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California State University at Bakersfield Athletics

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Mark Duffel

Baseball

Signs of Growth Evident in Shortened Season

Bakersfield Flashes Talent, Potential in all Three Phases During Abbreviated 2020 Campaign

Bakersfield, Calif. – Fourteen games into the 2020 season, the CSU Bakersfield baseball team liked their chances. The Roadrunners had pitched, hit and defended at a high level in the early going - if not all at once – and despite a 5-9 start, the team shared a quiet confidence and appeared on the verge of putting all three phases of the game together and making an extended run through the regular season. When rain washed away a midweek contest with UC Santa Barbara it seemed only to delay the inevitable. With the weekend approaching the `Runners set their sights on a three-game series with future Big West rival UC Riverside and waited.
 
But those games wouldn't be played either. On the day the Highlanders were scheduled to depart for Bakersfield the collegiate athletics world came crashing to a halt due to concerns related to the spread of COVID-19.
 
"Obviously it is disappointing to not have the opportunity to grow on the field throughout the season. However, we learned a lot about our ball club in the early weeks," said CSUB Head Coach Jeremy Beard. "We were challenged against quality programs and I felt we were able to evaluate our team moving forward. When our starters were healthy and on the field at the same time, we showed signs of being a WAC title contender."
 
A three-game set with Washington State marked the start of what was scheduled to be a 33-game home slate for the `Runners this season. The Cougars took the season opener with a late-inning rally, before CSUB stormed back to take the series behind dominant starts from Ethan Skuija and Davonte Butler.
 
Skuija allowed just two hits and an unearned run in game two over five-innings to pick up a no-decision in game two, while Butler clinched the series with five scoreless in the rubber match.
 
Bakersfield won game two in the bottom of the ninth, when senior, pinch-hitter Eric Charles belted the first pitch he saw into centerfield to plate Will Picketts and end the game in dramatic fashion.
 
Damian Henderson and Aaron Casillas each drove in two runs as the `Runners raced out to an early 4-0 lead and cruised to a 7-2 win in the series finale. The win gave CSUB its first series win over a Pac-12 opponent since the 2011 season, when the `Runners swept the University of Washington in a three game series.
 
Redshirt freshman Jacen Roberson made the most of his debut series, hitting .636 and walking three times, while scoring four runs and driving in another. Roberson was 3-for-5 in the series opener, joining classmate Kobe Silva (2-4, 2 BB) as the first `Runners to reach base three times in their first career game since 2009.
 
"A series win over a quality PAC 12 opponent in WSU, gave our untested group a jolt of validation," Beard explained. "With all of the newcomers we had entering the season, it was important we competed well out of the gate. A few of the arms they threw at us are earlier round draft picks but our bats responded well."
 
The `Runners made it two straight home series victories to open the season, and nine-straight overall, when they took 2-of-3 from visiting San Francisco the following weekend. The series followed the same script, with the Dons taking game one before Bakersfield battled back to win the final two.
 
Skuija was brilliant for a second straight start when he struck out six over six innings. The CSUB offense gave him plenty of run support, scoring seven times over the first three innings and hanging on for an 8-4 win.
 
Henderson sparked the offense with a three-run home run to left-centerfield in the bottom of the second. Senior Tyler Jorgensen and freshmen Aaron Casillas and CJ Rivers each had a pair of hits on the day.
 
For the second straight weekend, Butler took the hill with a chance to win the series for Bakersfield. And for the second straight weekend he delivered, throwing six more scoreless innings and striking out a career high eight.
 
Cody Holtz walked twice and drove in the only two runs of the game, while Kellen O'Connor and Noah Cordova combined for three innings of shutout relief. Cordova grabbed his second save of the year with a perfect inning and a third.
 
After their series with the `Runners, San Francisco finished their season on a 7-2 run, including series victories over Cal State Fullerton and Cal.
 
"Dropping Friday night's game and coming back to win the series for the second straight week showed composure and resilience," said Beard.
 
CSUB's home series winning streak was snapped against Holy Cross. Bakersfield won game two when Ethan Skuija continued his hot start to the season striking out nine and scattering six hits over six innings pitched.
 
