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Baseball CSU Bakersfield Athletic Communications

Baseball Notebook vs. Missouri

THIS WEEK
Bakersfield returns to the Midwest and Big 12 action with a three-game series at the University of Missouri. The series begins Friday, May 15 with a 4:30 p.m. PDT start under the lights at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Saturday's game gets underway at noon PDT and first pitch on Sunday is 11:00 a.m. PDT.

LIVE STATS AND AUDIO
Live statistics and audio are available for Bakersfield's three-game series at Missouri. All online options can be found by navigating to the baseball schedule page at mutigers.com.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCH-UPS
FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2009
CSUB: Martin Medina (RHP)
MISSOURI: Kyle Gibson (RHP)

SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2009
CSUB: Spenser Messmore (RHP)
MISSOURI: Scooter Hicks (LHP)

SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2009
CSUB: Jonathan Montoya (LHP)
MISSOURI: Ryan Clubb (RHP)

'RUNNER RECAP
The Roadrunners introduced themselves to Big 12 baseball in a big way, taking two of three games from the University of Nebraska last week, moving to 11-32 on the season. Despite holding a 5-0 lead early in the opening match-up, Bakersfield surrendered a six-run inning to the Huskers on their way to falling 9-6. Ryan McIntyre had a solid performance at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run.

On Saturday, the ?Runners won the battle of the long ball as four home runs put them on their way to 10 hits and 10 runs in a 10-8 final. Martin Medina and Kyle Richardson had two home runs each and Richard Escalera added a pair of hits. Spenser Messmore went seven solid innings on the mound before giving way to Mickey Jannis in the eighth. Jannis picked up his first win of the season after allowing just two hits while the CSUB offense rallied with a three-run ninth inning. The loss for the Huskers marked the first time in 138 games that they had lost after taking a lead into the ninth inning.

On Sunday, Bakersfield capped things off with an 8-7 win in the program's first nationally televised game. The ?Runners put together a five-run fourth inning and added two more in the sixth, while keeping Nebraska scoreless down the stretch. Jonathan Montoya improved to 4-5 after striking out five and scattering six hits in seven innings. Erik Draxton earned his first save of the season, striking out three and not allowing a hit in the final two innings.

SCOUTING MISSOURI
Missouri enters the week with a 30-23 overall record and a 16-11 mark in the Big 12, good for second place. This week's series against Bakersfield marks the final regular-season games for the Tigers before they compete in the Big 12 Conference Tournament beginning May 20. Missouri closed out Big 12 play May 8-10, taking two of three games from Kansas.

Junior outfielder/RHP Greg Folgia leads the Tigers' offense, batting .342 with team highs of 66 hits, 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 61 RBIs. Senior infielder Kyle Mach and junior outfielder Aaron Senne are also batting over .300, hitting .319 and .307, respectively. Mach has 12 doubles, one triple and four home runs while Senne had 15 doubles, one triple and four home runs.

Senior outfielder Ryan Lollis and junior infielder Michael Liberto have shown impressive speed on the bases, stealing 13-of-14 and 10-of-14 bases, respectively.

Mike Gibson will get the Friday start on the mound for the Tigers. The junior right-hander is 9-3 with a 3.73 ERA in 13 starts. He has struck out 115 to go along with 14 walks in 91 2/3 innings.

Scooter Hicks (LHP) and Ryan Clubb (RHP) are also in the starting rotation against the Roadrunners. Hicks enters the weekend with a 4-2 record and a 4.14 ERA in 20 appearances and six starts. The senior has also tallied three of his team's 11 saves. Clubb is 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts and 21 total appearances. In 28 innings the freshman has issued 14 strikeouts, five walks and 24 hits.

SERIES HISTORY
This marks the first-ever meeting between the Roadrunners and Tigers in baseball.

HOME RUN DERBY IN LINCOLN
Fourteen total home runs were hit during the three-game series between Bakersfield and Nebraska last weekend, seven by each team. Saturday's game featured eight long balls, including two each by the Roadrunners' Kyle Richardson and Martin Medina. Richardson finished the series with three home runs, also blasting a three-run shot in Sunday's win, while freshmen Ryan McIntyre and Jeremy Rodriguez had one each.

RICHARDSON ON A ROLL
Kyle Richardson started the season hot, hitting .471 (8-for-17) with two doubles, one triple and one home run on opening weekend. After struggling to find his mark midway through the season, the junior shortstop's numbers are climbing again. He is currently riding a seven game hit streak, while also hitting safely in nine of the last 10 games. During the 10 game span, Richardson has collected seven multi-hit performances and is batting .472 (17-for-36) with three doubles, three home runs, eight RBIs and six runs.

SOME NEW BRIGHT SPOTS
After entering the Nevada series (Apr. 24-26) hitting .245 with 10 hits and one RBI, first baseman Richard Escalera has gone 10-for-30 (.300) with 12 RBIs and six runs. Included in his 10 hits was his first home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave the ?Runners a 7-5 lead in their eventual 8-6 win over UC Santa Barbara (Apr. 29).

JJ Henry got the starting nod at third base in two games at Nevada, and appeared in all three, going 3-for-10 with one run and one RBI. He had his first multi-hit outing in the game-two, going 2-for-4 with one run. This past week in Nebraska, the junior went 4-for-10 with four runs and two RBIs while playing all three games in right field.

