AWENDAW, S.C. -- Augusta State posted a 3-under 281 Sunday afternoon in the first round of the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate at the par-71, 7,298-yard Bulls Bay Golf Club layout just outside of Charleston.

The sixth-ranked Jaguars, who captured the 2009 Hootie title, are just a stroke off the pace and part of a three-way tie for second, one shot back of Wake Forest.

In a 15-team field that includes three top-10 and seven top-20 teams, the Jags are tied with No. 11 Auburn and No. 12 LSU. Seventh-ranked Texas A&M is a shot back in fifth place at 2-under 282.

Jaguar freshman Alex Wennstam matched his low round of the season with a two-under 69 that featured five birdies. Senior Henrik Norlander birdied his final two holes for a 1-under 70 and junior Patrick Reed posted three birdies and eagle for a 1-under 70. Seniors Mitch Krywulycz and Carter Newman had a pair of 1-over 72's.

Wennstam is tied for seventh, two shots off the lead, while Norlander and Reed are three strokes back in a tie for 10th and Krywulycz and Newman are tied for 32nd.

Wake's Lee Bedford, Blayne Barber of Auburn and North Carolina State's Michael Sutton are tied for the individual lead at 4-under 67.

The Jags will be paired with Wake Forest and Auburn in Monday's second round. Newman is first out for ASU off the No. 1 tee at 10:40 a.m., followed by Krywulycz at 10:50, Norlander at 11:00 and Reed at 11:10, with Wennstam anchoring the lineup at 11:20.

The three-day, 54-hole event wraps up with Tuesday's third and final round. Complete, full-field results from Sunday's first round, as well as Monday's tee times, are available at www.golfstat.com.