WEYMOUTH, Mass. - Top-seeded Bridgewater State University is heading back to the Little East Conference (LEC) Men's Tennis Champoonship Tournament Finals after notching a 4-0 victory over fifth-seeded Western Connecticut State University Thursday at the Weymouth Club. The Bears will host the winner of today's 4:00 p.m. semifinal between second-seeded Rhode Island College and third-seeded UMass Boston on Saturday at a time to be determined. 

BSU won both doubles matches that were played to competition to secure the doubles point and take a 1-0 lead in the contest. Adam Beatrice and Khiem Nguyen posted a 6-2 top-flight decision over Jose Jack Buck Zambrano just ahead of Ryan Hebert and Will Horton downing John Araujo and Aidan Burke at second-flight, 6-3.

The Bears lead grew to 2-0 in the match on Beatrice's 6-0, 6-0 win over Buck at second singles, and Anthony Lucas brought them within a point of the match victory with his 6-0, 6-3 fifth singles victory over Araujo. 6. Hebert then send Bridgewater State to the conference final by defeating Axel Javier 6-2, 6-1 at sixth-singles. 

The Bears held the lead in each of the unfinished matches on the day. Tom Ayson and Lucas led Alex Maldonado Henry Gsell 5-3 at third doubles, and Ayson led Maldonado 7-5, 3-1 at fourth-singles. Horton edged out Burke at first singles 7-6 (7-4), while Nguyen had an equally tight pairing with Zambrano that saw him take the opening set 7-6 (7-2) and the two tied at 1-1 in the second.

BSU will play for the LEC tournament title and the conference's automatic berth in the 2026 NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the third consecutive year. The Bears defeated Rhode Island College in the 2024 final, and fell to the Anchormen in the 2025 championship match.