2026

Week 5 Recap / Playoff Preview

What’s up, turkeys?

The regular season is officially in the books, and Week 5 gave us one last shake-up before the lights get brighter tonight.

The biggest team performance of the final regular-season night came from Mustache Bandits, who posted the top score of Week 5 with a huge 2,023 net. Right behind them, Hambone Heroes finished with 1,993, Marco Bowlo came in at 1,991, and Bowling Stones made a final push with 1,984.

But the individual star of Week 5 was Mike Grasela, who delivered when it mattered most. Grasela rolled a 181 scratch / 245 net in Game 1, followed it up with a 144 scratch / 208 net in Game 2, and finished with a massive 453 net series to earn Week 5 MVP honors.

And while Week 5 had its own MVP, the season-long crown belongs to Dan Goldsbury.

A huge congratulations to Dan, your 2026 BAD Bowling League MVP and Rookie of the Year. Dan put together the best full-season performance in the league, finishing with the highest total net pins. Not a bad debut season: show up as a rookie, leave as the MVP.

Your Playoff Teams

After five weeks, the top six teams have officially punched their tickets to the playoffs:

1. Hambone Heroes — 111 points

2. Spare Parts — 103 points

3. Mustache Bandits — 93 points

4. Bowling for Soup — 81 points

5. Marco Bowlo — 78 points

6. Bowling Stones — 78 points

Congrats to all six teams on making the postseason. The regular-season points are locked in, the seeding is set, and tonight we crown a champion.

How Tonight’s Finals Will Work

Both rounds of the playoffs will take place tonight. The top six teams, based on regular-season points, qualify for the playoffs. The three teams that advance to the final round will bowl a total of three games tonight: two games in Round 1, then one final championship game in Round 2.

Round 1

All six playoff teams will bowl two games.

After those two games, the top three combined net scores will advance to the third and final game.

The top three seeded teams from the regular season will receive bonus pins for Round 1 only:

Hambone Heroes: +20 pins per game

Spare Parts: +15 pins per game

Mustache Bandits: +10 pins per game

4th–6th place: No bonus pins

That means Hambone Heroes, Spare Parts, and Mustache Bandits will start with a small advantage, but nothing is guaranteed.

The top three scores after Round 1 move on to THE FINALS.

Round 2: FINAL MATCH

The three remaining teams will bowl one final game.

Scores reset. Bonus pins are gone. Nothing from Round 1 carries over.

One game. Three teams. Highest net score wins.

The team with the highest net score in that final game will be crowned league champions.

Tiebreaker: Sudden Death Frame

If two teams finish with the same total score in either round, we’ll settle it with a sudden-death frame.

Each bowler from both teams bowls one frame.

The team with the highest total pinfall from that frame wins.

A strike will receive one bonus pin and count as 11.

The Toilet Bowl

And for the bottom two teams, there’s still one more battle to be fought.

Defending Champions and Who Do You Think You Are, I Am! will face off in a two-game match to avoid last place.

There may not be a championship trophy on the line, but there is something even more dangerous: a participation certificate.

The Prize

The winning team’s name will be etched into the trophy, the league t-shirts, and now the website. Forever.

The regular season is over. Tonight, we find out who can handle the pressure.

See you on the lanes.