MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Barry University's men's tennis team will open the Sunshine State Conference Tournament 10 a.m. Thursday in a quarterfinal match with Eckerd at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

The eight-team league postseason tournament runs through Saturday. Eckerd will serve as the host. Palm Beach Atlantic, in the last year as an affiliate member of the league, will have the opportunity to compete in the tournament.

The winner of the Barry-Eckerd quarterfinal will meet the Rollins-Florida Southern winner in Friday's 10 semifinals. The championship match is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday.

"I always get excited for the Sunshine State Conference Tournament," Buccaneers 26-year coach George Samuel said. "This is a tournament that, when we first started competing in it, I always wanted to win it. That's no different today. It means a lot to win this tournament."

The top-seeded Bucs (18-1) swept the eighth-seeded Tritons (8-8) at home on April 8. 

Barry won the SSC regular season championship after going 7-0 in league matches. Last year's champion, Saint Leo, finished second at 6-1, and Lynn was third at 5-2.

The Bucs have won 12 SSC Tournament titles, the last time in 2015. Barry's 12 postseason championships ranks second to Rollins' 18.

The winner of the league tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, which is set for April 29-30 at regional sites around the country. 

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