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Baseball

`Runners Meet Bears in Big WAC Series

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The CSU Bakersfield baseball team is headed to Greeley, Colo. this weekend for a three-game conference series with major postseason implications against the University of Northern Colorado. 

Conference Race Tightening
The Bears are currently fifth in the Western Athletic Conference standings and are just 0.5 game ahead of the Roadrunners.  The Bears have just this weekend remaining in the WAC schedule, while CSUB has a remaining series with Chicago State University.  The top six teams in the WAC qualify for the conference Tournament in Mesa, Arizona which will be held from May 23-26.  Heading into the weekend, the `Runners lead the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley by a full game for the final spot. 

Series History
CSUB has dominated the all-time series between the two programs, which dates back to 2013.  The `Runners have won 14 of the 17 meetings and are currently on a five-game winning streak against the Bears.  The `Runners are 3-2 all-time at Northern Colorado and did lose both games in 2016 at Jackson Field. 

Andrew Penner, Jake Ortega and Sergio Robles all were big parts of the Roadrunners' 4-0 mark against the Bears last season.  Penner had eight hits and scored six times with four knocked in, while Ortega had six hits, five runs scored and a double.  Robles also had six hits and drove in eight runs with three doubles.  Naithen Dewsnap made two appearances out of the bullpen and didn't allow a hit in 2.1 innings. 

Scouting the Bears
Northern Colorado has already exceeded expectations this season as they sit in fifth place in the WAC standings.  The Bears were picked to finish in eighth in the preseason rankings.  Junior Jack Pauley was a Preseason All-WAC selection.  The outfielder is currently leading the team in batting average (.341), runs scored (42) and hits (63). 

The Bears trailed CSUB heading into last weekend before sweeping UTRGV over the weekend.  Prior to that, Northern Colorado had yet to win a conference series and was coming off a series loss to last place Chicago State.  The home team this weekend defeated San Jose State University in a three-game series to open the season and split a pair of midweek games against the University of Nebraska. 
Northern Colorado is one of the top hitting teams in the WAC as they rank second in the league in batting average (.297), runs (335), slugging percentage (.427) and on-base percentage (.398). 

Pitching Matchups
LHP Alec Daily (4-2, 4.30 ERA) vs. LHP Karver Pate (3-0, 2.65 ERA)
Daily is coming off of a rough outing against Grand Canyon University last Friday, but has been CSUB's most consistent starter throughout the season.  The redshirt senior lasted just two innings against the Lopes last week and allowed eight runs, just four of which were earned, and five hits.  It was the shortest start of the season for Daily, who has been the Friday night starter all season for the `Runners.  Daily leads the club with four victories and has struck out 44 batters in 44 innings pitched.  Pate is making just his fourth start of the season for the Bears.  The redshirt junior also struggled in his last start.  Pate threw three innings against UTRGV and allowed three runs in three innings, while giving up three hits and walking four.  Pate did get five of his nine outs via strikeout.  Opponents are hitting .250 on the seaosn against him.  

RHP Davonte Butler (2-6, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP Troy Watson (3-2, 3.46 ERA)
Butler is back in the rotation this weekend and starting for the first time since April 8 against New Mexico State University.  The freshman had possibly his best performance of his career on Saturday against GCU.  He earned his first victory since February 18 when he tossed three scoreless inning against the Lopes and allowed just two hits, while striking out three batters.  He has thrown the second-most innings on the team this season (48.0) and has struck out 33 batters.  Watson will get his fifth start of the year on the bump.  The sophomore is coming off his best start of the year against the Vaqueros as he scattered nine hits in seven innings and allowed just one earned run.  Waston has throw just 26 innings this season and opposing hitters are batting .265 off of him.    

TBA vs. LHP Keenan Lum (2-2, 5.67 ERA)
Head coach Jeremy Beard has yet to name a starter for Sunday's series finale.  Senior Keenan Lum will get the call for the Bears, who picked up victories in his first two outings of the season, but hasn't won since.  In his last start against UTRGV, the senior tossed 5.2 innings without allowing an earned run.  He allowed four hits and walked four, while striking out a pair.  Lum is allowing opposing hitters to bat .279 off of him this season in 39.2 innings pitched.  

