mason/Delaware vs. #2 William & Mary, 11:30 a.m.
Drexel/Hofstra vs. #1 VCU, 2 p.m.
#5 Georgia State vs. #4 UNC Wilmington, 3:30 p.m.