BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—CSU Bakersfield returns to the diamond this week with four games. The week begins Tuesday at 6 p.m. when the Roadrunners (13-14-1, 2-3-1 WAC) host UC Riverside.
CSUB defeated the Highlanders 9-3 Mar. 11 in Riverside. UC Riverside leads the all-time series 12-4.
Tuesday's game can be seen on Bakersfield.com. There will also be a Glow in the Dark Easter Egg Hunt (courtesy of Coca-Cola) on Tuesday night. All youth 8th grade and under will be eligible to find 1,000 Glow in the Dark Easter Eggs. All participants will receive candy and a small prize. The grand prize winner will receive tickets to Universal Studios.
The Highlanders are 10-18 after being swept by UC Davis in their opening Big West series this past weekend in Davis. Drake Zarate is UCR's leading hitter (.326). Vince Fernandez leads the Highlanders in home runs (3) and RBI's (17).
Gabe Gentner, who leads UCR in appearances with 13, will make his first start of the season on Tuesday night. Gertner is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA. AJ Monarrez (0-0, 6.35 ERA, R-Jr., Hawthorne, Calif., Glendale College) will get the start for the Roadrunners.
CSU Bakersfield will travel to the University of North Dakota for a three-game WAC series that gets underway on Thursday at 2 p.m. (CDT). The series continues Friday at 1 p.m. (CDT) with the finale coming on Saturday at 11 a.m. (CDT). CSUB took two of three games from UND last season in Bakersfield in the first series between the two clubs.
North Dakota swept Northern Colorado last weekend in Greeley. UND improved to 8-13 overall, 3-3 in WAC play. Jeff Campbell was named WAC Player of the Week on Mar. 30. Campbell hit a home run in each of the Northern Colorado games last weekend, reaching base eight times during the series. Campbell and teammate Ryan Reese are tied for the league lead in home runs (4). Campbell, who is hitting .395, is also the North Dakota Closer as he has four saves.
UND's Andrew Thorne (R, 1-3, 5.30 ERA) should matchup against Hayden Carter (3-3, 3.60, Sr., San Diego, Calif., Vista HS) on Thursday. North Dakota is expected to send Zach Muckenhim (L, 2-4, 5.23) to face James Barragan (2-3, 2.55 ERA, Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Stockdale HS) on Friday. Saturday's finale should see UND's Alex Twenge (R, 1-3, 8.38 ERA) pitching against Nick Rogowski (2-2, 4.65, Sr., Woodbridge, Va., Cypress College).
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