BORREGO SPRINGS - The final round in the desert was the best one of the lot for the Chico State men's golf squad as they faced off against a long list of solid opposition at Rams Hills Golf Course. Dakota Ochoa and NaokiEasterday both recorded impressive final rounds that boosted the Wildcats into a fifth-place finish, starting the spring season off with two consecutive solid results. 

The Wildcats rounded out the tournament with a team score of 885, tying with fellow west region teams Hawaii-Hilo, Cal State San Marcos, and Cal State Monterey Bay. 

Dakota Ochoa showcased a consistent stretch of rounds, finishing up at even par throughout the 54-hole competition. Ochoa carded a 1-under 71 on the final day with a relatively quiet day on the scorecard, tallying two birdies and only a single bogey. 

He recorded an even-par 216, settling him in ninth place on the leaderboard and earning him his first top-ten finish of the season. The impressive result sending him into the season with momentum.

Finishing in a T21 spot in the desert, Travis Miller's strong tournament gave his squad a hefty boost in the team leaderboards with a four-over 220. He concluded CSUSB's tournament as the leader in par five scoring, shooting a combined 9-under, carding all three of his final round birdies on par fives.

Naoki Easterday was the other Wildcat to finish 1-under, carding a 71 with a tournament total of 9-over 225. His final round started with two early birdies on the second and third holes, with one more on the 13th. 

Easterday concluded the tournament with one of the highest par totals with a massive 38 through fifty-four holes—ending the tournament in 37th.

A 46th place finish for Tyler Ashman, his final round was a positive ending in the desert, carding a 10-over 266. Ashman was one of the leaders in the tournament for par three, scoring and carding 36 pars. 

Ben Mouser carded a 15-over 231 in the desert, finishing in a tie for 60th.

Hailing from the East Coast, Florida Southern took the team title during the Battle in the Desert, carding a 3-over 867, a six-stroke advantage ahead of Georgia Southwestern in second place.

The Wildcats will travel to Alameda for the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout hosted by Cal State East Bay from March 11th through March 12th; the Wildcats are still searching for their first spring tournament win.