BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Western Athletic Conference play will begin on Friday afternoon for the CSU Bakersfield softball team when the Utah Valley Wolverines come to town. Friday's game is the first of a three-game series to begin the WAC portion of the Roadrunners' schedule.

The Wolverines and the 'Runners have a rich history dating back to the beginning of CSUB's time in NCAA Division I. Since the first meetings in 2008, the two programs have met a total of 23 times with UVU holding a 15-8 lead in the series. The Wolverines have won six of the last seven contests, but CSU Bakersfield got their first win over Utah Valley since joining the WAC with a 2-0 road victory last season.

The Roadrunners hosted CSUN in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday to prepare for the Wolverines this weekend. CSUB dropped both games to the tough Matadors, but will be looking to add some tallies in the win column this weekend. Sophomore Julea Cavazos continues to hit well as she has team highs in both batting average (.370) and doubles (6).

Utah Valley will travel to Bakersfield with a 4-22 record after having lost the last 16 straight games. The Wolverines have a solid offense, which averages 4.1 runs per game, but the pitching staff allows 7.7 runs per game. CSUB has had trouble scoring recently as the team is averaging only 2.6 runs per contest this season, but Bakersfield's pitching allows three runs per game less than Utah Valley's.

First pitch of Game 1 of the series will take place Friday, Apr. 1, at 2 p.m. at the Roadrunner Softball Complex. Saturday will feature a doubleheader to close the series with the first game beginning at 1 p.m. and the second game starting 30-45 minutes after the first concludes.

Live stats will be available for all three games and links can be found on the CSUB softball schedule page. The first game of Saturday's doubleheader will be broadcast live on the WAC Digital Network.

New to CSUB softball this season is ticketed admission. Head on over to GoRunners.com/tix for more information about season tickets, group tickets, and to purchase tickets in advance. Parking, as usual, is free for fans during CSUB athletic events.

~GoRunners.com~