Towson men's golf program has enjoyed periodic success during its 52-year history but the Tigers' 2003-04 team stands out because collectively that group overachieved, taking down some of the college game's heavy hitters in the process.

"That was a serious team," says the squad's now retired coach, Brian Yaniger who, during his 21-year Tiger coaching career, was a five-time conference coach of the year, recognized as Towson's male coach of the year twice and named the Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. "From one through our sixth player I thought we could compete pretty much with anyone, not that we could beat anybody in the country but we certainly wouldn't be embarrassed if we wound up playing Alabama, Georgia or Florida."

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Billy Wingerd, Jeff Castle, Alex Brueggemann, Mike Larkin Josh Spreng, and Chris Baloga were the mainstays, comprising a group Yaniger showers with praise.  Their average scoring numbers in succession that year were 72.9, 74.3, 74.6, 74.8 and 74.9.

"It was clearly the most talented team I ever had," the coach said. "No disrespect to my other teams but the talent on this team was incredible and it was good enough to go to nationals. The fact they stayed at Towson when they could have gone to a lot of different schools, and they believed in what we were doing, made up for the fact that we had only one scholarship while we were constantly competing against fully funded opponents."

Historically, Towson has always been able to keep up with the opponents in its own herd. In the late 70's the Tigers closed out their Division II era with two Mason-Dixon Conference titles. In 1983 they earned their first league championship as a Division I program by taking the East Coast Conference championship. In the mid-90's Towson upset seven-time defending champion Hartford by one stroke to claim a North Atlantic Conference title to go along with two ECAC trophies.

As the decade moved on the Tigers dominated the America East Conference. They captured three titles with the third, in 2000, led by Greg Cote's medalist finish, resulting in a game changer.

"It wasn't until 2000 that the NCAA started awarding automatic bids to conference champions," Yaniger recalled. "All those conference championships we won prior to that just got us a trophy."

So in 2000 the Tigers earn their first NCAA Division I post-season berth in men's golf courtesy of the America East. In 2004 Towson makes its second trip to the NCAA's despite the team's third place finish in the Colonial Athletic Association's Tournament. The Tigers receive an at-large bid based upon their number four ranking in District 2. The NCAA recognized the Tigers for winning a program best four regular season tournaments – The Rutherford, the JMU Invitational, the Navy Fall Classic and the ECAC Southern Regional.

Towson's top finish in The Rutherford marked Penn State's first loss in its signature home event for the 10-time defending Nittany Lions who were ranked second in the region. Castle's program record round of 63 (-8) headlined the JMU Invitational. Larkin, now in his fourth year as Towson's coach, led the way at Navy where a then school record team second round 281 powered the Tigers to the front of the 20-team field.
"The way allocations were made each district had an area," said Yaniger. "The Middle Atlantic had four spots. We got in because we were ranked in the top four which at that time was District 2 that geographically covered from Long Island, N.Y. down through much of Virginia."

The Tigers joined Maryland, Penn State and Georgetown at the Yale Golf Course for the regional, finishing fourth. But the Tigers had made a statement. They didn't need an automatic bid to punch a ticket in the sport's Big Dance. They could get there on their own, as the Tigers did again in 2005 with a second at-large berth.

Both Wingerd and Castle left indelible marks on Towson's program. Wingerd was the CAA medalist in 2004, becoming the first Tiger to win that title. Brueggemann was Towson's first CAA Rookie of the Year and along with Wingerd, earned All-CAA first team honors. Castle was a second teamer but would go on the next year to be named Co-CAA Player of the Year with Wingerd. Larkin joined them on the honors list as the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men's golf, earning the award twice: in 2004 and 2005. Castle picked up his second Player of the Year award in 2006, becoming one of just five CAA golfers ever to achieve the honor twice.

Statistically speaking the 2003-04 players remain among the highest in the program's history. Wingerd and Castle continue to rank first (73.00) and second (73.16) respectively on the career average list (at least 80 rounds played). They're joined in the top 10 by Larkin (5^th – 75.05), Brueggemann (8^th – 75.52) and Baloga (9^th – 75.60). Wingerd and Castle became only the second and third golfers to be selected for Towson's Athletics Hall of Fame. They were the only two Tigers named to the CAA's Silver Anniversary Golf Team. Each was also selected Towson's Athlete of the Year as seniors.

Three of the players went on to become college golf coaches. Baloga is nearby at Loyola where he is in his 11^th year directing the Greyhounds' program. Larkin is in his 4^th year at Towson. Castle was a Tiger assistant for seven years, although Yaniger quipped, "In truth, I was his assistant."