JONESBORO, Ark. (1/14/16) – The Arkansas State women's bowling squad, the top ranked team in the nation in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association Poll, is set to host the Mid-Winter Invitational Jan. 15-17 at the Jonesboro Bowling Center with Friday's action set to begin at 11:20 a.m.

The field for the event features 14 teams with nine of the top 10 teams in the nation scheduled to compete in the tournament.  The other top 10 teams joining the No. 1 Red Wolves are No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 4 Central Missouri, No. 4 Sam Houston State, No. 7 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 8 Stephen F. Austin, No. 9 McKendree, and No. 10 Maryland Eastern Shore.  No. 15 Valparaiso is also making the trip to Jonesboro along with Jackson State and Alabama State, who are both receiving votes in the latest NTCA Poll.  Lincoln University (Mo.) and Louisiana Tech are rounding out the field.

“We've got a very solid field for the Mid-Winter Invitational this year,” A-State head women's bowling coach Justin Kostick said.  “Nine of the top 10 teams in the nation are making the trip and we have a nice mix of regional teams as well.  It's going to be tough competition, but this is the type of tournament that prepares us for the second half of the season.  We've been practicing well and the team is ready to get back on the lanes and compete after the long break.”

This year's tournament will be live streamed on the Red Wolves Digital Network and will feature a pair of feature lanes throughout all three days of the tournament along with updates on the rest of the field after each match.

Arkansas State is 38-14 on the year and has finished in second place in three of its four tournaments this year with a championship on the first day of the Big Red Invite its last time out.  The Red Wolves finished second overall in the event which ran from Nov. 12-14 in Lincoln, Neb.

A-State began the year with a runner-up finish and 11-2 mark in the Allstate Sugar Bowl Collegiate Bowling Invitational Oct. 16-18 before finishing second with a 9-3 record in the FDU Jamboree to close out the month of October.  The team went 8-5 in the Crusader Classic Nov. 6-8 with a sixth-place tally before the Big Red Invite.

Last season the Red Wolves finished second in the Mid-Winter Invitational with a 9-3 record throughout the three-day event.  A-State dropped a 4-2 decision to Maryland Eastern Shore in the championship match.  Brooke Wood earned all-tournament honors after finishing fifth in the individual standings.  The team has only won its host tournament once in its history with that victory coming two seasons ago when the squad swept Sam Houston State in the championship match.

Friday's action will feature five, five-game Baker matches before Saturday's action gets underway at 9:40 a.m. with five traditional team matches.  Total pinfall from the first two days will be used to determine the seeding for Sunday's bracket play, which is set to start at 8:30 a.m.  Admission to the tournament is free.