The Marshall Invitational this Friday and Saturday will serve as a measuring stick for the men's golf team to see where it stands in the Mid-American Conference.
Not only does a MAC school host the tournament, but every MAC team will compete in the event. The event will serve as a preview for the MAC Championships May 2-4 in Westerville, Ohio.
Head coach Mike Fleck called last weekend's Johnny Owens Invitational the most competitive meet the Cardinals had played in all spring. They finished fourth. Fleck said this weekend's competition should be event stronger, but the team isn't scared.
"I'm excited," Fleck said. "Anyone who wants to be the best has to go against the best."
The Cardinals shot their lowest team total of the spring and their second lowest of the year at the Johnny Owens. They hope to carry the momentum and confidence from that performance into Marshall.
"We've had momentum building since our first tournament," said junior Kenny Cook, who was Ball State's top finisher last weekend, tying for 13th place.
In each meet, the team's scores and placing have improved from the previous meet. Senior co-captain Nathan Vannatter said the steady improvement is cause for confidence.
"(The way we played last weekend) will give us confidence for the rest of the season," Vannatter said. "We're starting to understand where we're capable of competing at."
In order to win at Marshall, the Cardinals want to improve their consistency. Although their scores have dropped in every tournament from round to round, they would like to lower their scores in their opening round.
"Our first-round scores have been a little high," Cook said. "We need to get a feel for the course and be more conservative in our approach in the first round."
Ball State has beaten every MAC school in an event this season, except for Akron, who they haven't played. Fleck said that should help his team this weekend.
"I'd like to think we have momentum," Fleck said. "But we know this is just another event. One bad bounce can change everything."
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