Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1 leads Regular Team at 2025 Open Championships
March 22, 2025
PHOTO (from left): Tim Behrendt, Todd Sigeti, Jason Stetina, Eddie Byrd and Shea Bittenbender
UPDATE (March 23, 2025): Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1 takes over the lead in Team All-Events with 9,817. Get the scores below.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Some birthdays are just better than others.
Shea Bittenbender of St. Charles, Missouri, celebrated his 40th birthday Saturday by making his annual appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but he shared the best gift with his teammates – a spot at the top of the leaderboard.
The members of Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1 – featuring Tim Behrendt, Todd Sigeti, Jason Stetina, Eddie Byrd and Bittenbender – rolled to the lead at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Regular Team by more than 175 pins, finishing with a 3,270 total.
The team put together games of 1,040, 1,122 and 1,108 to become the first group to surpass both 3,100 and 3,200 at the 2025 event. Armstrong Printing 1 of Naperville, Illinois, had taken the lead Friday with 3,094.
In a steady effort across the board, Bittenbender led the way with a 678 series and was followed by Stetina (670), Behrendt (658), Sigeti (645) and Byrd (619).
The talented group of players have all been part of the Strike It Rich Pro Shop group at the USBC Open Championships – organized by Bittenbender – for several years, but their appearance Saturday marked the first time this five joined together for the team event.
Prior to their trip to Baton Rouge, they connected with some other teams on what to expect and were able to execute their plan.
“This is the first year we’ve had this five together,” said Bittenbender, who made his 17th tournament appearance. “We’re always mixing and matching some folks in and out depending on everyone’s schedule, so this was a really great debut.
“We had gotten some information from some of the guys that have already been out here, and it was nice of them to share what they saw on the lanes. We tried our best to break them down, and I think it went exactly the way we wanted. Nobody had shot 3,200 yet, and we almost put up 3,300, so we did something right. We made our spares, caught a couple breaks here and there and were able to string a lot of strikes together. We worked very well as a team.”
Even though their second game was the highest of the set, maintaining the pace in Game 3 has been a challenge for teams through the first three weeks of the 2025 event.
They nearly matched the effort, posting four individual games of 226 or higher.
“We kept migrating left for the most part trying to stay ahead of the transition,” Bittenbender said. “We broke them down really well, so it didn’t impact us like in some other years. We were in the right spot on the lane and made a lot of good shots.”
The team features three players from the St. Louis area – Behrendt, Bittenbender and Byrd – while Sigeti and Stetina are from Pennsylvania. The six-team group at the Open Championships is comprised of competitors from the Midwest and Northeast.
Although they only have limited opportunities to compete together, they know how to work with each other for the greater good of the team.
“They’re just awesome,” Bittenbender said. “I bowl a lot with Tim and Eddie, but not so much with Jason and Todd since they’re from Pennsylvania. But, we love competing with and against each other. During the first game, I bowled like crap, and they held me up. I was able to find what I needed to find the final two games, but they battled and bowled really well. I’m really proud of them.”
The group will look to add to their team success Sunday at the River Center during doubles and singles at 3:15 p.m. Central, but they completed their first task of the trip by taking the lead.
For Bittenbender, it’ll be a birthday to remember.
“That’s why we come out here and compete,” Bittenbender said. “It’s one of the most coveted – if not the most coveted – titles to have in bowling, so if it held up, it would mean everything to us.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet, but it will. In order to win, you have to leave in the lead. With today being my 40th birthday, all things considered, it’s probably the best birthday present I could ask for.”
UPDATE: On Sunday, the group took over the top spot in Team All-Events by 280 pins with a 9,817 total. Storm Products Inc. 1 of Alva, Florida, previously led with 9,537.
Sigeti led the way with 2,063 and was followed by Bittenbender (2,039), Behrendt (2,009), Stetina (1,867) and Byrd (1,839). Watch the video below to learn more from Bittenbender about the team's performance in Baton Rouge.
