Rockford, Ill. – The Saint Xavier University men's bowling team started the 2026-27 season with an eighth-place finish after collecting 7,767 pins, just 12 more than the ninth-place team to qualify for the eight-team tournament championship bracket at the 8^th annual Hammer Golden Eagle Invite at Cherry Lanes in Rockford, Ill. The Cougars defeated No. 1 seed St. Ambrose University (Iowa) in straight sets (193-192, 197-185) in the best-of-three match-up in the quarterfinals. SXU took on No. 5, and host, Rock Valley College in the best-of-three semifinals, losing 2-1 (156-182, 205-161, 210-224). No. 3 Mount Mercy University (Iowa) won the tournament in four games (147-220, 198-171, 199-190, 182-178) over Rock Valley in the best-of-five finals.

• Saint Xavier utilized an eight-player rotation for the Baker Games on Sunday. Senior Andrew Rossini (Streamwood, Ill./South Elgin) bowled in all 16 games. Senior Aiden Kincade (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest), senior Jason Laba (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township), senior Tyler Pedersen (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest), junior Joseph Blonski (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest), sophomore Dylan Alvarado (Lynwood, Ill./Thornwood), sophomore Aiden Kidd (Oak Forest, Ill./Oak Forest) and sophomore James Quigley (Orland Hills, Ill./Andrew) all featured in the lineup.
• The Cougars posted an average of 182.6 pins in the 16 Baker Games with a high of 219 pins in game 15. They also struck 211 pins in game two and 200 pins in game 10.
• On Saturday, the top finisher for SXU was sophomore Michael Rossini (Streamwood, Ill./South Elgin) from the JV squad, placing 10^th overall with 1,060 pins in five games. He averaged a score of 212.0 with a high of 235 pins in game two, followed by 215 pins in game four, and 234 pins in game five.
• The elder Rossini was just behind his younger brother with an 11^th place draw, totaling 1,053 pins in five games. He rolled an average mark of 210.6, with a high of 255 pins in game five, preceded his 242 total in game four.
• Pedersen finished in the Top 50, slotting in at 46^th with 967 pins in five games. He bowled an average of 193.4, collecting three games with 200 or more pins (220 in game two, a high of 217 in game four and 201 in game five).
• Blonski tallied 929 pins, averaging a score of 185.8 across five games. He struck a high of 207 pins in game one.
• Quigley competed in four games, recording a total of 777 pins with an average of 194.3. He hit 201 pins in game two, and a high of 223 pins in game five.
• Kincade did well in his three games, toppling 209 pins in game three, a high of 233 pins in game four, and 206 pins in game five.
• Laba saw action in games one and two, striking 167 pins and 163 pins, respectively.
• Alvarado bowled in game one, knocking over 141 pins.

Saint Xavier returns to action at the two-day Midwest Collegiate Tournament that begins on Saturday, October 3, at 5 Star Lanes in Detroit, Mich.