THIS WEEK
Bakersfield begins a busy week of action with a single-game match-up against UCLA on Tuesday, May 5. First pitch is 6 p.m. at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles.
LIVE STATS & AUDIO
Live statistics and audio are available for Bakersfield's game at UCLA Tuesday. Both options can be found by navigating to the baseball schedule page at uclabruins.com.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCH-UPS
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2009
CSUB: Jonathan Montoya (LHP)
UCLA: Garett Claypool (RHP)
'RUNNER RECAP
The Roadrunners had a relatively light schedule last week and ride a five-day break from competition into Tuesday's game at UCLA. After returning from a weekend trip to Nevada, Bakersfield began last week with a short jaunt to the coast for the fourth and final match-up against UC Santa Barbara. There, behind the arm of freshman Spenser Messmore and some timely hitting, the ?Runners earned an 8-6 win over the Gauchos. Messmore tossed a complete game, striking out six and scattering 14 hits. A two-run home run by Richard Escalera in the fifth to give CSUB the lead for good.
One day later, Bakersfield fell 13-2 to Loyola Marymount after the Lions collected seven runs on seven hits in the first two innings. Derek Geisinger had an RBI single and Ryan McIntyre had a solo home run to account for Bakersfield's two runs.
SCOUTING UCLA
UCLA is 22-22 on the season and 13-8 in the Pac-10 after taking two-of-three at Oregon this past weekend. The Bruins dropped the series opener 3-2, but bounced back to claim 6-2 and 8-1 win over the Ducks, who reinstated baseball as an NCAA sport in the summer of 2007 (dropped following the 1981 season).
Senior first baseman Cody Decker has proven to be one of the Bruins biggest threats at the plate, batting. 308 with 48 hits, including six doubles and a team-high 15 home runs to go along with 39 RBIs. Eddie Murray (.306) and Blair Dunlap (.283) have 13 and 15 doubles, respectively, while Dunlap leads the team in stolen bases with 13 in 18 attempts.
Right-hander Garett Claypool will get the start against Bakersfield on Tuesday. The junior is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA on five starts and 11 total appearances. He has recorded 30 strikeouts to go along with nine walks and 22 hits in 24 innings of work.
SERIES HISTORY
This marks the first-ever meeting between the Roadrunners and Bruins in baseball.
UTILITY MAN
Freshman Martin Medina has shown his versaility 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 39 games, he has started 19 times at third base, 10 times at first, seven times as the designated hitter, twice as the starting pitcher and once at second. In 11 games, Medina played mulitple 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.
RICHARDSON RETURNING
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 has safely hit in five of the last six games, including four multi-hit performances. During that recent span, he is 10-for-19 (.526), with three doubles and two runs.
SOME NEW BRIGHT SPOTS
While some of Bakersfield's hotter bats have cooled in recent games, others have stepped in to provide some offensive boost.
After entering the Nevada series hitting .245 with 10 hits and one RBI, first baseman Richard Escalera has gone 6-for-16 (.375) with seven RBIs and four runs. Included in his six 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 on Saturday, going 2-for-4 with one run. The junior also turned in a solid defensive effort all weekend, collecting five assists and four putouts, including a diving catch into foul territory to slow a Wolf Pack rally during game-two.
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 .421 (8-for-19) in the past five games and is currently .299 for the season.
MEDINA MUSCLES THROUGH
Along with Jason Kudlock's heroics in the Roadrunners' win over UC Riverside on Saturday, 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. Now 3-4 with a 5.95 ERA, the freshman has tallied 41 strikeouts to go along with 67 hits in 62 innings.
ON DECK
Following the quick trip to L.A. Tuesday a three-game series at the University of Nebraska awaits the Roadrunners this weekend. The team flies out of LAX Thursday for games on Friday, May 8 through Sunday, May 10. Start times in Lincoln are 4:05 p.m., 12:05 p.m. and 11:05 a.m. PST.
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.
