But the path to success has always come from finding gems at the bottom of the order.
Two years ago, Hollenbeck was a late addition to the lineup and tied for first in the HL tourney, losing in a playoff to teammate Andrew Flynn.
“There’s definitely a ton of experience (in the lead trio). That’s the biggest thing. You can lean on their expertise,” Lash said. “And then we have a bunch of young guys that haven’t played a ton of college golf but are really talented.”
Hollenbeck had the best average in five fall events at 71.13, followed by Ochs at 71.27 and Horn at 73.2.
“They can all go off. Every one of those guys can shoot in the mid-60s,” Lash said.
Redshirt junior Ian Asch and freshman CJ Scohy led the way among the newcomers with identical 73.33 averages. But others are in the mix.
Five players tee it up at each event, and the top four scores count.
“When you have that many young guys, you’re just kind of waiting for two, three or four to have something click and they really take off. It wouldn’t surprise me if any of them did. They all showed glimpses in the fall. It’s just that consistency that’s the hard part,” Lash said.
Asked who’s caught his eye so far, Lash said: “They wouldn’t be here if they DIDN’T catch my eye. But I think sometimes I believe in them more than they believe in themselves.”
Credit: Joseph R. Craven
Credit: Joseph R. Craven
The Raiders open the season Monday and Tuesday at the Lake Jovita Invitational at Dade City, Florida.
They have six events before the HL tourney April 25-27 at its traditional home at the El Campeon course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
Since Wright State joined the league in 1994-95, only Cleveland State (2014-18) has won three titles in a row.
The Vikings have 10 overall, the Raiders nine.
“The bar is high. Every year’s a new year. You’ve got to go into it ready to grind. I mean, some of the (league) wins haven’t come easy, either. If nine holes go their way or nine for us go another way, you’ve got third or fourth,” he said.
The Raiders’ three wins under Lash have come by 11, 18 and 10 shots over three rounds. But they entered the final 18 the last two years leading by just three and four strokes.
Their loss in 2023 was by five to Purdue Fort Wayne.
“I think everybody knows how fickle golf is. You just keep working. What’s happened in the past is the past,” Lash said.
“We’ve played against some Horizon League teams this year and played them neck and neck. Some have beaten us, and we beat them some. We’ve got to keep getting better.”
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