BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The LIU Brooklyn bowling team is down in Nashville, Tenn, for the Columbia 300 Music City Invitational, hosted by No. 2 Vanderbilt. The massive three day event, with 30 teams at the Smyrna Bowling Center will be the Blackbirds (51-44) final event of the 2018-19 season.

NATIONAL FIELD IN NASHVILLE
Among the 30 teams competing against Vandy and No. 20 LIU this weekend are 16 other NTCA Nationally ranked teams: No. 1 McKendree, No. 4 Arkansas State, No. 5 Sam Houston State, No. 6 Stephen F. Austin, No. 9 Saint Francis University, No. 10 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 11 North Carolina A&T, No. 12 Tulane, No. 14 Lincoln Memorial, No. 16 Central Missouri, No. 17 Adelphi, No. 18 Sacred Heart, No. 21 Maryville, No. 22 Duquesne, No. 23 Louisiana Tech and No. 25 Youngstown State.

LAST YEAR IN MUSIC CITY
The Blackbirds went 2-1 in the Sunday's bracketed playoff and 10-3 over the three-day competition to finish in 13th place in a field of 32 teams last year. In Saturday's traditional play last year, then sophomore Tyler Karpinecz carried a 197.2 average to lead the squad.

LAST TIME ON THE LANES
Two weeks ago at the Monmouth Hawk Flight Invite in Egg Harbor, N.J., the Blackbirds also went 2-1 on Sunday, and earned a winning record in each of the three days of the event to take eighth place in the event with a 181.1 scoring average.