BATON ROUGE, La. – The No. 23 Central Missouri Jennies bowling team opened competition at the 2026 TNBA Open with a strong showing Friday, finishing 4-1 in Baker total pinfall pool play and positioning themselves near the top of the tournament standings heading into day two.

Central Missouri wasted no time setting the tone, earning a 1,025-1,006 victory over Jackson State University to open the day. The Jennies' balanced lineup and consistent shot-making carried momentum through the opening block.

UCM's lone setback came against nationally ranked No. 14 Sam Houston State, falling 1,028-947 in a high-scoring matchup. The Jennies quickly regrouped and responded with three consecutive wins to close the day.

The Jennies closed the day with three straight victories, defeating Southern University 900-791, Alabama State University 948-832, and No. 17 Tulane University 908-832.

Through five Baker matches, Central Missouri totaled 4,728 pins, averaging 189.1 per game, which currently places the Jennies third in the qualifying standings after day one.

With momentum on their side and four wins in the opening round, the Jennies will look to build on Friday's performance as competition continues Saturday.

The Jennies return Saturday's Feb. 28, at 10:00 a.m. in Louisiana.