How do I ask him to hang out?

There is a guy who I like, and we have hung out a few times with our mutual friend, but the only times we are alone is when he drives me home. I want to spend some time with him alone so we can just hang out and talk, without the pressure of it being a date until we decide to go down that route.

If I just text him (since I don't see him in person on a regular basis, and I'm really nervous in person.) something like "Hey, want to hang out one day next week?" and then figure it out from there, will that sound casual enough to not freak him out? He's pretty shy, and I'm not the type to just ask, so I want something that will sound casual and fun.

Yes, I'm kind of ranting and repeating myself, but I really like this guy and I want to spend some time with him to see what he is like in a neutral setting (like bowling or something like that. Neither of us drink even though we are old enough, so a bar would be useless.)

Anyways, any tips or suggestions you have would be excellent. We are both 19, and we graduated from the same high school. We went to different universities (He left to work, I'm still going) and we now live in the same city again. We are both shy and dorky, although I express my dorkiness more than he does. Usually when we hang out with my friend it is to play video games, but I don't have any video games at my house.

Thank you!