The `Runners fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first, but rebounded with three first-inning runs of their own when Jorgensen singled in a run and two more scored on an error in the bottom half of the frame. Bakersfield broke open the game in the fourth with RBI singles from Henderson and James Terrazas and rolled to a 7-3 win.
 
The season came to an unexpected end after Bakersfield dropped three straight in the Bay Area to Santa Clara in mid-March.
 
Henderson paced the `Runner offense all season. The junior from Raleigh, N.C., hit .321 over 14 games and led the team in home runs (2), extra-base hits (5), runs batted in (10), on-base percentage (.446) and slugging (.528). He opened the season with a nine-game hitting streak and reached base at least once in 13 of 14 games this season.
 
"Damien has shown steady growth during his time at CSUB," Beard noted. "He's worked hard to develop his tools and maximize his potential. His game continues to elevate as he works on the smaller details. He has more to offer and we are excited to see his continued success."
 
Daniel Carrizosa, Jorgensen and Nick Grossman all hit over .300 for the `Runners.
 
Carrizosa finished with a team-best .343 batting average, three doubles, four RBI and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .839 which ranked second on the team. He was 3-for-3 with a walk against LMU after missing the WSU series with an injury and posted multi-hit games on five occasions.
 
A Pre-Season All-WAC selection Jorgensen reached base in all 14 games of the abbreviated season, recording at least one hit in 12 contests and multiple hits five times. Jorgensen slashed .315/.393/.333 and finished second on the club with eight runs batted in.
 
After a slow start, Grossman was the team's hottest hitter when the season was suspended. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native started the season just 2-for-22 before a scorching stretch saw him hit .417 over the final seven games of the year. Grossman finished with a line of .304/.431/.370 and led the team in runs scored with 13.
 
"With the number of young players on the roster and in the line-up, we needed our seniors and older players to carry the early load offensively," Beard explained. "It was nice to see Danny, Jorgy and Gross do that and buy a little time for adjustments from less experienced guys."
 
Centerfielder Jacen Roberson and shortstop Aaron Casillas gave Bakersfield a pair of young starters up the middle.
 
Roberson missed much of the Holy Cross series due to injury but started 11 games, recording 10 hits and finished second on the team with nine runs scored. Roberson started the season red-hot with seven hits in his first 11 at bats. The Bakersfield, Calif., native will head east and play for the Wareham Gatemen in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League later this summer. He's the first Roadrunner to sign on for a full season in the Massachusetts summer league.
 
Casillas started the first 12 games of the season, finishing 7-for-38 with five runs batted in. He played a dazzling shortstop all season making just one error on a team-high 49 chances for a .980 fielding percentage and turned seven double plays in the process.
 
"Our freshmen are a glowing example of the direction of our program," said Beard. "We started multiple freshmen up the middle and played several throughout the shortened season. All showed real defensive promise and flashed strong signs of their offensive potential for years to come."
                                                                  
Will Picketts started 13 games in the infield and reached base at a .308 clip, with four runs scored and four RBI.
 
Redshirt freshman Angel Saldivar and junior Cody Holtz split time behind the plate for the `Runners. Saldivar finished the year 5-for-21 with 3 RBI, while Holtz reached base at a .419 rate and drove in three runs of his own.
 
The duo was equally effective behind the plate, guiding the Bakersfield pitching staff to its early dominance and combining to cut down 7-of-12 would be base stealers (58.3%).
 
"Defense behind the plate will always be a priority in our program," Beard stated plainly. "Both Saldy and Cody fit our philosophy and give us one of the top defensive tandems around. After seeing them operate it's extremely reassuring to know we'll have both on our roster for the next couple of seasons."
 
Bakersfield's rotation was lights out for much of the season, headlined by the consistent performances of Skuija and Butler who led the team with four starts each.
 
Skuija threw 19.2 innings, striking out 23 and limited opposing hitters to a .200 batting average against. The Canadian right-hander finished the season with a 2-1 record and allowed just seven earned runs for a 3.20 ERA.
 
Butler opened the season with 12-straight scoreless innings and struck out 19 against just three bases on balls. The junior from Hollister, Calif., held opponents to a .237 batting average in 19.2 innings pitched.
 
