OMAHA, Neb. – The 2023-2024 College of Saint Mary golf team is larger and deeper than ever before.

"We have the largest roster in CSM history with several talented golfers shooting within mere strokes of each other," CSM Coach Keri Rodriguez said. "We have a lot of depth on our team which should help us compete well within the GPAC."

That has Coach Rodriguez excited about the upcoming season.

The Flames return four golfers who all played in the Top 5 at some point last year. Those golfers include Emily Faubel, Gabby Sinnett, Alexa Piecko and Anna Moore. Both Faubel and Sinnett were named to the All-GPAC Honorable Mention squad last season.

College of Saint Mary had a strong season in 2022-2023 and finished sixth in the GPAC standings last year. But gone from that team are Torrance Loudner and Tori Suto. Loudner had CSM's best score in the GPAC Championships last season with a 14th place individual finish. And Suto had All-GPAC honors during her time with the Flames.

Rodriguez is hoping a talented freshmen class will help fill those shoes.

"Half of our golfers are freshmen," she said. "With that comes nerves and a lack of experience. But most of them are used to playing in high competition events, so I'm hopeful they can pick up quickly and shoot some low scores."

Rodriguez, who is CSM's longest tenured head coach, is excited about what she's seen from her squad so far this year in practices. This is her 13^th year as head coach for the Flames.

"Our team is already starting to bond and we are just a few practices in," she said. "A team can have all the talent in the world, but if the team doesn't form a connection it won't matter. The drama can overtake the success of the team. So we're hoping to continue building on that."

Rodriguez has high hopes for the Flames this season.

"I would like to see us continue to climb up the GPAC ranks," she said. "The middle of the pack isn't good enough. With the talent we have on this team we can do better. I would like to see a Top 5 finish or higher in the GPAC. I would also like to see some tournament wins and more hardware for individual medalists."

The Flames kick off the new campaign Thursday and Friday when they play in the Mount Marty Golf Invitational at Fox Run Golf Course in Yankton, S.D.