Coming off of a season where four first-year players contributed to a third consecutive MVC Championship and NCAA Regional birth, youth will be the theme once again for the Shocks as they prepare for the 2010-2011 season.  This year's roster will feature only one senior, no juniors, three sophomores, and four freshmen.  This young group kicks off the new year Monday at the Sam Hall Intercollegiate, hosted by Southern Mississippi.   

"We were incredibly young last year," Head Coach Grier Jones remarked.  "And we'll be just as young, if not more so this year.   However, we have three sophomores who were thrown into the fire last year and gained some incredible experience."

The sophomores Jones speaks of are Rafael Becker, Tyler Gann, and Hunter Sparks.  Each played in at least 11 of 13 events last season and were on the cusp of securing a spot in the NCAA Championship.  Entering the final round of NCAA Regionals last May, the team found themselves in fourth place with five teams advancing.  Unfortunately, the Shocks faltered the final round and finished in ninth place.

"Overall, they played well at times and learned a lot about what it takes to consistently compete at a high level," Jones said.  "We were so close to making it out of (NCAA) Regionals, and I think our lack of experience showed during the last round.  That day really opened their eyes, though.  You can tell that each of those guys has come back to school with some purpose this fall."

The experience gained that week proved to be valuable over the course of the summer.  Sparks, selected to the Missouri Valley All-Conference team, earned medalist honors at the Kansas Amateur while Becker won the Amateur Golf Championship of Brazil this past July.  Gann, who made it to the semifinals of the Cotton States Amateur in June, understands how important their role is in getting the freshmen acclimated to life as a student-athlete.

"Rafa, Hunter, and myself are really excited about this coming year," Gann said.  "We have a group of guys that really enjoy the game and the three of us gained a lot of experience last year.  We know what the freshmen are going through and hope to make their transition to college as easy as possible."

Their eagerness to lead will be much needed in the wake of Dustin Garza completing his final year of eligibility last season.  Garza is arguably the greatest player in Shocker history, winning thirteen times while being named a Second Team All-American his junior year and First Team All-American his senior year. 

"Do I expect someone to step up and fill Dustin's shoes immediately?  Absolutely not," Jones said.  "That's not fair to the guys we have coming back.  However, I do think there are some people on this team who, over time, can become comfortable with that role and lead with their play.  Although we're young, we have some talent and there's a willingness to listen.  As long as the time is put in when no one's watching, then we'll be competitive down the road."