BAKERSFIELD, Calif.-- In what will be one of their toughest duals of the season, the Roadrunner men's swimming and diving team is set to face off against the University of Southern California on Friday.

“USC's men finished fourth at the NCAA championships last season,” said Chris Hansen, Director of Swimming at CSUB. “They are one of the best swimming and diving teams in the country and that is exactly why we swim them. While some teams might shy away from what they think might be an automatic loss, we thrive on competing against the best.”

CSU Bakersfield will dive into the pool with one of the nation's best programs in USC. The 2014-15 edition of the Trojans finished in fourth place at the NCAA National Championships, their second such placing in the last three seasons. The 'Runners will pit their top swimmers against some of the country's top talent and will see how they fare.

"I'm excited to see swimmers like Lovre Soric and Bryce Timonera race the elite and possibly win events," Hansen said. "We have become a team that can step up against powerhouse teams and put up great races! That's exciting!"

Bakersfield will look to Soric and fellow Croatian Mihael Vukic to continue to lead the 'Runners in the pool while a group of newcomers will back them up with strong times.Timonera, a junior transfer from Indian River State College, has been one of those first-year 'Runners to step up in the pool this season and will look to show USC what he can do on Friday.

First race for the meet is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center. A full recap and results will be posted here Friday evening.

~GoRunners.com~