Baek’s consistency key for youthful Desert Oasis

Desert Oasis boys golfer Soungjae Baek has been a paradigm of consistency all season.

The junior will look to continue that routine run today.

The Diamondbacks, who finished second in the Southwest League behind Bishop Gorman, will attempt to extend their strong season at the Sunset Region meet at 1 p.m. at Siena Golf Club.

“You have to have a consistent practice routine; a daily practice routine,” said Baek, who averages 76.8 strokes and rarely shoots above 78. “You have to stay focused on every hole — never let the bad shots get in your head but never get too excited with the good shots. It’s a steady mental state.”

The Sunrise Region meet begins Tuesday at Boulder City Municipal Golf Course, with both regions concluding Wednesday at Mountain Falls Golf Club in Pahrump. The top two teams and top five individuals from each region qualify for next week’s Class 4A state meet at Hidden Valley Country Club in Reno.

The courses set up nicely for Baek, who took medalist honors at the Pahrump Valley Invitational after a one-hole playoff. He also finished third in a league match Wednesday at Siena.

The junior with a strong short game finished in the top three in the past three Southwest matches.

Sophomore Niko Gonella, a state qualifier as a freshman who averages 80, adds a viable No. 2 to Desert Oasis. Junior Jay Singharath (80.7 average) brings up a team devoid of seniors.

“I love my team. When I play with Niko and Jay, we’re all a pretty similar level,” Baek said. “It helps me compete and stay focused on shooting well. Having a friendly competition within the team helps me improve. And when I see our fourth and fifth guys improve, it motivates me to work together to make this a better team.”

Despite their youth, the Diamondbacks could contend for a team berth at state.

“We’ve had high expectations for them,” Desert Oasis coach Larry Goins said. “We haven’t given them a lot of leeway, from that standpoint.

“That’s just part of athletics and coaching. If you’re satisfied with where you’re at, there’s no place else to go. I’m going to be disappointed if we’re here next week and not in Reno. There are five teams in the region that you can throw a blanket over, and one of us will get a trip to Reno. That’s what our goal is.”

Bishop Gorman, Desert Oasis, Centennial, Faith Lutheran, Arbor View all sit within about 20 strokes of each other’s average, with Palo Verde clearly a favorite to advance to the state meet after Northwest League play.

That could make Baek’s postseason experience critical for the Diamondbacks. He finished 15th at last year’s state meet at TPC Las Vegas.

“Soungjae, he’s just pretty solid in everything he does,” Goins said. “We know that he’s going to be there all the time, and they kind of lean on each other. It’s a little bit between themselves. Niko threw an 87 early in the season, and he took a little bit of abuse for that from the other ones.”

But Baek won’t let the pressure get to him; he’ll prefer to let his routine take over.

“I just have to stay focused and do the same thing,” Baek said. “It’s not like you do something different for region. Whether it’s a nine-hole match or a Junior World tournament, your goals are the same.

“You still have to keep your priorities straight.”