WEST POINT, Miss. – Midwestern State begins the 2025-26 season at the Samuel T. Dunning Invitational hosted by Delta State.
The Mustangs, who won the tournament last year, will be one of 13 schools in the field at the 54-hole tournament at Mossy Oak Golf Club on Monday and Tuesday.
Midwestern State is ranked No. 25 in the nation and is one of two ranked programs in the field. No. 5-ranked Lee is also competing this week and will also have a "B" team participating in the event.
Seth Bearden, Nathan Nelson, Bryce Hoech, Anniston McIlwain and Hank Germany will be the five golfers playing for Midwestern State, while Ryan Griff will compete as an individual medalist.
Bearden is a two-time PING/GCAA All American and notched five top-3 finishes last year, including a win at the Samuel T. Dunning Invitational. The senior from Crowell, Texas, matched the lowest 54-hole total in program history with a 15-under 201, equaling Jake Doggett's 15-under total of 198 at the 2021 Midwestern State Invitational at Wichita Falls Country Club.
Bearden carded 19 birdies en route to the victory last year.
Hoech played as an individual medalist at the tournament last year and finished 52nd at 15-over 231.
Griff made his college debut at the Samuel T. Dunning Invitational, recording his first par-or-better score and finished tied for 29th with an 8-over 224.
After last year's victory, head coach Jeff Ray said it "was a great start to the season and a great golf course to play on."
Mossy Oak Golf Club, located in the Mississippi Black Belt Prairie, is a 7,212-yard, par 72 course and was designed by Gil Hanse, who also designed Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in 2023.
The forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 90's with southerly winds at 5-10 mph for both days.
The next event on the schedule for the Mustangs is the NCAA II National Preview in Boulder City, Nevada, at Boulder Creek Golf Club.
