STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – [BRACKET | SCHEDULE] - The 2024 NAIA Men's Bowling National Championship, held at 5 Star Lanes, began on Thursday with Baker Play and Round 1 of Bracket Play. The 12 participating teams tossed a total of 24 rounds to start the day, which determined seeding for the future rounds. The 4th Annual NAIA Men's Bowling National Championship runs from March 21st to 23rd and is hosted by Lawrence Tech and the Detroit Sports Commission. 

Click HERE to see the full schedule and results page.

Baker Play Highlights

• The Lawrence Tech (Mich.) Blue Devils took the lead with a total score of 5,003 pins. Their performance across six Baker sets was consistent, with scores ranging from 784 to 931 in individual sets.
• The Knights of Marian (Ind.) followed closely in second place with a score of 4,953 pins, just 50 pins behind the leaders. They maintained a strong performance throughout the sets, with scores ranging from 782 to 888.
• St. Xavier's (Ill.) Cougars secured the third position with a score of 4,847 pins, with sets ranging from 713 to 882. 
• The Warriors of Indiana Tech finished in fourth place, recording scores of 779 to 831, and ending with a score of 4,843 pins.
• The University of Pikeville (Ky.) claimed fifth place with a total score of 4,808 pins; They showed strong performances in some sets, with scores ranging from 714 to 902.
• Tennessee Wesleyan came in sixth with a score of 4,792 pins and posted set scores from 755 to 878. 
• SCAD Savannah (Ga.) and St. Francis (Ill.) tied for the seventh position with 4,781 pins each. The tie was broken for seeding based off the team who had the highest pin total for the last 12 Baker games. 
• Concordia (Mich.) landed in ninth place with a score of 4,724 pins in their first appearance at the championships.
• The Broncos of Hastings (Neb.) secured the tenth spot with a score of 4,715 pins.
• Milligan finished in eleventh place with a total score of 4,702 pins as the Buffaloes bowled at the Final Site for the first time in program history. 
• Grand View (Iowa), the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament champions, rounded out the rankings in twelfth place with a score of 4,075 pins.
• The seeding process uses six Baker sets to determine the brackets.
• LTU, Marian, SXU, and Indiana Tech received a Round 1 bye and did not bowl again Thursday.

Round One Highlights

• St. Francis (Ill.) won four straight games to beat the No. 9 Cardinals, advancing to face the top seed Lawrence Tech (Mich.) by a 4.5 to 1.5 count due to the teams tying in the second set.
• After losing the first game, Pikeville (Ky.) rattled off four straight wins to defeated No. 12 Grand View (Iowa). The Bears will face No. 4 Indiana Tech in the next round. 
• 11th seeded Milligan (Tenn.) upset No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan 4-0 on straight sets, setting up a match with No. 3 St. Xavier (Ill.).
• SCAD Savannah (Ga.), the seventh seed, handled business against Hastings 4-2. The Bees will move on to face No. 2 Marian (Ind.).
• Concordia (Mich.), Grand View, Hastings, and Tennessee Wesleyan drop to the elimination bracket. 

For additional information on the 2024 NAIA Men's Bowling National Championship, click HERE.