Roman Angelo, Aaron Charles and Jaykob Acosta also started for the `Runners in 2020.
 
Angelo started on opening night, allowing just one hit over four innings of work, and finished the season with nine strikeouts in 10.2 innings and a .238 average against.
 
Charles whiffed 14 in 18 innings of work while holding opponents to a .284 batting average and posting a 1.39 WHIP.
 
Acosta burst onto the scene tossing six scoreless innings in his first career start at Loyola Marymount. The freshman from Exeter, Calif., finished the season with a 3.46 ERA over 13 innings pitched.
 
"Entering the season, we felt our pitching depth improved but we knew we'd need time to find the right roles for all of our guys," Beard said.  "Our starters threw well most of the time, doing a nice job keeping us in games early and giving our offense a chance to get established."
 
Kellen O'Connor, Bryan Perez and Isaias Miramontes gave the `Runners a trio of freshmen in middle relief.

O'Connor was a workhorse, making seven appearances out of the Bakersfield bullpen and pitching to a 2.53 ERA. The rookie from Portland, Ore., whiffed 11 in 10.2 innings pitched.
 
Perez and Miramontes combined to throw 9.1 innings out of the pen without allowing an earned run.
 
Cordova slid into the closer role in the early going for CSUB, posting a 2.08 ERA and earning a pair of saves in 8.2 innings pitched. He struck out eight and limited opposing hitters to just a .103 batting average against.
 
"Developing our bullpen was a priority entering the season. It was still a work in progress when the season ended, but I felt our young arms showed they can and will compete at this level," said Beard. "KO and Pez were challenged and they can use that experience moving forward and Cordova had really come into his own prior to the season postponement. Our staff had really shaped up well and we felt we were ready for WAC play after seeing guys compete in different roles."
 
The `Runners now turn their attention to the summer ball schedule, with no fewer than 20 already signed up to compete across the country in the coming months.
 
All 35 letterwinners are eligible to return in 2021, after an NCAA ruling on Mar. 30 granted an extra season of eligibility to spring sport athletes.
 
"After seven months evaluating and developing our ball club, it was unsatisfying to see the season cut short and so many games left on the table," Beard expressed. "Our ball club was stripped of the opportunity, especially with so many newcomers, to grow together this season. However, it is still an exciting time to be a Roadrunner! We have reshaped our roster and layered our recruiting classes over the last few years and we're heading into the Big West ready to compete immediately."  
 
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Players Mentioned

Roman Angelo

#40 Roman Angelo

RHP
6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
Davonté Butler

#15 Davonté Butler

RHP
6' 0"
Junior
R/R
Daniel Carrizosa

#5 Daniel Carrizosa

IF/RHP
6' 1"
Junior
R/R
Aaron Charles

#25 Aaron Charles

RHP
6' 5"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Eric Charles

#8 Eric Charles

OF
6' 0"
Senior
L/L
Noah Cordova

#33 Noah Cordova

RHP
6' 5"
Senior
R/R
Nick Grossman

#3 Nick Grossman

OF
6' 0"
Senior
L/R
Damian Henderson

#22 Damian Henderson

OF
6' 1"
Junior
L/L
Tyler Jorgensen

#10 Tyler Jorgensen

INF
6' 2"
Senior
L/R
Will Picketts

#2 Will Picketts

INF
6' 0"
Senior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Roman Angelo

#40 Roman Angelo

6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Davonté Butler

#15 Davonté Butler

6' 0"
Junior
R/R
RHP
Daniel Carrizosa

#5 Daniel Carrizosa

6' 1"
Junior
R/R
IF/RHP
Aaron Charles

#25 Aaron Charles

6' 5"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
RHP
Eric Charles

#8 Eric Charles

6' 0"
Senior
L/L
OF
Noah Cordova

#33 Noah Cordova

6' 5"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Nick Grossman

#3 Nick Grossman

6' 0"
Senior
L/R
OF
Damian Henderson

#22 Damian Henderson

6' 1"
Junior
L/L
OF
Tyler Jorgensen

#10 Tyler Jorgensen

6' 2"
Senior
L/R
INF
Will Picketts

#2 Will Picketts

6' 0"
Senior
R/R
INF
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