Men’s Golf Readies to Defend MAC Title in Spring Slate
February 03, 2025 | Men's Golf
Ball State men's golf hoisted the Mid-American Conference championship trophy in 2024 for the first time in more than three decades, and with the spring months approaching, the Cardinals are readying for another history-making campaign.
"I think the excitement is to try to do it again," said Mike Fleck, who enters his 27th season leading the Cardinals. "We've got a group of players back that were a part of that experience last spring, and we're going to look at that group pretty heavily as we move through this competitive season. I think we're excited to potentially put ourselves in that same position."
Four veteran golfers—Kash Bellar, Ali Khan, Braxton Kuntz and Carter Smith—appeared in the lineup for Ball State's championship-winning performance last year, and they each return to Muncie for the Cardinals' title defense. Fleck underscored that the squad's direction this season will hinge on senior leadership and performance on the course, saying "when they're clicking, we're as good as any college golf team in the country."
Kuntz and Smith, who shared the No. 1 spot at different moments last season, enjoyed especially strong fall campaigns, each shooting average marks of fewer than 73 strokes. Smith shined in the White Sands Bahamas Invitational, recording a -11 performance that placed him sixth among the 74-player field.
"We've got our core four with Carter, Braxton, Ali and Kash, and those guys, we're going to lean on them pretty heavily as we move through the spring," Fleck said. "They bring a competitive vibe amongst the group. They compete against each other pretty hard, and that elevates each one of those guys."
While the Cardinals' roster is laden with experience, the red and white will also flash its influx of youthful talent in the spring. Ball State welcomed two freshmen, Gavin Hare and Happy Gilmore, to the team this year, and each of them fired strong marks in the fall half of the season.
Hare finished third on the team in average stroke count in the fall (72.53), while Gilmore averaged just more than 73 shots in his 15 rounds of play. Both first-year Cardinals are likely to see the lineup early in the season, according to Fleck.
"Both of those guys gained valuable experience in the fall," Fleck said. "Both of them played well at times, and obviously we're excited about the future of both of those guys. They're going to get some early-season looks."
Fleck highlighted the depth on this year's roster and the flexibility that the talent up and down the squad provides in crafting lineups. He anticipates strong contributions from his upperclassmen core, but adjustments are likely to come over the course of the spring slate.
"My goal is always, as we go into April, that our core group is kind of set," Fleck said. "But, I can't say with certainty that our five are going to be set from start to finish. There's going to be a little bit of ebbs and flows with performance, and guys are going to get some opportunities. Guys are going to have to continue to earn their place."
The Cardinals are set to open their 2025 spring season in the Sunshine State, as they will host The Match Play—a dual, head-to-head bracketed event featuring eight teams—that will run from Feb. 10 through Feb. 11. Ball State will carry into its first spring event momentum it earned in its final fall tournament, in which the Cardinals set a new program record (-26).
"I think it was super important," Fleck said. "Whatever you do in your last fall event is what you carry into the off season. The taste that was in our mouths after the Bahamas was that we competed at a high level."
Above all, as the Cardinals aim to earn another high postseason placement, Fleck expressed the value in his squad's late fall run in adjusting to heightened expectations.
"At the beginning of the fall, it was a little bit of the concept of just handling those expectations, understanding what we've done in the past and what we're wanting to do—just trying to match that up," Fleck said. "We finally got over that hump, and with the Bahamas event, we showed what we're capable of doing."
"I think the excitement is to try to do it again," said Mike Fleck, who enters his 27th season leading the Cardinals. "We've got a group of players back that were a part of that experience last spring, and we're going to look at that group pretty heavily as we move through this competitive season. I think we're excited to potentially put ourselves in that same position."
Four veteran golfers—Kash Bellar, Ali Khan, Braxton Kuntz and Carter Smith—appeared in the lineup for Ball State's championship-winning performance last year, and they each return to Muncie for the Cardinals' title defense. Fleck underscored that the squad's direction this season will hinge on senior leadership and performance on the course, saying "when they're clicking, we're as good as any college golf team in the country."
Kuntz and Smith, who shared the No. 1 spot at different moments last season, enjoyed especially strong fall campaigns, each shooting average marks of fewer than 73 strokes. Smith shined in the White Sands Bahamas Invitational, recording a -11 performance that placed him sixth among the 74-player field.
"We've got our core four with Carter, Braxton, Ali and Kash, and those guys, we're going to lean on them pretty heavily as we move through the spring," Fleck said. "They bring a competitive vibe amongst the group. They compete against each other pretty hard, and that elevates each one of those guys."
While the Cardinals' roster is laden with experience, the red and white will also flash its influx of youthful talent in the spring. Ball State welcomed two freshmen, Gavin Hare and Happy Gilmore, to the team this year, and each of them fired strong marks in the fall half of the season.
Hare finished third on the team in average stroke count in the fall (72.53), while Gilmore averaged just more than 73 shots in his 15 rounds of play. Both first-year Cardinals are likely to see the lineup early in the season, according to Fleck.
"Both of those guys gained valuable experience in the fall," Fleck said. "Both of them played well at times, and obviously we're excited about the future of both of those guys. They're going to get some early-season looks."
Fleck highlighted the depth on this year's roster and the flexibility that the talent up and down the squad provides in crafting lineups. He anticipates strong contributions from his upperclassmen core, but adjustments are likely to come over the course of the spring slate.
"My goal is always, as we go into April, that our core group is kind of set," Fleck said. "But, I can't say with certainty that our five are going to be set from start to finish. There's going to be a little bit of ebbs and flows with performance, and guys are going to get some opportunities. Guys are going to have to continue to earn their place."
The Cardinals are set to open their 2025 spring season in the Sunshine State, as they will host The Match Play—a dual, head-to-head bracketed event featuring eight teams—that will run from Feb. 10 through Feb. 11. Ball State will carry into its first spring event momentum it earned in its final fall tournament, in which the Cardinals set a new program record (-26).
"I think it was super important," Fleck said. "Whatever you do in your last fall event is what you carry into the off season. The taste that was in our mouths after the Bahamas was that we competed at a high level."
Above all, as the Cardinals aim to earn another high postseason placement, Fleck expressed the value in his squad's late fall run in adjusting to heightened expectations.
"At the beginning of the fall, it was a little bit of the concept of just handling those expectations, understanding what we've done in the past and what we're wanting to do—just trying to match that up," Fleck said. "We finally got over that hump, and with the Bahamas event, we showed what we're capable of doing."
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