Michigan State University Athletics
2018-19 Another Solid Year for Spartan Men’s Golf
5/29/2019 10:44:00 AM | Men's Golf
EAST LANSING -- A tournament win, a top-three showing at the Big Ten Championships and a program-record fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid helped the Michigan State men's golf team to one of its best seasons in the last decade in 2018-19. The Spartans also helped re-write the record book, producing some of the best team and individual scores and averages in the history of the program.
"I think there is a lot of pride in having another solid year," head coach Casey Lubahn said. "It was a year where the guys really battled from a rough fall and played some great golf in the spring. We were ranked in the top 40 in the country in the spring only, which is good for a team in a northern climate that played hard under adverse conditions against a very tough schedule.
"It was a special group. You're so much in the middle of everything during the year and you look back at the end of it and say, 'wow, we got a lot done.'"
Following a busy fall which saw the Spartans play six tournaments, MSU started the spring by winning the Colleton River Collegiate, giving the Spartans a boost and setting the tone for the remainder of the season.
"It's hard to win in college golf," Lubahn said. "You have to beat 12-15 teams and you have to put it together for 54 holes. We won when our backs were absolutely against the wall – we were 10 spots out (of the NCAA Tournament) for an at-large bid. We won and moved ourselves inside the number."
The tournament win extended the Spartans' and Lubahn's streak of capturing at least one title over each of the last eight seasons.
"I've always taken pride in wins; winning shows that when you have your stuff, you can handle it," Lubahn said. "Each of the last eight years, we've had a team that when it got in contention, it showed they could handle it."
One of the big reasons for the Spartans' season-turning victory at the Colleton River Collegiate was senior Donnie Trosper, who claimed medalist honors at the tournament. Trosper, who transferred to MSU for his final season, proved to be one of the top players in the Big Ten all season. The first-team all-league selection set school records for both single-season average (71.37) and 54-hole tournament score (201).
Trosper ended the year with the best finish by a Spartan at the Big Ten Championships (fourth) since 2008, and the best finish by an MSU player at the NCAA Tournament (seventh) since 1993.
"Donnie had arguably one of the best years in program history, certainly in terms of scoring average," Lubahn said. "He was explosive and embraced his opportunity as a transfer. He got to come home (to Michigan) and he has a lot of pride in where he plays. Toward the end of the year, he was the best player that not just myself – but a lot of coaches – saw on the course. If he had putted a little better on the last day of the Big Ten Championships, he could have won. He had a solid regional and was just a huge boost for our program all year."
Trosper wasn't the lone Spartan etching his name in the record book as sophomore James Piot built off his conference rookie of the year season by recoding the second-lowest single-season scoring average in program history at 71.49.
Piot, a native of Canton, finished in the top six in three of the Spartans' seven spring tournaments. In being voted to the All-Big Ten first team, it marked the first time in 11 seasons MSU had two players on the all-conference first team. Along with Trosper, Piot was also named to the PING All-Midwest Region team.
"James has been a rock since he got here as a freshman," Lubahn said. "He was the third-ranked player in the conference after the Big Ten Championships. The future is super bright for him."
Joining Trosper and Piot as the only other Spartan to have played every round of every tournament was freshman Troy Taylor II, who finished with the third-best average on the team (73.57).
"Troy had one of the best freshman seasons we've had around here," Lubahn said. "It was a stacked conference in terms of freshmen and he was in the top three or four. He played really well the last couple weeks of the year, which is a good sign of progress from the fall to the end of the season."
Junior Andrew Walker, who will enter next season as the Spartans' active leader in rounds played, posted his best-career average as well this past season.
"Andrew kind of took a step forward the last few weeks of the year," Lubahn said. "He had a good regional and was solid on the last day of the Big Ten Championships. He's going to be huge for us next year."
In a season where individual records were set, the Spartans also put up the lowest 18 (272) and 54-hole (828) team scores in program history at the NCAA Pullman Regional.
The strong finish to the season gives the Spartans some positive momentum heading into the offseason and next fall. Like all teams, the Spartans will have some holes to fill in the lineup with new faces.
"We have some big losses to replace in Donnie and with Kaleb Johnson turning pro after his junior year," Lubhan said. "But (incoming freshmen) Bradley Smithson and Pierce Morrissey are good players. They're working hard, they're excited; I think they follow the team as closely as anybody because they know what the expectations are of them when they get here in the fall."
With the accomplishments of 2018-19 still top of mind and next season soon on the horizon, Lubahn reflects on the great support of the Spartan golf program that continues to thrive.
