Brescia University is rolling its way into bowling by adding men’s and women’s teams this fall. They are actively recruiting for their 10-person teams and hope to play a few tournaments.
Athletic Director Mark Perdue said adding bowling was a way to boost the university’s enrollment due to the competitive nature of the sport. The decision also comes after successfully introducing men’s volleyball last fall.
Coach Troy DeWald will lead the efforts for both teams and plans to use his connections with local bowling alleys and other bowlers to strengthen the team at Brescia. DeWald brings 25 years of coaching experience to the new program. DeWald said it was an honor to be selected as the coach.
“For the university to recognize the growth in the sport and to find a way to bring those talented student-athletes to Brescia speaks volumes about the administration and their commitment to their students,” he said. “I have enough experience at the collegiate level to understand what it takes for a team to be successful. I am absolutely looking forward to building, growing, and sustaining a winning and successful program here at Brescia. I am looking to recruit young men and women that love to compete and share a never-giving-up attitude. I am absolutely excited to get this journey started and look forward to what our future holds.”
DeWald is confident they can build a full roster, saying Owensboro is a strong bowling area and BU can recruit from local high school teams.
The Bearcats will join the NAIA-level Mid-South Conference, which added bowling in their 2012-2013 season.
DeWald said the season will be as packed as the budget allows, with tournaments from October to roughly February. They plan to apply for an invitational in March, but it will ultimately come back to find the balance for the players to recover and compete.
“You can really find a tournament somewhere every single week,” he said. “The only problem is that it could be 17 hours away. So it’s not always practical to just flood a schedule one after another. You’ve got to find a balance of staying competitive and giving the team a chance to recoup and rest because it takes a toll on the body throwing that 14-, 15-pound ball down the lane.”
DeWald is actively searching and recruiting new Bearcats for the 2024-25 season.