UTILITY MAN
Freshman Martin Medina has shown his versatility all year long, splitting time between third base, first base, pitcher and designated hitter. On Apr. 29 against Loyola Marymount, Medina added a fifth position to the list, earning the start at second base. Through 43 games, he has started 22 times at third base, 10 times at first, seven times as the designated hitter, three times as the starting pitcher and once at second. In 12 games, Medina played multiple positions, headlined by the 15-inning thriller against UC Riverside when he started at third, moved to first and then moved to the mound where he was the winning pitcher of record, striking out seven and not allowing a run in the final 5 2/3 innings.

4-FOR-4
Jeremy Rodriguez collected Bakersfield's fifth four-hit outing of the season Apr. 24 against Nevada. The freshman catcher went a perfect 4-for-4 with one RBI and three runs. He hit .462 (6-for-13) in the three-game series, is batting .409 (9-for-22) in the past six games  and is currently .300 for the season.

MEDINA MUSCLES THROUGH
Along with Jason Kudlock's heroics in the Roadrunners' win over UC Riverside (Apr. 11), freshman Martin Medina played a huge role in the outcome as well. The freshman started the game at first base, moved to third in the seventh and then to the mound with one out in the 10th. He then went on to pitch the final 5 2/3 innings of the game, recording seven strikeouts and scattering four hits without allowing a walk or a run to score. He threw 77 pitches, 52 for strikes, and worked his way out jams in the 10th and 15th when the Highlanders had a runner reach third. He ended the first rally with a strikeout and the second with a fielder's choice ground out. In addition, at the plate Medina went 3-for-7 with two doubles and a run.

MONTOYA'S COMPLETE GAME
Freshman southpaw Jonathan Montoya pitched Bakersfield's first-ever complete game in a 4-3 win over Fresno State. He fanned seven, walked four and allowed just five hits for three runs against the defending national champion Bulldogs, picking up his third win of the season.

ON DECK
The Roadrunners return to Bakersfield for their final home game of the season, Tuesday, May 19 at 3 p.m. CSUB faces Cal State Northridge for the second and final time this season in a 3 p.m. start at Hardt Field.

TOGETHER AGAIN
Bakersfield is the fourth school coaches Bill Kernen and Jody Robinson have worked at together. The two were assistants at Cal State Fullerton in the late 1970's through 1981. During that time, the Titans, who had just made the transition to Division I in 1975, earned five NCAA Tournament appearances, including two trips to the College World Series and a national championship title in 1979. They also teamed up briefly in 1988, both serving as assistants to former Titan Head Coach Augie Garrido, this time at the University of Illinois. In 1991, Kernen was in his second season as the head coach at Cal State Northridge, leading the Matadors through the transition from DII to DI play. Robinson joined the staff as an assistant coach, helping CSUN to a 44?18?1 record, the West Regional championship game and a top 10 ranking in the final NCAA Division I poll in its first season of DI play.

HARDT FIELD
Coming from the 99 Freeway (north or south) exit at Ming Ave. and proceed WEST to Haggin Oaks Blvd. (approximately four miles). Turn right on Haggin Oaks to Camino Media. Turn left on Camino Media. Turn right into campus on Roadrunner Drive and park in Lot E or I. Hardt Field is located west of Lot E.

TICKETS, PLEASE
Ticket information for all Roadrunner home baseball games may be found online at GoRunners.com or by calling the CSUB Athletics Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE.

NEED MORE INFO?
For all of the most up-to-date information about CSUB Baseball and all other Roadrunner sports, check out the CSUB Athletics Web site at: GoRunners.com.
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Players Mentioned

Erik Draxton

#37 Erik Draxton

RHP
6' 4"
Junior
JJ Henry

#26 JJ Henry

3B
5' 10"
Junior
Mickey Jannis

#55 Mickey Jannis

RHP
5' 10"
Junior
Jason Kudlock

#34 Jason Kudlock

RHP/INF
6' 2"
Junior
Ryan McIntyre

#5 Ryan McIntyre

OF
5' 9"
Freshman
Martin Medina

#30 Martin Medina

RHP/INF
5' 10"
Freshman
Spenser Messmore

#28 Spenser Messmore

RHP
5' 11"
Freshman
Jonathan Montoya

#19 Jonathan Montoya

LHP
5' 6"
Freshman
Kyle Richardson

#14 Kyle Richardson

SS/2B
5' 9"
Junior
Jeremy Rodriguez

#7 Jeremy Rodriguez

C
5' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Erik Draxton

#37 Erik Draxton

6' 4"
Junior
RHP
JJ Henry

#26 JJ Henry

5' 10"
Junior
3B
Mickey Jannis

#55 Mickey Jannis

5' 10"
Junior
RHP
Jason Kudlock

#34 Jason Kudlock

6' 2"
Junior
RHP/INF
Ryan McIntyre

#5 Ryan McIntyre

5' 9"
Freshman
OF
Martin Medina

#30 Martin Medina

5' 10"
Freshman
RHP/INF
Spenser Messmore

#28 Spenser Messmore

5' 11"
Freshman
RHP
Jonathan Montoya

#19 Jonathan Montoya

5' 6"
Freshman
LHP
Kyle Richardson

#14 Kyle Richardson

5' 9"
Junior
SS/2B
Jeremy Rodriguez

#7 Jeremy Rodriguez

5' 7"
Freshman
C
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