NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head men's golf coach Ray Kralis has added Cal State Dominguez Hills golfer Francis Bautista as a transfer starting in the 2024-25 season.
"Francis is a proven winner with a number of top finishes showing he has the game to compete week-to-week," said Kralis. "He can take advantage of holes with his club speed and should have plenty of opportunities to score low. The additional competition he brings to the squad will only make us stronger and bring our team goals closer within reach. While we lost three players who played major roles in our recent success, our vision is to continue elevating Redbird Golf, and Francis is going to help us do that."
A native of Tujunga, California, Bautista played the last two seasons at NCAA Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills. Last season he averaged 72.4 strokes per round in 29 total rounds, and individually qualified for the NCAA Division II Regionals. He had four rounds under 70 during the year, including a season-low 67 at the 2023 HPU Sharks Shootout on October 24.
The 2024 PING All-Region honoree was the individual medalist at the HPU Sharks Shootout, shooting a three-round score of 207 with rounds of 68, 72, and 67. He had seven top-25 finishes in 10 total events. He had an individual ranking of 130 by the college golf scoreboard.
As a freshman he had a scoring average of 75.8, with two rounds under 70, and a season-low of 68 at the Southwest Air HPU Shark Shootout. He had a trio of top-25 finishes, with his season-best coming in his collegiate opener at the SMU Bishop Men's Invitational where he tied for 18th with a two-round 146.
The Redbirds are coming off a historic season in which the team set a new program record for season scoring average at 285.2, while individuals on the squad combined for 96 rounds at or under par, 11 more than the previous school record.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
