LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- Midwestern State makes its 14th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division II South Central/West Super Regional Thursday through Saturday at the New Mexico State University Championship Course.

The Mustangs earned an at-large bid as the No. 6 seed in the region after claiming a runner-up finish in stroke play in the Lone Star Conference Championships at the WinStar Golf Club. MSU advanced to medal match play before falling in the semifinal round to Oklahoma Christian.

The top five teams from the South Central/West Super Regional and top two individuals not on an advancing team qualify to compete in the NCAA Division II Championships from May 21-25 at Orange County National Golf Club in Winter Garden, Florida.

LAST TIME OUT | Seth Bearden earned all-tournament honors on the way to a fourth-place finish at the Lone Star Conference Championships. The sophomore from Crowell fired scores of 69, 72, and 71 for a 4-under 212 to tie for fourth. Junior Trevor Walsh finished tied for ninth, firing scores of 69, 74, and 73 for an even-par 216 to highlight individual finishes for the Mustangs. MSU posted team totals of 284, 288, and 293 for a 1-over, 54-hole tally of 865.

THE FIELD IN CLIPPD RANKINGS | The field for the NCAA Division II South Central/West Super Regional Championship features 20 teams and eight individuals.

From the South Central Region are: Colorado Christian (ranked No. 5 in NCAA Division II by Clippd), Oklahoma Christian (6), Dallas Baptist (8), UT Permian Basin (18), Colorado State-Pueblo (19), Midwestern State (20), Colorado Mesa (26), West Texas A&M (29), Western New Mexico (31), and UT Tyler (37).

From the West Region are: California State-Monterey Bay (35), Chico State (38), California State-East Bay (45), California State-San Bernardino (46), California State-San Marcos (54), Sonoma State (56), Stanislaus State (59), Simon Fraser (72), Hawaii-Hilo (78), and Western Washington (84).

Individuals from the South Central Region include: Rudy Sautron (Cameron), Lukas Taggert (Colorado School of Mines), Chandler Cooke (Arkansas-Fort Smith), and Ronald Kindall III (Fort Lewis).

Individuals fromt he West Region include: Francis Bautista (California State-Dominguez Hills), Shion Suzuki (Hawaii Pacific), Guilio Zanichelli (Academy of Art), and Grayson Giboney (Northwest Nazarene).

MUSTANGS AT THE NMSU CHAMPIONSHIP COURSE | Midwestern State competes for the second time at the New Mexico State University Golf Course. The facility in Las Cruces was also the host of the 2016 NCAA II South Central/West Super Regional. The Mustangs finished 19th in the tournament, logging team totals of 311, 295, and 294 for a 54-hole, 48-over tally of 900. Jared Baker closed with a 4-under 68 in the final round after logging scores of 76 and 73 to finish in a tie for 22nd with a 4-over 217. Midwestern State was scheduled to compete in the Western New Mexico Mustang Intercollegaite on March 30-31 at the NMSU Golf Course, but that tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

MUSTANGS IN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS | Midwestern State makes its 15th appearance in the NCAA Division II South Central/West Super Region this week in Las Cruces. The Mustangs own eight top 10 finishes, including a runner-up showing in the 2022 super region championship played at the Pueblo (Colorado) Country Club as MSU advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships for the first time in program history. Midwestern placed 15th at the national tournament played at TPC Michigan in Dearborn. MSU narrowly missed out on a trip to nationals in 2019 when the Mustangs finished fifth overall at The Ledges Golf Club in St. George, Utah. Derek Oland remains the program's lone individual regional medalist, winning the 2014 tournament by firing scores of 72, 73, and 67 for a 4-under 212 at the Grey Rock Golf Course in Austin. Garrett Leek dropped a four-hole tiebreaker to California State-San Marcos' Matthew Pennington in 2022, despite firing scores of 74, 64, and 66 for a sensational 9-under 204 at the Pueblo Country Club. Other Top 10 individual finishers for the Mustangs included Santiago Gomez (sixth in 2013), Jake Doggett (sixth in 2021, seventh in 2022), and Jeremy LeGuen (eighth in 2011).

Midwestern State Lineup

NO. 1 BAG | Sophomore Seth Bearden earned All-Lone Star Conference first-team honors after posting an adjusted scoring average of 69.9 with a 92.3 finish percentage. The Crowell, Texas, native is ranked second in the Clippd national individual rankings. He notched six top-5 finishes including a win at the Houston Classic. Bearden is coming of a fourth-place showing at the Lone Star Conference Championships. He boasts 18 par-or-better scores this season, including 11 rounds in the 60s. Bearden fired a season-low, 6-under 66 at the DBU Fall Invitational.

NO. 2 BAG | Senior Robert Garcia posted three-stright top-10 finishes to open the spring semester. He followed a third-place finish at the Houston Classic by taking sixth at the St. Mary's Rattler Invitational and fifth in the Oak Tree Invitational. He is currently ranked 107th in the Clippd individual rankings with a 72.3 adjusted scoring average and a 68.2 finish percentage. Garcia carded par-or-better scores in six rounds this season, including two in the 60s. His fired a low round with a 5-under 67 at the Houston Classic.

NO. 3 BAG | Senior Keaton Dickens owns three top-20 individual finishes this season, including a third-place performance at the St. Mary's Rattler Invitational. The Iowa Park native is ranked 240th in the Clippd individual rankings with a 72.8 adjusted scoring average and a 64.3 finish percentage. Dickens carded par-or-better scores in eight rounds this season, including a season-low 69 at the DBU Fall Invitational.

NO. 4 BAG | Junior Gatlin Goad finished in the top 20 in four tournaments this season, including in a campaign-best ninth place at the DBU Men's Fall Classic. The Wheeler, Texas, native ranks 283rd in the Clippd individual rankings with a 73.0 adjusted scoring average and a 64.0 finish percentage. Goad marked par-or-better scores in six rounds this season, including four times in the 60s. He fired a season best, 6-under 66 at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic.

NO. 5 BAG | Junior Trevor Walsh came on strong late in the season, finishing ninth at the Lone Star Conference Championships. The Austin native is ranked 431st in the Clippd individual rankings with a 74.9 adjusted scoring average. He scored par-or-better rounds four times this season, including a campaign low, 3-under 69 at the Lone Star Conference Championships.

ALTERNATE | Senior Ethan Dean competed in four tournament this season with an adjusted scoring average of 75.0. The Kaufman, Texas, native fired a season-best, 4-under 68 in his first round of the season in the RJGA South Central Shootout at the Inn of the Mountain Gods Championship Golf Course in Mescalaro, N.M.

UP NEXT | With a top-five finish, Midwestern State advances to the NCAA Division II Championships at Orange County National Club from May 21-25 in Winter Garden, Florida.