High 5: Recruiting class pacing IU

When a coach recruits, he'd be happy landing even one freshman who can contribute in his first season. IU men's golf coach Mike Mayer found five.\nThis season, the Hoosiers were forced to replace their top two golfers from last year, but have a solid nucleus returning in seniors Brad Marek and Scott Seibert, along with sophomore Santiago Quirarte.\nQuirarte is coming off one of the greatest freshman seasons in IU history, but with Mayer's confidence in this year's freshman class, there might be several more of those in the near future. \n"There's no question this freshman class is the most talented freshman class I've ever brought here," Mayer said. "And very truthfully, the most talented I've seen in my 16 years here at Indiana."\nIt may sound like pre-season propaganda to motivate the team, until you look at the players Mayer has added to the roster.\nFreshmen Seth Brandon, Jorge Campillo, Drew Allenspach, Eric Serch and Brandon Pike all come to IU with an attitude that Mayer appreciates.\n"Freshman bring a lot of excitement into the program," Mayer said. "They are very motivated ... hopefully we can maintain that kind of attitude with them."\nHow well they combine their motivation with their talent might determine how the team performs this fall. But after one week, things are looking good so far.\nJorge Campillo, a native of Caceras, Spain, arrived in Bloomington two weeks ago and immediately showed that jet lag had no effect upon him. In the first qualifier during this past weekend, Campillo grabbed the third qualifying spot on the team but still wasn't happy.\n"I didn't play very well, but I qualified," Campillo said. "I plan on playing better in the competition because now I am more motivated."\nCampillo has been ranked as the No. 1 amateur in Spain on six separate occasions, Mayer said, and has the talent and potential that leaves the coach ecstatic.\n"He is one of the top, if not the top, junior player(s) in Europe," Mayer said. "I can't imagine him not being in the lineup ever for us, that's how it looks right now. I think he can go win this first golf tournament, and I may have never said that about a freshman ever before."\nAllenspach was the third freshman to qualify, and will accompany Quirarte and junior Aaron Harrell to the NCAA Central Region Preview, this season's opening tournament, on today and tomorrow.\nBrandon is coming off of an individual high school state championship in the state of Tennessee and Allenspach had three top-ten finishes during the summer. On top of that, Pike comes in as an all-state player out of Huntington, Ind., and Serch brings both titles and top five finishes under his belt from Barcelona, Spain. \nWith backgrounds like that, Brandon is confident about his team's potential.\n"(Jeff Overton) and (Heath Peters) were great," Brandon said. "I just think that as good as that team was last year, I think this one has a chance to be even better."\nYet before they challenge last year's success, they need to worry about the upcoming NCAA Preview. With three freshmen in their first collegiate events, nerves are sometimes an issue. Mayer believes although the freshmen haven't played a collegiate tournament yet, they are not strangers to competitive golf.\n"They've played literally all over the world, against some of the best players in the world," Mayer said. "In that regard I don't really view them as freshmen."\nAlthough the college game is a new frontier for the players, Brandon is confident that it isn't anything this year's class can't overcome.\n"Hopefully we can stay focused early in the rounds," Brandon said. "But I think we have just as good a chance to win as anyone. And I think we are ready to win, and ready to compete"