MINNEAPOLIS - Four teams will battle for one trophy this weekend as the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) hosts its annual men's tennis postseason tournament at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus. While some of the four-team bracket's field was filled more than a week ago, the final entry was decided on Wednesday afternoon.

The College of St. Scholastica has lost just three matches all season while going a perfect 10-0 in UMAC play to earn the Saints' 18th consecutive league regular season trophy. Not only has CSS won every conference match, St. Scholastica hasn't lost a point in any UMAC match this year, giving the Saints an easy pathway to the tournament's top seed. Josh Stainer has been St. Scholastica's leader, going 6-0 in his No. 1 singles mathces while owning a 7-0 mark in UMAC doubles play this season. Nick Lambrecht has played the majoriy of the Saints' No. 2 singles matches in 2014, going 9-4 overall and a flawless 8-0 against conference opponents. Mike Fontana, who also hasn't lost a UMAC bout, is riding a 12-match winning streak in singles play, having earned wins at every spot from Nos. 2-6 singles.

St. Scholastica's first round opponent will be No. 4 seed Martin Luther College, a team that grabbed the final slot in the UMAC Tournament following a 7-2 victory over North Central University on Wednesday. The fourth-seeded Knights are 3-7 in UMAC play, but have won two of their last three matches. Kris Kuschel has had the most success in singles play in terms of wins and losses going 5-5 against league opponents. Kuschel is currently riding a four-match winning streak in singles action, while the No. 3 doubles pair of Justin Marshall and Philip Schroeder has won its last five matches and is 7-3 in the UMAC.

Friday's other semifinal features second-seeded University of Northwestern against No. 3 Bethany Lutheran College. The Eagles' only two losses in 10 UMAC opportunities came against St. Scholastica, with Northwestern winning both regular season battles against the Vikings from Betahny by matching 7-2 scores. Both Jimmy Ekman and Phil Gudim, UNW's top two singles players, have matching 8-2 records in conference singles play while teaming up for the same numbers as a No. 1 doubles pair. Levi Busse is also 8-2 in his UMAC doubles matches, with nine of those 10 rounds coming with partner Agassi Mila. Mila has a 7-2 record in singles play with all but one of the junior's matches coming in the No. 3 slot.

Bethany Lutheran is making its first UMAC Tournament appearance since the format switched from an individual bracket to teams in 2012. The Vikings have had their best season in their nine-year history, going 6-4 in league play. While Jacob Kubler and Troy Hoyord each have five conference wins in 2014, Paul Riediger's performance at No. 6 singles has turned heads as the sophomore has gone 7-3 in league play with nine overall victories. BLC finished the regular season with a win after a two-game losing streak, but the Vikings used a stretch of four consecutive wins to solidify their place in the UMAC standings. Bethany is 1-1 in the Baseline Tennis Center this season, losing to Hamline on March 1 before defeating North Central in the same building on March 18.

The tournament's semifinal round begins at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 2 following the UMAC Women's Tennis Tournament with the winning teams advancing to an approximate 12:30 p.m. championship match on Saturday. Regardless of the weekend's weather predictions, all UMAC Tournament matches will be played at the Baseline Center's indoor courts. Admission into the event is free, however fans may be charged to park their vehicle at one of the adjacent lots.