SONOMA, Calif. – The pressure was on for Naoki Easterday heading into the final round at the top of the leaderboard, and he managed to handle the challenge well enough to finish at the top of the SSU Spring Invite. The Cal State Monterey Bay Otters took home the team title, while stealing the individual title after winning the playoff hole against Easterday. A commendable effort from the Wildcats, and they are still building a case for their presence to be seen at the West Regional in May.

With a final round of 71 (-1), Easterday rounded out his week with a 211 (-5), one of only three competitors to survive under par. This is Easterday's best finish of the year on one of the most challenging courses this season. The junior from Portland has seen incredible success during the spring section, extending his streak of top-five finishes to three in a row. 

Collectively, the 'Cats finished in fourth place at Sonoma's springtime outing, with a 31-over team score and as the third-best CCAA team in the tournament. Teams struggled to find a groove throughout the event, with the champion Otters of CSUMB finishing at 18-over par. Only a single team across all three rounds finished favorably, with Simon Fraser scoring even-par in the final round. 

Ben Mouser battled through the challenging course conditions to finish in 19th after carding a 224 across three rounds. 

Travis Miller recorded a 228 (+12) in Sonoma, finishing in 29th place. Teammate Alex LemMon carded a 236 (+20) and ended his week in 49th. Cooper Hambrick concluded the SSU Spring Invite in 87th. 

The Wildcats will have a short break before taking a trip to Goodyear, Arizona, for the RJGA at the Palm Valley Golf Course on April 7th. The Wildcats are still chasing their first team win this season, with three more tournaments remaining this spring.