Team Comparison
CSUB UNC
RPI 222 205
Batting Average .257 .296
Scoring Average 4.5 7.2
On-Base Percentage .334 .396
Slugging Percentage .324 .426
Extra-Base Hits 71 137
Stolen Bases 36 50
ERA 5.67 5.65
WHIP 1.71 1.64
Strikeouts Per Nine 6.9 8.7
Fielding Percentage .949 .965

Category Leaders
CSUB UNC
Batting Average Penner .358 Pauley .341
Runs Penner 29 Pauley 42
On-Base Percentage Penner .434 Lawson .456
Slugging Percentage Martinez .439 Lawson .474
RBI Koch 28 Maltese 36
Extra-Base Hits Koch 15 Burkart 25
Stolen Bases Pena/Penner 5 Lawson 11
Wins Daily 4 Hamilton 4
Innings Pitched Dewsnap 50.2 Hamilton 47.0
ERA Dewsnap 4.09 Pate 2.65
Strikeouts Dewsnap 45 Hamilton 46

Last Time Out
CSU Bakersfield trailed just 1-0 after four innings at Hardt Field, but Loyola Marymount University scored three runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to earn a 10-0 victory. 

CSUB (starter Kevin Altamirano (0-1) gave up a leadoff home run to Billy Wilson as the Lions claimed an early 1-0 advantage.  However, the freshman right-hander tossed three straight scoreless innings before allowing three runs in the fifth, just one of which was earned.  The Lions touched up reliever Steven Gee in the sixth and got to Gee and Andrew Ciandro in the seventh.  Making his first appearance since late February, Michael Bovee Jr. tossed a scoreless ninth inning for the Roadrunners.

The `Runners had their chances offensively early on.  The home team loaded the bases in the first inning and stranded two more baserunners in the second.  Noah Barba led off the third inning with a single down the left field line, but was gunned down at second base trying to stretch it into a triple. 

CSUB had a pair of hits in the fourth as Jassen Oliver hit a well-placed ball down the right field line for a double and tried to score from second on an infield single by Sergio Robles, but was tagged out at the plate.  That would be the last time the `Runners threatened as they were held hitless the rest of the way. 

LMU's (21-24) Holden Christian (1-2) picked up his first win of the season as he tossed the first five innings.  Loyola Marymount used a new pitcher each inning after Christian to pitch the shutout. 
Andrew Penner and Evan Berkey accounted for CSUB's other two hits, while Luis Martinez walked twice. 



 
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Players Mentioned

Alec Daily

#5 Alec Daily

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

#22 Naithen Dewsnap

P
6' 4"
Senior
R/R
Steven Gee

#37 Steven Gee

P
6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Luis Martinez

#16 Luis Martinez

INF
5' 11"
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
Andrew Penner

#7 Andrew Penner

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

#6 Sergio Robles

OF
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Andrew Ciandro

#38 Andrew Ciandro

RHP
6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
Kevin Altamirano

#20 Kevin Altamirano

RHP/3B
5' 10"
Freshman
R/R

Players Mentioned

Alec Daily

#5 Alec Daily

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

#22 Naithen Dewsnap

6' 4"
Senior
R/R
P
Steven Gee

#37 Steven Gee

6' 3"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
P
Luis Martinez

#16 Luis Martinez

5' 11"
Senior
R/R
INF
Jassen Oliver

#13 Jassen Oliver

6' 1"
Senior
R/R
OF
Jake Ortega

#33 Jake Ortega

5' 10"
Junior
L/R
C/INF
Andrew Penner

#7 Andrew Penner

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

#6 Sergio Robles

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
OF
Andrew Ciandro

#38 Andrew Ciandro

6' 1"
Freshman
L/R
RHP
Kevin Altamirano

#20 Kevin Altamirano

5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
RHP/3B
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