Cerritos College men's tennis player Nathan Eshmade (Kings Baptist, Australia HS) was one match away from playing for a state championship as a freshman. One season later and Eshmade is now poised to take care of some unfinished business, and in the process, finish the season undefeated. Eshmade, playing at the Ojai Athletic Center on Saturday, recorded two more straight set wins and will play for the CCAA State Championship at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday at Libbey Park.

Seeded #1 in Southern California, Eshmade made quick work of Fresno City College's Alec Bessinger, the #12-seeded player from Northern California, 6-3, 6-2. That was followed by one of the most dominant performances this late into a tournament, a 6-0, 6-0 shutout of Vitor Mendes of Ventura College in the semifinals. Mendes was coming off a thrilling 7-6(1), 5-7, 6-1 win over #3-seeded Guillermo Pueya of Irvine Valley College.

In the state championship match, Eshmade will be facing American River College's Lovedeep Singh, the top-seeded player from Northern California. Eshmade has surrendered only 11 games in his five wins at the state championships.

Also still competing in doubles play, Eshmade and freshman Amadi Kagoma (Malezi School, Kenya HS) won their lone match of the day and have advanced to the semifinals. They posted a 6-4, 6-4 win over Simon Guillen and Pueya in the quarterfinals and will play their semifinal match at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday against College of the Desert's Pedro Carle and Zach Lidster. Singh and his doubles partner were defeated in the quarterfinals.