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.
UPDATE (March 23, 2025): Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1 takes over the lead in Team All-Events with 9,817. Get the scores below.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Some birthdays are just better than others.
Shea Bittenbender of St. Charles, Missouri, celebrated his 40th birthday Saturday by making his annual appearance at the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, but he shared the best gift with his teammates – a spot at the top of the leaderboard.
The members of Strike It Rich Pro Shop 1 – featuring Tim Behrendt, Todd Sigeti, Jason Stetina, Eddie Byrd and Bittenbender – rolled to the lead at the Raising Cane’s River Center in Regular Team by more than 175 pins, finishing with a 3,270 total.
The team put together games of 1,040, 1,122 and 1,108 to become the first group to surpass both 3,100 and 3,200 at the 2025 event. Armstrong Printing 1 of Naperville, Illinois, had taken the lead Friday with 3,094.
In a steady effort across the board, Bittenbender led the way with a 678 series and was followed by Stetina (670), Behrendt (658), Sigeti (645) and Byrd (619).
The talented group of players have all been part of the Strike It Rich Pro Shop group at the USBC Open Championships – organized by Bittenbender – for several years, but their appearance Saturday marked the first time this five joined together for the team event.
Prior to their trip to Baton Rouge, they connected with some other teams on what to expect and were able to execute their plan.
“This is the first year we’ve had this five together,” said Bittenbender, who made his 17th tournament appearance. “We’re always mixing and matching some folks in and out depending on everyone’s schedule, so this was a really great debut.
“We had gotten some information from some of the guys that have already been out here, and it was nice of them to share what they saw on the lanes. We tried our best to break them down, and I think it went exactly the way we wanted. Nobody had shot 3,200 yet, and we almost put up 3,300, so we did something right. We made our spares, caught a couple breaks here and there and were able to string a lot of strikes together. We worked very well as a team.”
Even though their second game was the highest of the set, maintaining the pace in Game 3 has been a challenge for teams through the first three weeks of the 2025 event.
They nearly matched the effort, posting four individual games of 226 or higher.
“We kept migrating left for the most part trying to stay ahead of the transition,” Bittenbender said. “We broke them down really well, so it didn’t impact us like in some other years. We were in the right spot on the lane and made a lot of good shots.”
The team features three players from the St. Louis area – Behrendt, Bittenbender and Byrd – while Sigeti and Stetina are from Pennsylvania. The six-team group at the Open Championships is comprised of competitors from the Midwest and Northeast.
Although they only have limited opportunities to compete together, they know how to work with each other for the greater good of the team.
“They’re just awesome,” Bittenbender said. “I bowl a lot with Tim and Eddie, but not so much with Jason and Todd since they’re from Pennsylvania. But, we love competing with and against each other. During the first game, I bowled like crap, and they held me up. I was able to find what I needed to find the final two games, but they battled and bowled really well. I’m really proud of them.”
The group will look to add to their team success Sunday at the River Center during doubles and singles at 3:15 p.m. Central, but they completed their first task of the trip by taking the lead.
For Bittenbender, it’ll be a birthday to remember.
“That’s why we come out here and compete,” Bittenbender said. “It’s one of the most coveted – if not the most coveted – titles to have in bowling, so if it held up, it would mean everything to us.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet, but it will. In order to win, you have to leave in the lead. With today being my 40th birthday, all things considered, it’s probably the best birthday present I could ask for.”
UPDATE: On Sunday, the group took over the top spot in Team All-Events by 280 pins with a 9,817 total. Storm Products Inc. 1 of Alva, Florida, previously led with 9,537.
Sigeti led the way with 2,063 and was followed by Bittenbender (2,039), Behrendt (2,009), Stetina (1,867) and Byrd (1,839). Watch the video below to learn more from Bittenbender about the team's performance in Baton Rouge.
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.