The WSU men’s golf team is on the brink of doing some big things in the next few years.

The team, which is made up of predominately sophomores and freshmen have a lot of young talent, and while they have shown glimpses of success in their young careers, have a lot to prove.

Making the jump from high school to college is a big step up, and the fact that the freshmen have already proven what they are capable of is a good indicator for the future of the program.

“Jumping from junior golf to college golf is a huge change. Them being able to get extremely valuable experience early in their careers is helping them understand what it takes to make that jump. It isn’t easy. They are learning through experience and nothing beats that,” Head Coach Garrett Clegg said.

One of the rising stars for WSU is sophomore Derek Bayley. Bayley is from Rathdrum, Idaho, where he was a three-sport athlete at Lakeland High School. In high school, success came quite often for Bayley.

“I won the state championship when I was a sophomore and senior. I think having that success and hoisting a trophy at the end of the year was my biggest accomplishment,” Bayley said.

Bayley was also a member and team captain of Team Idaho at the Junior America’s Cup and 2013 Hogan Cup.

Bayley’s success really put him on the map, which led to an invitation to compete in US Amateur Qualifier in 2013. In the tournament, Bayley tied with WSU teammate, sophomore Brian Mogg.

Bayley’s success in the tournament ultimately gave him the qualifications needed to play in the Junior World Championships.

Bayley’s success in high school has translated to the college level. In his freshman year, Bayley competed in all 12 events, where he averaged a score of 72, which is the lowest average in WSU history for a freshman, according to wsucougars.com

This season, Bayley has consistently finished tournaments in the top-25 individually, and won his first tournament at the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate.

Mogg, who is from Sammamish, Washington, was successful at Skyline High School as well. As a junior, Mogg was a four-time First Team All-Kingco and led Skyline to an undefeated season his senior year.

After tying Bayley in the US Junior Amateur Qualifier, Mogg was invited to play in the 2013 Junior World Championship.

One of the biggest highlights for Mogg at WSU was scoring a 73 average at the Pacific Invitational, in a tournament in which he placed seventh. His scores in the tournament placed him for seventh-best finish for a freshman in WSU history, according to wsucougars.com

While Bayley and Mogg both have a year under their belt, the team realizes the importance of integrating the freshman to the team. College is a big transition for most people, which is why team bonding is important.

“In the fall we went to Sandpoint and we stayed in this big house and had some activities and played some golf. Going on a retreat and having some bonding exercises is important to having team chemistry,” Bayley said.

While most of the freshman have had limited time playing in tournaments, their success has not gone unnoticed.

Freshman Aaron Whalen has played consistently in his career thus far. Whalen has posted multiple top-25 finishes, including placing second in the Itani Quality Homes Collegiate.

This hot start for Whalen looks to be just the beginning. There is a lot of hype surrounding the Ephrata, Washington native as he was named the Central Washington Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2014. Whalen also came in sixth at the 2014 Junior Worlds Championships.

Whalen seems to have adjusted nicely from high school to college level golf. There is no reason to doubt that Whalen won’t keep improving his game after playing well in his limited time his freshman year.

Another freshman to watch out for is AJ Armstrong. Like Whalen, Armstrong has also had multiple top-25 finishes this season. In the Husky Invitational, Armstrong finished tied for 16th, which is tied for his best finish of the season.

Armstrong, who calls St. Alberta, Alberta home, has a similar resume as his fellow teammates. Armstrong was named 2014 St. Francis Xavier Golf Academy Male Golfer of the year and was also a member of the 2015 Team Canada Develop Squad.

These highly touted players have only made a dent of what is expected for their careers at WSU.

“I’m really impressed with their golf games, that is why we recruited them and they are proving to be really good,” Clegg said.

With the talented group of young players on the roster comes high expectations.

“I expect them to be the first WSU Men’s Golf team to qualify for the NCAA Championship Finals. Anything less than that would be surprising to me. They are extremely talented and when they graduate the golf program will be at a completely different level,” Clegg said.

While this season has been difficult at times, there is a lot to look forward to with the golf program. With the progression these young players have made so far, WSU seems to have the right pieces in place to be a real threat to teams for years to come.