WICHITA FALLS, Texas – No. 23-ranked Midwestern State welcomes 17 other programs to Wichita Falls Country Club for the Midwestern State Invitational. The first round of the 54-hole tournament tees off at 8:30 Monday morning with the second round to follow. The third round will be played Tuesday morning.

Midwestern State won the tournament for the fifth time in 16 years last spring, shooting 10-under par over the final nine holes to finish 5-over 857, four strokes better than Odessa College. Midland College, St. Mary's and UT Permian Basin completed the top five.

Odessa College, Midland College, St. Mary's and UTPB are all returning to compete in this year's tournament.

UT Dallas, Lubbock Christian, Dallas Baptist, Western New Mexico, Texas A&M International and Cameron of the Lone Star Conference are also competing in this year's tournament. Southern Nazarene, Washburn, Southwestern Oklahoma State, Colorado School of Mines, New Mexico Junior College, Westminster and Blinn College round out the field.

Will Tate of UTPB won the individual title last year at 6-under 207, finishing five strokes better than Chase Williams of Odessa College.

Seth Bearden shot even-par 213 for the Mustangs and finished in third place. James Perry of MSU tied with Oscar Feschuk of Western New Mexico for fourth place at 1-over 214.

Midwestern State competed in the truncated Oak Tree Invitational last week.

The tournament in Edmond, Oklahoma, was shortened to 36 holes due to frost at Oak Tree Country Club. The Mustangs finished in eighth place at 41-over 612. No. 31-ranked Bearden, Ryan Griff and Nathan Nelson finished with three other players in a tie for 28th place at 12-over 152.

Wichita Falls Country Club was the first course in North Texas to have bent-grass greens, and D.A. Weibring designed the current layout in 2008. The course features well-manicured, tree-lined, Bermuda grass fairways.

The weather forecast calls for northerly winds on Monday at 15-20 mph and a high temperature in the mid-70s under partly cloudy skies. Tuesday is expected to be mostly sunny and warmer with a high in the mid-80s, and winds coming from the south at 15 mph.
 

MIDWESTERN STATE LINEUP

1.       Seth Bearden

2.       Ryan Griff

3.       Nathan Nelson

4.       Anniston McIlwain

5.       Hank Germany

IND Chase Kisver

IND Bryce Hoech

IND Collin Moody