"I think eight years in you start to think about the work you did eight years ago and the donors and supporters who stepped up and built this great facility and continue to fund our day-to-day activities with their generosity; that's who I'm thinking about," the coach said. "I know our guys feel the same way, they know the opportunities they have – they play at a big-time program and they cherish it. Every year when you get to this point, you can't thank enough people for what they do for us."
"I think there is a lot of pride in having another solid year," head coach Casey Lubahn said. "It was a year where the guys really battled from a rough fall and played some great golf in the spring. We were ranked in the top 40 in the country in the spring only, which is good for a team in a northern climate that played hard under adverse conditions against a very tough schedule.
"It was a special group. You're so much in the middle of everything during the year and you look back at the end of it and say, 'wow, we got a lot done.'"
Following a busy fall which saw the Spartans play six tournaments, MSU started the spring by winning the Colleton River Collegiate, giving the Spartans a boost and setting the tone for the remainder of the season.
"It's hard to win in college golf," Lubahn said. "You have to beat 12-15 teams and you have to put it together for 54 holes. We won when our backs were absolutely against the wall – we were 10 spots out (of the NCAA Tournament) for an at-large bid. We won and moved ourselves inside the number."
The tournament win extended the Spartans' and Lubahn's streak of capturing at least one title over each of the last eight seasons.
"I've always taken pride in wins; winning shows that when you have your stuff, you can handle it," Lubahn said. "Each of the last eight years, we've had a team that when it got in contention, it showed they could handle it."
One of the big reasons for the Spartans' season-turning victory at the Colleton River Collegiate was senior Donnie Trosper, who claimed medalist honors at the tournament. Trosper, who transferred to MSU for his final season, proved to be one of the top players in the Big Ten all season. The first-team all-league selection set school records for both single-season average (71.37) and 54-hole tournament score (201).
Trosper ended the year with the best finish by a Spartan at the Big Ten Championships (fourth) since 2008, and the best finish by an MSU player at the NCAA Tournament (seventh) since 1993.
"Donnie had arguably one of the best years in program history, certainly in terms of scoring average," Lubahn said. "He was explosive and embraced his opportunity as a transfer. He got to come home (to Michigan) and he has a lot of pride in where he plays. Toward the end of the year, he was the best player that not just myself – but a lot of coaches – saw on the course. If he had putted a little better on the last day of the Big Ten Championships, he could have won. He had a solid regional and was just a huge boost for our program all year."
Trosper wasn't the lone Spartan etching his name in the record book as sophomore James Piot built off his conference rookie of the year season by recoding the second-lowest single-season scoring average in program history at 71.49.
Piot, a native of Canton, finished in the top six in three of the Spartans' seven spring tournaments. In being voted to the All-Big Ten first team, it marked the first time in 11 seasons MSU had two players on the all-conference first team. Along with Trosper, Piot was also named to the PING All-Midwest Region team.
"James has been a rock since he got here as a freshman," Lubahn said. "He was the third-ranked player in the conference after the Big Ten Championships. The future is super bright for him."
Joining Trosper and Piot as the only other Spartan to have played every round of every tournament was freshman Troy Taylor II, who finished with the third-best average on the team (73.57).
"Troy had one of the best freshman seasons we've had around here," Lubahn said. "It was a stacked conference in terms of freshmen and he was in the top three or four. He played really well the last couple weeks of the year, which is a good sign of progress from the fall to the end of the season."
Junior Andrew Walker, who will enter next season as the Spartans' active leader in rounds played, posted his best-career average as well this past season.
"Andrew kind of took a step forward the last few weeks of the year," Lubahn said. "He had a good regional and was solid on the last day of the Big Ten Championships. He's going to be huge for us next year."
In a season where individual records were set, the Spartans also put up the lowest 18 (272) and 54-hole (828) team scores in program history at the NCAA Pullman Regional.
The strong finish to the season gives the Spartans some positive momentum heading into the offseason and next fall. Like all teams, the Spartans will have some holes to fill in the lineup with new faces.
"We have some big losses to replace in Donnie and with Kaleb Johnson turning pro after his junior year," Lubhan said. "But (incoming freshmen) Bradley Smithson and Pierce Morrissey are good players. They're working hard, they're excited; I think they follow the team as closely as anybody because they know what the expectations are of them when they get here in the fall."
With the accomplishments of 2018-19 still top of mind and next season soon on the horizon, Lubahn reflects on the great support of the Spartan golf program that continues to thrive.
"I think eight years in you start to think about the work you did eight years ago and the donors and supporters who stepped up and built this great facility and continue to fund our day-to-day activities with their generosity; that's who I'm thinking about," the coach said. "I know our guys feel the same way, they know the opportunities they have – they play at a big-time program and they cherish it. Every year when you get to this point, you can't thank enough people for what they do for us."
Players Mentioned
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