WATERLOO, Ill. – On a day where scores throughout the course were high, the Illinois State Redbirds bucked the trend and carded a team score of 273, a MVC Championship single-round record, as the team propelled itself from third in the standings into an 11-stroke lead on the field heading into the final day of competition.
ISU's round score of 273 is the lowest score on a par-71 course in MVC Championship history, ahead of pair of 276's by the Redbirds during the 2023 MVC Championship. The 273 is tied for the lowest team score in program history, alongside a trio of 273's, most recently at the Border Olympics on February 21, 2024.
Bautista bettered his career-low score of 67 – which was set yesterday – by two following his second-round 65, and his two-round total of 132 is five strokes ahead of the next closest individual in the field. The 65 is tied for the second-lowest single-round score in MVC Championship history.
The Redbirds head into the final round with a 36-hole score of 556, 11 strokes ahead of Murray State's 567. Also chasing the Redbirds and Racers are Southern Illinois (569), Evansville (581), Drake (585), Belmont (588), Valparaiso (591), Bradley (592), and Northern Iowa (603).
Bautista's two-round score of 132 leads the field by five strokes, while TJ Barger's two-round 140 is tied for fifth. Max Faucquez' 141 is tied for seventh overall, while Sam Ottwell's 143 is tied for 10th, as Pietro Pontiggia's 148 is tied for 24th.
For the second consecutive day, Bautista got off to a fast start to the day with three birdies over his first six holes, and after two pars added a third birdie on the front nine, making the turn at four shots under par. He opened his back nine with seven consecutive pars, before he closed his round with back-to-back birdies to finish the day at -6. He is tied for the lowest par-four (3.73, -6) and par five (4.33, -4) scoring averages in the field, while his 10 birdies are the second-most in the tournament field with 18 holes to play.
TJ Barger had a birdie, two pars and a bogey over his first four holes, as he remained at even par after eight holes before he birdied the holes before and after the turn, dropping his aggregate score to -2 after 10. He followed his birdie on the 10th hole with another on the 12th and closed the tournament with five pars and a bogey to finish with a two-under 69.
With his second under-par round of the tournament, he now has 24 rounds at or under par, which is a school record, passing former Redbird legend Trent Wallace's 23. His par-three scoring average of 2.88 (-1) is tied for the second-lowest in the field and his par-four scoring is tied for the fifth-best in the field at 3.95 (-1). His eight birdies over the two rounds are tied for the fifth-most in the field.
Ottwell had two birdies and two bogeys over his front nine, making the turn at even par. He opened his back nine with four consecutive pars before his third birdie of the day on the par-five 14th hole, which was followed by a bogey, keeping him at even par through 15 holes. He closed his day by going par-par-birdie, ending the round with a one-under 70 for the day. His par-five scoring average through the first 36 holes (4.33, -4) is tied for the best in the tournament field.
Faucquez had a rough start to his day with two pars and two bogeys over his initial four holes; however, a birdie on the par-five fifth hole, which he followed with nine consecutive pars, kept the sophomore at +1 before he carded birdies on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, dropping him to -2 for the tournament, which is where he finished with his second round 69. He has the lowest par-three scoring average (2.63, -3) in the field, while his 25 pars are tied for the second-most in the tournament.
Pontiggia had a birdie on the par-five fifth hole and was three shots over par at the turn. His back nine consisted of seven pars, a bogey and a birdie – on the par-five 14th hole – with the senior ending the round with a three-over 74. He is tied for the fourth-best par four scoring average (4.50, -3) in the tournament.
The Redbirds, Salukis, and Racers tee off for the third and final round of the Championship starting at 9:20 a.m. alongside Murray State and Southern Illinois.
