Men’s Bowling Ranked First in RPI after Season-Opening Tournament

WICHITA, Kan. - Following a third-place finish at its first tournament of the season, Baker men's bowling earned the top spot in the NAIA's first RPI rankings of 2025-26 that were released on Friday morning.

The Wildcats placed third on the men's side at the Mid-States Championships in Wichita, Kan., this past weekend, posting their highest finish at a Tier 1 competition. They bowled a combined 5864 to finish third during the qualifying rounds and made it to the second round of Sunday's match play before bowing out of the tournament.

Newcomer Ryan Julian bowled a 217 average and placed seventh to lead the squad in his first competition as a Wildcat. The junior transfer from Mount Mercy marked the second-highest score among NAIA bowlers at the tournament and earned Heart Men's Bowler of the Week for his stellar debut.

The BU women turned in a solid performance in Wichita as well, finishing 14th in qualifying in their first outing of the season. Junior Kaleigh Buckalew led the team with a 192.5 average and took 18th, bowling a 248 in her third game on Saturday. Fellow returner Skyler Holmes averaged 182 and rounded out the top-30 of a field that featured over 180 bowlers.

With an RPI of 0.690, the Wildcats top the first edition of the national RPI rankings and are the only conference team featured in the top 25 with Culver-Stockton and Central Methodist as the next-highest at 28th and 30th, respectively.

Up next, Baker will host its first home tournament of the year with the 2025 Jayhawk Collegiate Challenge this weekend. Bowling begins on Saturday, Oct. 25 at 9 a.m. for the women at Gage Bowl in Topeka, Kan. and at 10 a.m. for the men, who will be bowling at Royal Crest Lanes in Lawrence, Kan.

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