ARLINGTON, Texas | Alabama State heads west in search of their second Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship in the last three years as they begin play in the SWAC Championship at the Bowling ITRC Lanes Friday.

The championship will run Friday through Sunday, and features the top six teams in the regular season team standings in competition. Alabama State last won the championship during the 2017 season, before capturing the regular season title last year.

The winner of this year's championship earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships for the first time in conference history.

Alabama State (77-51, 19-5 SWAC) finished the regular season in second place in the conference and led all teams during the two Roundups with a 27,613 pin count and a 197.23 average. They finished runner-up to Prairie View A&M (20-4 in SWAC play) who finished with a perfect 4-0 record on the final day of competition. The Lady Panthers finished with a 27,404 pin count and a 195.74 average per game.

Jackson State, whom the Lady Hornets finished behind in their final regular season tournament, finished third in the regular season. They were followed by Southern, Texas Southern, Alabama A&M and Grambling State.

The opening round of the championships takes place Friday at noon (qualifying round) with teams competing for seeding, while Saturday and Sunday will feature a Baker format (best 4 of 7) with the top two seeds receiving a bye to open competition on Sunday.

The championship match will be rebroadcast on ESPN on Sunday, March 31 at 9:30 am.

Follow the Hornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University bowling, follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateBowl (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.