Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

Next Event

Mark Nessia/Mark Nessia Photography

Baseball

`Runners Open Conference Play at UTRGV

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The CSU Bakersfield baseball team heads to Texas to take on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley as Western Athletic Conference play begins on Friday night. 

Series History
CSUB (9-13) owns a 7-4 all-time advantage over the Vaqueros.  Last season, the Roadrunners won the opening game of the three-game series at Hardt Field, but fell in the final two as UTRGV claimed the series.  

Andrew Penner was 8-for-14 in last season's series and was on base 60 percent of the time.  Jake Ortega also had a solid series, going 3-for-8 with a RBI.  Naithen Dewsnap recorded a save and Aaron Charles made a spotless relief appearance.  Charles tossed three scoreless innings and struck out two. 

Scouting UTRGV
The Vaqueros (13-9) have the second-most wins in the WAC as conference play begins.  UTRGV's 13 victories are second to only Northern Colorado's 14.  UTRGV also suffered a late-inning loss on Tuesday.  The Vaqueros were trailing Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 5-3 through six innings, before tying the score with solo tallies in the seventh and the eighth.  The Islanders walked off in the ninth on an infield single.  

UTRGV has been tough at home this season, going 11-6 at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.  The Vaqueros are 6-2 in their last eight home games after taking 3-of-4 from Maine and sweeping a three-game set with Eastern Michigan. 

Probable Starters
CSUB UTRGV
Friday Alec Daily (1-0, 2.79 ERA) Carter Johnson (1-1, 2.48 ERA)
Saturday Davonte Butler (1-3, 5.06 ERA) Jorge Flores (2-1, 3.70 ERA)
Sunday Aaron Charles (2-3, 6.33 ERA) Trevelle Hill (3-1, 2.96 ERA)

Team Comparison
CSUB UTRGV
RPI 208 234
Batting Average .256 .268
Scoring Average 4.4 5.4
On-Base Percentage .333 .357
Slugging Percentage .309 .366
Extra-Base Hits 28 45
Stolen Bases 24 13
ERA 6.04 3.73
WHIP 1.85 1.42
Strikeouts Per Nine Innings 6.7 9.2
Fielding Percentage .951 .975

Category Leaders
CSUB UTRGV
Batting Average Penner, .378 Alexander, .380
Runs Scored Berkey, 16 Torres, 18
On-Base Percentage Penner, 474 Alexander, .457
Slugging Percentage Penner, .439 Alexander, .535
RBI Koch, 14 3 tied with...13
Extra-Base Hits Koch, 8 4 tied with...6
Stolen Bases Penner, 4 Siener, 5
Innings Pitched Charles, 27.0 Adams, 30.0
ERA Dewsnap, 2.35 Lamb, 1.04
Strikeouts King, 21 Johnson, 35

Last Time Out
Leading 4-3 in the ninth at Tony Gwynn Stadium, the CSU Bakersfield baseball defense couldn't hold a late lead as No. 25 San Diego State scored twice to win 5-4 on Tuesday night.  

The Roadrunners looked to be in trouble early as the Aztecs held a 2-0 lead with CSUB recording just two hits in the first 18 outs.  CSUB got on the board in the seventh as Mark Pena knocked in Jassen Oliver who singled and stole second earlier in the inning.  

After Kyle King tossed a scoreless bottom half, the visitors stormed back to take a 4-2 lead in the eighth.  Evan Berkey clubbed a one-out single to right and Andrew Penner reached on an error to put the `Runners in business.  Both players moved into scoring position as the Aztec pitched tossed a failed pick off attempt at second base into center field.  Ryan Koch grounded out to tie the score at two and consecutive singles by Alec Daily, Oliver and Sergio Robles put the `Runners out in front.  

Closer Naithen Dewsnap (1-1) came on in the eighth to try and earn the six-out save.  Dewsnap yielded a solo homer in the eighth to make the score 4-3.  In the ninth, the senior hit the leadoff man and the CSUB defense committed errors on the next two sacrifice attemps, allowing the Aztecs to tie the score.  On the third consecutive bunt attempt, Dewsnap pounced off the mound and threw to third got the lead runner.  The next Aztec singled to load the bases with one out, but the closer got the next batter to fly out to Robles in right.  Unfortunately for the visitors, the next batter singled and the home team walked off with the victory. 

