BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—CSU Bakersfield returns to the mat this week with the Pac-12 opener at Stanford Thursday before entering Sunday's Reno Tournament of Champions.

Thursday's dual gets underway at 5 p.m. will be televised on the Pac-12 Network and Pac-12 Bay Area and will be streamed on Pac12.com.

This is the 37th time that CSUB and Stanford are wrestling. The Roadrunners lead the all-time series 26-10. The Cardinal have five of the last six in the series including a 25-6 decision last season in Bakersfield.

Stanford is 2-1 overall and is back on the mats for the first time since losing to No. 1 Penn State 31-12 Nov. 22. Cardinal wrestlers ranked in the Intermat Top 20 include; Joey McKenna (4, 141), Jim Wilson (5, 165), and Nathan Butler, 18, 285). Stanford received eight votes in the current USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll and are 15th in Intermat's Team Tournament poll.

Sunday's RTOC will begin at 9 a.m. and run all day. In addition to CSUB, Division I teams scheduled to compete are; No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Illinois, No. 17 Central Michigan, No. 21 Ohio, No. 22 Indiana, Boise State, Cal Poly, Campbell, Eastern Michigan, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Stanford, Utah Valley, and Wyoming.

Non Division I teams entered are; Clackamas CC, CSU Pueblo (D-2), Menlo (NAIA), Montana State Northern (NAIA), Simon Frasier (NAIA), Simpson, Calif. (NAIA), and Southern Oregon (NAIA).

The Roadrunners entered a second team ranking this week, appearing at No. 30 in the WrestlingReport Top 30 poll. Reuben Franklin is ranked in six polls with a high of sixth in three different polls (Intermat, WrestlingReport, and Amateur Wrestling News). Bryce Hammond is also ranked in six different polls with a high of seventh in the Intermat Top 20.

~www.GoRunners.com~