Scoring heats up in Standard Division at 2025 USBC Open Championships
March 15, 2025
PHOTO (from left): Chris Schafer and Nicholas Remer
BATON ROUGE, La. – The scoring pace has started to pick up at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, with multiple lead changes in the Standard Division in the last two days.
While some of the scores have steadily improved at the Raising Cane’s River Center, these two performances stood out with sizable jumps at the top of the standings.
In Standard Doubles on Thursday, the pair of Chris Schafer of Milwaukee and Nicholas Remer of West Allis, Wisconsin, moved into the top spot by 33 pins, recording a total of 1,227.
Schafer and Remer have known each other for years, but this is the first time they were able to partner up at the USBC Open Championships.
Schafer, a 45-year-old right-hander, put up a huge game when the duo needed it the most, rolling scores of 150, 189 and 279 for a 618 series. Remer, a 36-year-old right-hander, stayed consistent all three games on the way to scores of 202, 210 and 197 for a 609 set.
Kurt Koenig of Florence, Mississippi, and William Colella of Brandon, Mississippi, previously held the lead in Standard Doubles with 1,194.
“We really had no clue we were bowling decent enough to take the lead until our friends mentioned it,” Schafer said. “It still really hasn’t sunk in yet that we are in the lead, but even if it is for a day, this is a pretty cool feeling.”
To add to the great bowling, the duo also donned matching hair styles as well as Batman- and Joker-themed bowling attire.
“When we found out we were being partnered up this year, we wanted to coordinate something we both like to feel like a team, and that was going to be either ‘Batman’ or ‘Star Wars,’” Remer said. “Our squad captain puts together our group based on our averages, and it’s cool that we got partnered up this year. Winning this event would be one heck of an achievement for both of us after a few years of grinding out scores.”
Standard Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 311-350.
Eric Batka
In Standard Singles on Friday, Eric Batka of West Olive, Michigan, took the lead by 42 pins after posting the best set in his six appearances at the Open Championships with a 722 series.
Batka, a 51-year-old right-hander, used a combination of a ball change and an adjustment with his feet to make his move up the rankings. After a 527 series in doubles, he fired games of 268, 201 and 253 in singles.
Scott Buermann of Otsego, Minnesota, had previously held the lead in Standard Singles with 680.
“I just finally listened to my cousin (Brad Batka) and played the lanes where he suggested,” Batka said. “I moved right with my feet and changed to a more aggressive ball. I went to something with a stronger cover, and it just read the lanes great.”
Batka was able to relax after his first sets of bowling were in the past, and he went into singles with a nothing-to-lose mentality.
“I had no idea what was leading, as I was initially just worried about bracket money,” said Batka, who added 476 in team for a 1,725 all-events total. “After looking around at the other scores, I quickly realized that my singles score was pretty good, but I had no clue it was good enough to take the lead for the event.”
Batka hopes his set is good enough to hang on for a win at the Open Championships, so he can add his name to the list of Eagle winners at the event.
“I know we got a long way to go still, but if this score hangs on to win, that would be incredible,” Batka said. “I would be at a loss for words to win this event.”
Standard Singles features bowlers with entering averages of 156-175.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.
BATON ROUGE, La. – The scoring pace has started to pick up at the 2025 United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, with multiple lead changes in the Standard Division in the last two days.
While some of the scores have steadily improved at the Raising Cane’s River Center, these two performances stood out with sizable jumps at the top of the standings.
In Standard Doubles on Thursday, the pair of Chris Schafer of Milwaukee and Nicholas Remer of West Allis, Wisconsin, moved into the top spot by 33 pins, recording a total of 1,227.
Schafer and Remer have known each other for years, but this is the first time they were able to partner up at the USBC Open Championships.
Schafer, a 45-year-old right-hander, put up a huge game when the duo needed it the most, rolling scores of 150, 189 and 279 for a 618 series. Remer, a 36-year-old right-hander, stayed consistent all three games on the way to scores of 202, 210 and 197 for a 609 set.
Kurt Koenig of Florence, Mississippi, and William Colella of Brandon, Mississippi, previously held the lead in Standard Doubles with 1,194.
“We really had no clue we were bowling decent enough to take the lead until our friends mentioned it,” Schafer said. “It still really hasn’t sunk in yet that we are in the lead, but even if it is for a day, this is a pretty cool feeling.”
To add to the great bowling, the duo also donned matching hair styles as well as Batman- and Joker-themed bowling attire.
“When we found out we were being partnered up this year, we wanted to coordinate something we both like to feel like a team, and that was going to be either ‘Batman’ or ‘Star Wars,’” Remer said. “Our squad captain puts together our group based on our averages, and it’s cool that we got partnered up this year. Winning this event would be one heck of an achievement for both of us after a few years of grinding out scores.”
Standard Doubles features pairs with combined entering averages of 311-350.
Eric Batka
In Standard Singles on Friday, Eric Batka of West Olive, Michigan, took the lead by 42 pins after posting the best set in his six appearances at the Open Championships with a 722 series.
Batka, a 51-year-old right-hander, used a combination of a ball change and an adjustment with his feet to make his move up the rankings. After a 527 series in doubles, he fired games of 268, 201 and 253 in singles.
Scott Buermann of Otsego, Minnesota, had previously held the lead in Standard Singles with 680.
“I just finally listened to my cousin (Brad Batka) and played the lanes where he suggested,” Batka said. “I moved right with my feet and changed to a more aggressive ball. I went to something with a stronger cover, and it just read the lanes great.”
Batka was able to relax after his first sets of bowling were in the past, and he went into singles with a nothing-to-lose mentality.
“I had no idea what was leading, as I was initially just worried about bracket money,” said Batka, who added 476 in team for a 1,725 all-events total. “After looking around at the other scores, I quickly realized that my singles score was pretty good, but I had no clue it was good enough to take the lead for the event.”
Batka hopes his set is good enough to hang on for a win at the Open Championships, so he can add his name to the list of Eagle winners at the event.
“I know we got a long way to go still, but if this score hangs on to win, that would be incredible,” Batka said. “I would be at a loss for words to win this event.”
Standard Singles features bowlers with entering averages of 156-175.
The Open Championships is celebrating its third trip to Baton Rouge in 2025 and scheduled to feature more than 58,000 bowlers and 11,600 five-player teams competing across 150 consecutive days at the River Center.
Visit us on Facebook at the official USBC Open Championships page.