Season Preview: 2024-25 Men's Bowling
MILLIGAN, Tenn. – The Milligan University men's bowling team is looking to carry momentum into the 2024-25 season after a fifth-place finish at the NAIA National Championships in 2023-24.
"I'm very proud of our fifth-place finish from last season," said head coach Brian Rickert, "but I still feel like we have yet to reach our full potential. If a few things go our way this year I think it could be really special."
The Buffs open the season at the Greater Nashville Open beginning on Saturday, Oct. 26 in Smyrna, Tenn.
2023-24 Season Review:
Milligan men's bowling, in a very short span of time, has become a power at the national level. The team is coming off an impressive 2023-24 season in which the squad finished fifth in the nation after being seeded as No. 11 out of 12 attending programs.
The Milligan men had a standout campaign, which saw them competing at the NAIA National Championships for the first time ever. The Buffs claimed first place at the MSC Lynne Jordan Memorial during the season and would go on to finish third at the SSAC Championships, which was a strong enough result to help the team earn an at-large bid to the NAIA Championship.
Championship Review:
Milligan were placed 11th out of 12 teams in the seeding process, as the Buffs bowled at the final site for the first time in program history. The Buffs upset No. 6 Tennessee Wesleyan 4-0 and No. 3 St. Xavier (Ill.) 4-1, but ultimately fell to the eventual national champions, No. 7 SCAD Savannah by a final score of 4-3.
The Buffs' Nate Trentler was named NAIA Bowling Rookie of the Year and NAIA All-America Second Team. Bryant Griffith was a selection for the NAIA-All America Third Team.
Looking at the Schedule:
There will be a total of five Tier 1 tournaments on this season's schedule for the squad, with the first being the Bowlero Southern in Marietta, Ga. on Nov. 2-3. Three weeks later, the squad heads to the Collegiate Team Match Games in Fairview Heights, Ill. Then, another three-week layoff leads to the Glenn Carlson in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 18-19 and the Collegiate Shootout that weekend on Dec. 20-21 in Vegas. Later in the winter the team returns to a Tier 1 competition at the lauded Hoosier Classic in Indianapolis, Ind. on Feb. 15-16.
The team heads to the NAIA Southeast Regional tournament on Feb. 1-2 in Atlanta, Ga., which will help prepare them for the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Championships in Savannah, Ga. on Feb. 21-22. The NAIA National Championships come a month later from Mar. 20-22 in Sterling Heights, Mich., where the Buffaloes look to improve upon their already outstanding finish from last campaign.
2024-25 Season Outlook:
After what was an impressive season for the Buffaloes men's bowling team that saw a team with nine new additions receive an at-large bid for the National Championships for the first time ever, more is on the way in 2024-25.
"Last year was a big transition for the program," Rickert explained. "We added nine recruits/transfers and a new coach which led to quite a bit of growing pains. However, I think things started to come together towards the end of the season and earning an at-large bid for the national championship field was a tremendous accomplishment. However, we aren't satisfied. I think the finishes at the end of the year, and how close we were to achieving something outstanding, fueled everyone's desire to see how far we can go and possibly win a championship."
Key Returners:
- Nate Trentler- Sophomore (NAIA Freshman of the Year; NAIA All American Second Team)
- Bryant Griffith- Sophomore (NAIA All American Third Team)
- Josh Collins- Junior
- Alex Evans- Sophomore
- David Gilliam- Sophomore
- Aiden Bailey- Senior
- Jackson McRae- Junior
- Cameron Shockey- Junior
"Our freshmen were instrumental in the team's success last year and contributed immensely to our performances in the postseason," said Buffs new men's head coach, Michael Hall. "With their talent and the upperclassmen's skills and experience, we are expected to compete against and finish as one of the best teams in the country."
Newcomers 2024-25:
- Caleb Marshall- Senior (Transfer from Midway)
- Blake McReynolds- Freshman
- Matt Coppola- Freshman
- Coach Michael Hall- Head Men's Coach
"We expect all three newcomers this season to improve our experience and talent level," Hall touted. "Their addition adds depth to an already strong lineup and makes us one of the balanced and dynamic teams in our program's history."
New Coach Spotlight:
Milligan bowling head coach Rickert announced the addition of Michael Hall as the new men's head coach for the 2024-25 season. Hall comes to Milligan with 10 years of collegiate coaching experience and 30-plus years of experience in the sport of bowling, having bowled 25 perfect 300 games and an 846 high series. He has coached and started new bowling programs at three other NAIA institutions, serving at Cornerstone University (Mich.) from 2013-15, Spring Arbor University (Mich.) from 2015-18, and Midway University (Ky.) from 2018-24.
"When I decided to bring on coach Hall to coach the men, I knew he'd be able to bring the men's team together and help them get to the next level," stated Rickert. "He has a tremendous amount of experience with building strong programs while at Spring Arbor and Midway and he will bring the same energy here. He's a mentor, leader and role model for these young men and I fully expect them to go very far."
Last Words From Coach:
"We have a great mix of returning players and new talent and have the potential to do something really special this year!", exclaimed Hall. "Our sights are set on competing for both conference and national titles and we believe this group has what it takes to make that vision a reality."