BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—The CSU Bakersfield baseball team opens a busy week at long-time rival Cal Poly before traveling to the Phoenix Muni Classic this week.
The Roadrunners travel to Cal Poly Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. The Mustangs are 1-6 after getting swept by Grand Canyon last weekend. Peter Van Gansen and Brian Mundell are both hitting .400 to lead the team.
Right-hander Andrew Bernstein (1-0, 0.00 ERA) is scheduled to start against CSUB's Garrett Nimmo (0-0, 3.38 ERA). The Roadrunners plan on using up to six CSUB hurlers on the mound to get their work in.
This is the 19th time that CSUB and Cal Poly are playing baseball. The Mustangs lead the all-time series 13-5 and have won five in a row since May 13, 2012 when the 'Runners defeated Cal Poly 6-4. The teams will play again Apr. 28 in Bakersfield.
The Phoenix Muni Classic begins for CSUB on Thursday night when the 'Runners face the host Sun Devils. The first of two games against ASU begins at 6:30 p.m. (MST). The second game is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (MST). Arizona State is 4-3 after losing 2-of-3 to No. 1 TCU last weekend at home. The Sun Devils begin the week ranked ninth in the Collegiate Baseball and 18th in the Baseball America Division I polls.
RJ Ybarra is the team leader in hitting with a .412 average. Lefty Brett Lilek (0-1, 2.53 ERA) is scheduled to pitch against Hayden Carter (1-1, 2.57 ERA) in Thursday's game. When the teams play again on Saturday, Darin Gilles is scheduled to go up against Nick Rogowski (1-1, 7.94 ERA).
CSUB defeated ASU 2-1 in 10 innings on Mar. 3, 2011 when current Chicago Cubs' prospect Cael Brockmeyer hit a home run for the game winner. The two games against the Sun Devils will mark the 35th and 36th times that CSUB will take on a nationally ranked opponent. The Roadrunners have a 10-34 record against nationally ranked opponents.
Both games against Arizona State will be video streamed on Pac-12.com
The Roadrunners face Gonzaga on Friday at 1 p.m. (MST). The Zags defeated CSUB 4-3 last season in Bakersfield in the only baseball meeting between the two schools.
Gonzaga is 4-4 after splitting a four-game series at UC Davis last weekend. Michael Gunsolus leads Gonzaga with a .471 batting average. Gunsolus has posted a .588 slugging percentage and a .526 on-base percentage. Gonzaga has not determined a starter who will face CSUB's Steven Gee (0-1, 2.70 ERA)
CSUB concludes the tournament on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. (MST) when the 'Runners matchup against Purdue. This is the first time CSUB and the Boilermakers are playing baseball against each other.
Purdue is 3-4 after splitting four games at the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Classic last weekend. Brandon Krieg is Purdue's leading hitter at a .379 clip. The Boilermakers have not determined a starter for Sunday's game. James Barragan (1-1, 0.93) will start for CSUB.
~www.GoRunners.com~
