No. 3 MGCCC opens golf season Monday
PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast begins its quest for a 10th straight trip to the NJCAA Division II Golf Tournament on Monday when the Bulldogs tee off their season in Alabama.
Gulf Coast, which is ranked third in the Bushnell Golfweek NJCAA Division II Coaches Poll, will be playing in the 54-hole Wallace State Fall Invitational in Cullman. The two-day event starts with two rounds on the first day.
"I'm really excited about the prospects of this team," Bulldogs coach Tommy Snell said. "We've got four outstanding freshmen who just came in along with four sophomores to lead the way. They're all competitive. Any of the eight could make the top five for any tournament."
Two of the freshmen, Jackson Wedgeworth (6-2, fr., West Jones/Soso) and Logan Leary (5-11, 120, fr., Gonzales/Dutchdown, La.), were among the top three during Gulf Coast's qualifying for the opening tournament.
The competition ahead of the events is part of the process that's resulted in nine straight Region 23 championships.
"We qualify for every tournament," Snell said. "I want these guys under pressure every time they play golf. I rarely pick a player. The great thing about golf is I don't have to pick anybody. They pick themselves by the scores they shoot.
The team is led by Colin Troxler (6-2, 137, so., Hahnville/Luling, La.), who was named to the PING All-Freshman team, making him one of the top five golfers in his class in the country. He also earned second-team NJCAA All-American honors.
He's being recruited by several four-year schools and has started making recruiting visits.
"He's an extremely talented player," Snell said. "One of his best attributes is he's eager to learn. He's very confident, and the other kids pick up on that."
Jonathon Newman (5-9, 135, so., North Pike/Summit) was the other freshman on last year's tournament team that finished fourth at the national championship, the team's third straight top four finish.
Wyatt Adkison (5-7, 210, so., East Central/Hurley) and Brandon Fontenot (6-7, 130, so., Gulfport/Gulfport) have also started with strong early season play.
Colby Entriken (6-0, 160, fr., Hancock/Pass Christian) and Colby Blake (5-11, 155, fr., Parklane/Tylertown) round out the team.
The path to the national championship tournament, which will be played in Mesa, Arizona, in May, is different. Gulf Coast will play in the MACJC Championship in early April before hosting the NJCAA District D Championship at Grand Bear later that month.
There's more than just a change from region to district designation. The NJCAA changed the formula determining the number of qualifiers from each district. Instead of only one team and a handful of individuals advancing, there will be three teams plus two individuals moving on.
Snell had advocated for it for some time.
"We've been fortunate because we've won the region nine years in a row," he said. "But the conference has left some really good teams at home."
For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCAthletics on Twitter and BulldogLIVE on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.
