The Musketeers tied Ball State in the tournament in Dade City, Fla.

By Will Pembroke, Debate & Discussion/Inside Xavier Sports Show Manager

Xavier Golf returned to competitive play Feb. 7th and 8th for the first time in the new year. The team placed eighth overall in the two-day Earl Yestingsmeier Match Play Tournament hosted by Ball State University, which was held at Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club in Dade City, Fla. 

The match play tournament saw Xavier go up against Eastern Michigan University, Ball State and Big East rival DePaul University.

Round one against Eastern Michigan did not go as planned for the Musketeers, losing five of six matches to the eventual champion Eagles. The lone match winner for Xavier, junior Brian Jennings, ended things on the 17th hole. Jennings played an impressive round in which he never trailed his opponent, Blaise Vanitvelt.

The second round saw more things go Xavier’s way, with the Musketeers finishing in a three-to-three tie against the Ball State Cardinals. 

Jennings once again ended as the only outright match winner for Xavier, finishing off Ball State’s Colin Nasser on the 17th hole. Freshman Mason Witt and senior Michael Prebles ended their matches in a tie against Ball State’s Griffin Hare and Ali Khan, respectively.

The final round of the tournament ended in a 4-2 Xavier defeat at the hands of conference foe DePaul. On the bright side, the Musketeers ended up with their first multi-win finish of the spring season. 

Freshman Justin Gabbard and senior Nick Frey both won their matches on the 17th hole, winning against DePaul’s Alex Vekich and Conor Glennon, respectively.

For Xavier Men’s Golf, the spring season picks up again when the team travels to Saint Simons Island, Ga., for the Sea Palms Invitational from March 3-5.