GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College men's tennis team will open its 2008-09 campaign this Saturday when the Pioneers travel to Concord University for a 1 p.m. match in Athens, W.Va.

The Pioneers return three lettermen from last year's team that posted a 20-2 record to win the both the South Atlantic Conference regular season and tournament titles, while also advancing to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Gone are three All-Conference standouts (Carlos Garcia, Nicolas Bigler and Sergio Espinosa) that posted a combined 46-10 singles record last season.

But back are two All-SAC honorees Leo Guaycurus and Henrique Rodrigues. Guaycurus, a 5-6, 150-pound senior from Rio de Janeiro, accounted for a 13-3 singles record, including 5-2 in league play.

Rodrigues, a 6-2, 175-pound junior from Salvador-Bahia, Brazil, shined at No. 4 singles for the Pioneers as he tallied a 13-4 worksheet, including 6-1 in SAC matches. He finished the year on a strong note winning five of his last six singles battles.

Last year, Guaycurus and Rodrigues was the No. 2 doubles pairing for the Pioneers, as the duo recorded a 15-5 mark, including 5-2 in conference action.

Heiskell, Tenn. senior Hunter Beal is back for his final collegiate campaign. The 6-2, 175-pounder starred at No. 6 singles posting a 9-4 record, including 4-2 in SAC play. He enters this season's action riding a four-match winning streak. He also shined in doubles play in 2008 as he and Bigler paired up for an 18-2 worksheet, including 6-1 in league encounters.

Four freshmen will be looking to make an impact the Pioneers and three-time SAC Coach of the Year Tommy Arnett.

Thomas Clayton, a 5-6, 150-pound rookie from Sydney, Australia, attended Schilley International School in Barcelona, Spain. Clayton has a strong tennis background in his family. His father, Michael Clayton, played for the Thailand Davis Cup Team, while his brother Adam Clayton, also played collegiately.

Drew Kiser, a 6-2, 165-pound freshman from Bristol, Tenn., garnered All-Conference accolades four times at Tennessee High School. He was also a three-time most valuable player with the Vikings.

Steven Lin, a 5-11, 155-pound freshman from Ping Dong, Taiwan, played his prep tennis at Heritage Academy in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Besides shining on the tennis court, Lin was named to the National Honor Society two years.

Thomas Rees rounds out the talented freshmen class for the Pioneers. Rees, a 6-6, 170-pound native of Worestershire, England, captured eight singles titles in 2006-07 and was ranked one of the top 100 singles players in the nation (No. 96). He also served as team captain on his squad that won the County Division I Championship.

The Pioneers will play in three matches and two tournaments this fall. The TC men and women will play in the Brevard Tournament in North Carolina next weekend (Sep. 12-14), followed by the ETSU Tournament on Sep. 20-21 in Johnson City, Tenn. Tusculum will host two home matches in October when it takes on Johnson C. Smith University (Oct. 4) and Queens University of Charlotte (Oct. 11).

- TC -