SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Playing some of their best golf of the season, the Missouri Baptist University Men's Golf team claimed the team title at the Conference Clash Cup, hosted by Olivet Nazarene University on Friday and Saturday in Springfield, Ill.
 
Spartans' Tomas Frencia was the star of the show for MBU, finishing in second place among 29 competitors over the two-day tournament. The junior from Resistencia, Argentina fired a first round even-par 72 to share the lead with Will Dugal of Mineral Area College (Mo.). Frencia shot a 74 in the second round to finish four shots back of Dugal, who went two-under on Saturday to claim a four-shot victory. If not for a triple-bogey on the Par-3 sixteenth hole, Frencia may have been able to put a little more pressure on Dugal.
 
Fellow Spartan Luke Gardner shot a solid +1 in Round 1 on the Par-72 course at The Rail Golf Club. He faded only slightly in the second round by carding at +4(76). His +5 two-day score was good enough for fourth place, which he shared with teammate Logan Malot. Malot hit an even-par 72 in Round 1 to share the lead with Frencia and Dugal. His second round 77 dropped him three spots into the fourth-place tie.
 
Sophomore Gonzalo Pacheco Gonzalez went in reverse order from his teammates. He struggled to a first round 79(+7) with five bogeys and a double bogey to his credit. However, in Round 2 he made all the necessary adjustments to shoot even-par 72 to improve his finishing position five spots to a tie for seventh overall.
 
Sam Beggs hit a 79 in Round 1 and 76 on Saturday to finish tied for twelfth.
 
As a team, MBU easily outpaced second-place Mineral Area College (Mo.) by 15 strokes. All five of the Spartans linksters finished in the top half of the field of 29.
 
This is the first tournament championship for the men since last season's Blue Mountain Golf Classic in March 2023. Next up for the Spartans is their own MBU Invitational which will take place on Spencer T. Olin Golf Course on April 15 and 16.