PALATINE HILL -- The Lewis & Clark Pioneers will compete for the Northwest Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships this weekend at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., in what could be an exclamation point to an already unmatched season.

With victories over Linfield and Willamette in matches played just hours apart on Saturday, Lewis & Clark finished the conference season with a 10-2 record and a best-ever national ranking of No. 30.

Link: Northwest Conference Men's Tennis Championship

The Pioneers are the No. 3 seed in the four-team field and will play No. 2 Pacific at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The winner will meet either No. 1 seed Whitman or No. 4 Whitworth on Sunday at 10 a.m. in the NWC Championship final.

Lewis & Clark is 3-2 against the field this season, including a win over Whitman in Portland, 5-4, on Apr. 2. The Pios were the first NWC opponent to defeat Whitman in a conference dual in nearly nine years. In the second conference match of the season in February, the Pios were swept by Whitman, 9-0.

Against Whitworth, the Pios are 2-0, winning by a combined score of 16-2. Pacific defeated Lewis & Clark on Mar. 13, 6-3.

Last year, Lewis & Clark lost in the NWC tournament semifinals to Whitman.

Northwest Conference Men's Tennis Championship Schedule

Saturday, April 23 - NWC Championship Semifinals
No. 1 Whitman vs No. 4 Whitworth - 10 a.m.
No. 2 Pacific vs No. 3 Lewis & Clark - 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 24 - NWC Championship Final
Whitman/Whitworth vs Pacific/Lewis & Clark - 10 a.m.