King Keeps Improving
Redshirt Junior Kyle King had a tough start to the 2018 season, giving up six earned runs in just two innings against UC Davis in his first career start.  After a spotless inning against Cal, King got roughed up again in a start against CSUN.  He pitched 2 1/3 innings, walked four and gave up five earned runs.  

Since then though, he has not given up an earned run in five consecutive relief appearances, including getting out of some difficult situations against Dartmouth and SDSU.  Against the Big Green, King entered the game with runners on second and third and nobody out and allowed just a sacrifice fly as he set down the visitors in order.  On Tuesday, King entered the game in the sixth with runners on first and second and one out and got a fly out and a strikeout to end the Aztec threat.    

Penner Leading Lineup
Senior Andrew Penner continues to be CSUB's most effective hitter.  The senior corner infielder/designated hitter has reached base safely in the last 21 games.  For the season, Penner has hits in 17 of the 22 games and on Sunday had his 10-game hitting streak snapped.  Over those 10 games, the senior hit .439 and had at least two hits in seven contests.  Penner is currently leading the team in batting average (.378), hits (31), total bases (36), slugging percentage (.439), walks (9), hit by pitch (6), stolen bases (4) and on-base percentage (.474).  

Pena Making Plays
Senior centerfielder Mark Pena has struggled to start the 2018 season, but an infield single, a ground ball with eyes as they say, may be just what the doctor ordered.  Stuck in a 1-for-27 slump, Pena has a hit in the last three games, including a RBI single against SDSU on Tuesday.   He also has a walk, a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base over the last three games.  Pena is CSUB's top defensive outfielder, so seeing him get comfortable at the plate right before conference play is a good sign for the `Runners.  

What's Koch'ing
Junior catcher Ryan Koch had been 0-for-last 12 before busting out his slump with a two-run triple in his first at-bat against Dartmouth on Thursday night.  Koch ended up with two hits in all three of his starts over the weekend and blasted his second home run of the season on Saturday.  For the series, Koch was 5-for-13 with two doubles, a triple and a home run.  The catcher knocked in six runs, had a team-high 12 total bases and slugged .923.  

On Tuesday, Koch was particularly effective defensively.  The catcher threw out two potential base stealers at second base and picked off another runner with a snap throw down to first. 

Oliver Coming on Strong
Jassen Oliver is in the midst of a four-game hitting streak and is making some great plays defensively.  Oliver has six hits in his last four games and has thrown out a runner at home in each of the past two games.  Against Dartmouth, he threw a strike from right field and against SDSU he tossed a one-hop shot from left. 
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Aaron Charles

#25 Aaron Charles

P/INF
6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
Alec Daily

#5 Alec Daily

P/1B
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
L/L
Naithen Dewsnap

#22 Naithen Dewsnap

P
6' 4"
Senior
R/R
Jassen Oliver

#13 Jassen Oliver

OF
6' 1"
Senior
R/R
Jake Ortega

#33 Jake Ortega

C/INF
5' 10"
Junior
L/R
Mark Pena

#30 Mark Pena

OF
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/L
Andrew Penner

#7 Andrew Penner

C/OF
5' 11"
Senior
R/R
Sergio Robles

#6 Sergio Robles

OF
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Ryan Koch

#24 Ryan Koch

C/1B
6' 1"
Junior
R/R
Kyle King

#36 Kyle King

P
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
L/L

Players Mentioned

Aaron Charles

#25 Aaron Charles

6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
P/INF
Alec Daily

#5 Alec Daily

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
L/L
P/1B
Naithen Dewsnap

#22 Naithen Dewsnap

6' 4"
Senior
R/R
P
Jassen Oliver

#13 Jassen Oliver

6' 1"
Senior
R/R
OF
Jake Ortega

#33 Jake Ortega

5' 10"
Junior
L/R
C/INF
Mark Pena

#30 Mark Pena

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/L
OF
Andrew Penner

#7 Andrew Penner

5' 11"
Senior
R/R
C/OF
Sergio Robles

#6 Sergio Robles

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
OF
Ryan Koch

#24 Ryan Koch

6' 1"
Junior
R/R
C/1B
Kyle King

#36 Kyle King

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
L/L
P
California State University at Bakersfield Athletics loading logo