Throwing strikes will not only refer to baseball and softball next year at Baker University with the addition of a women’s bowling team.

Athletic director Dan Harris said Kansas high school bowling has become very popular, so building a collegiate team will not be an overly difficult task.

“The recruiting base is right here in our own backyard,” Harris said. “Bowling in Kansas high schools has developed a lot. The Shawnee Mission district schools all have programs.”

Several female high school seniors who have been a part of bowling programs before have expressed interest in being on the Baker women’s bowling roster next fall.

Collegiate women’s bowling varsity squads are made up of six members.

Caitlin Campbell, a senior from Seaman High School in Topeka, said she has been on an inaugural women’s bowling squad before and enjoyed it.

“I was part of the first one at our school,” she said. “It’s always fun.”

Harris said the program will start officially, and a head coach will be named in the next few months.

Collegiate bowling is governed by the U.S. Bowling Congress, not the National Collegiate Athletic Association or National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Harris said college bowling teams are not required to follow strict schedules or have an “in season.”

“In college it can be year-round,” Harris said. “You can figure out where you want to place it.”

High school senior Bethany Hastings, who also has expressed interest in joining the program next fall, said she would be thrilled to join the first ever women’s bowling team.

“I would like to be a part of it,” she said. “That would be very cool.”

Some smaller colleges that also have women’s bowling teams include conference opponent Lindenwood University, McKendree University in Illinois and Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Mo., which has become a national powerhouse.

Harris said since collegiate bowling is governed by the Bowling Congress, schedules can include schools of all sizes.

Harris said one of the two bowling alleys in Lawrence, or the alley in Ottawa, will probably end up being the primary facility used by the team next fall for practice and possible tournaments set up by the university.

Harris said the bowling team won’t be overly expensive to support and the other new sport being added, men’s wrestling, was created based on fundraising efforts.

“It’s a very low cost sport,” Harris said. “The biggest expense will be travel.” year-round,” Harris said. “You can figure out where you want to place it.”