BUTLER TWP - Butler County Community College barely could field a golf team a few years ago.

"We just had a hard time finding players," second-year coach Bill Miller said. "Nobody seemed to want to play."

They're playing now. And they're playing well.

The Pioneers recently polished off a 19-0 regular season and will be the favorite at the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Tournament Tuesday.

The state tournament is set for Oct. 11 and 12 at the Penn National course in Chambersburg.

BC3's success this season comes on the heels of a 22-4 campaign a year ago.

To what do the Pioneers owe for their recent upgrade on the golf course?

"Good fortune," Miller said. "Plain old good fortune."

That good fortune came in the form of four former Butler High School golfers: Justin Kerr, Justin Maskal, Travis Shingleton and Nate Bilski.

Kerr, Maskal and Shingleton were all part of Butler's WPIAL championship golf team of 2002. By coincidence, they wound up at BC3.

Kerr is averaging 79 for 18 holes this season. Maskal is shooting 83, Shingleton 84 and Bilski 86.

"I always wanted to play golf in college, but I didn't know where and I didn't know what I wanted to study," Kerr said. "Coach Miller talked to me about coming to BC3, and it turned out to be a good idea."

Kerr was one of the cogs in the Pioneers' play last season that resulted in runner-up finishes in the WPCC and state meets.

"I'm hoping to get a chance to golf for a four-year school next year," Kerr said. "If I do well in these upcoming tournaments, maybe something can happen for me.

"I'm going to apply for my teaching card in golf. I'd like to be a golf pro at a course someday."

Maskal is a 2002 Butler graduate who, like Kerr, hopes to play for a four-year school next year.

Also like Kerr, he was uncertain where to go to school, so decided to buy some time.

"I'm hoping to get into golf course management," Maskal said. "I just love being around the game.

"My mental game has gotten a lot better since I've come here. I think about where I want to put my shots a lot more. For example, instead of shooting for the pin, I may shoot for the middle of the green. It can be the difference between a double-bogey and par."

Shingleton said he wanted to save some money and work part-time before going to a four-year school.

"It's really worked out with all of us playing on the same team again," Shingleton said. "It's been enjoyable.

"Because we all work different hours, we rarely practice together as a team. Since we know each other so well, a couple of us will get together and play a round on our own here and there.

"When (former Butler teammates) John Aubrey and Jon Pratkanis are around, we'll get with them and play. They show us a lot," Shingleton added.

Bilski graduated from Butler last spring and carded an average of 43 for the Golden Tornado. He turned in a team-leading 72 for BC3 during last Wednesday's regular season finale at Lake Arthur Country Club.

"I was planning on going to Duquesne this year," Bilski said. "But I didn't receive any scholarship money and BC3 was a way I could save money.

"I'm still going to attend Duquesne at some point, but I may come back here again next year. I'm hoping to earn a spot on Duquesne's golf team, and playing well here might do that," he added.

Other players on the Pioneers golf squad this fall are Neshannock graduate Rich Schultz, Lincoln (Ellwood City) graduate Scott Mulhollen and Seneca Valley graduate Ross Caruso.

"I can't say I'm surprised at our record, not when you look at the talent on this team," Shingleton said.

The talent level doesn't mater to Miller.

"This team is a good group of young gentlemen," the coach said. "Whether we're 19-0 or 0-19, I enjoy being around them.

"They enjoy and respect the game of golf and they like being around each other. It's been a fun year."