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EthanSkuijaMD2
Mark Duffel

Baseball

`Runners Welcome Utah Valley in Return to Diamond

Bakersfield, Calif. - CSU Bakersfield opens the 2021 Baseball Season on Friday, Feb. 26, at 3 p.m., with the first of a three-game series against former Western Athletic Conference rival Utah Valley at Hardt Field. The Roadrunners and Wolverines will play again on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Sunday at noon. 

Friday's contest will be Bakersfield's first in 354 days, and its first game at Hardt Field in 359 days.

The `Runners 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID19 Pandemic after just 14 games. CSUB finished with a 5-9 overall record, but posted series wins over Washington State and San Francisco, a year ago.

Bakersfield hit .239 with a .348 on-base percentage last season, led by returning senior Daniel Carrizosa who posted a team-best .343 batting average. Fifth-year eligibles, Tyler Jorgensen and Nick Grossman also return after hitting .315 and .304, respectfully.

Underclassmen Andrew Allanson, Jashia Morrissey, Jacen Roberson are expected to play significant roles in the `Runner offense, while senior Eric Charles returns after leading the team with a .391 OBP two seasons ago.

On the bump, CSUB limited opponents to just a .259 average in 2020 and return starters Jaykob Acosta, Roman Angelo, Davonte Butler, Aaron Charles and Ethan Skuija, along with relief aces Noah Cordova and Kellen O'Connor.

Newcomers Art Joven (Missouri) and Cody Tucker (Mesa CC) should also see significant mound time for the `Runners.

Bakersfield opens the season with 12-straight home games, culminating in its Big West debut against UC Riverside on Mar. 19-21.

CSUB will host UCR, UC Davis, CSUN, Cal Poly and UC Irvine in conference play this season, while traveling to Cal State Fullerton, Hawaii, UC San Diego, Long Beach State and Santa Barbara, in addition to a non-conference road series at Stanford.

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES    
Utah Valley opened the 2021 series splitting a four-game set at Saint Mary's in Moraga, Calif., last weekend. The Wolverines jumped out to wins in games one and two, behind strong pitching performances from Jesse Schmidt and Nick Sims, before falling in games three and four and settling for a split.

Schmidt, a pre-season 1st-Team all-WAC selection for UVU,  tossed 6 scoreless innings and struck out four in his season debut. He posted a paltry 1.08 ERA last season.

Sims scattered five hits over 5.1, matching Schmidt with a scoreless performance of his own. He threw 13.2 innings in 2020, pitching to a 7.24 ERA, while allowing opposing hitters a .333 average.

Offensively, the Wolverines hit just .153 in the series, but were led by infielder Mitch Moralez, who hit .357 and walked twice. Brandon Luna added a .300 weekend for UVU, who managed just three extra-base hits and seven runs over four games.

The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 10-wins a piece, but CSUB has won eight of the last ten and four of the past five meetings.

The teams last met in 2019, for a three-game WAC series at Hardt Field, with the  `Runners winning two out of three.

FOR CONSISTENCY'S SAKE          
Senior Tyler Jorgensen, an All-WAC selection ahead of the 2020 season, lived up to his pre-season billing when he reached base in all fourteen games a season ago, recording at least one hit in 12 of 14 outings.

Jorgensen hit .315 last year, adding seven walks for a .393 on-base percentage. In two season's at CSUB he boasts a career .321/.391/.394 slash-line while starting 68 of 71 games. He has reached base in 15-consecutive games dating back to 2019.

THE GRADUATES       
Three `Runners are taking graduate level courses this year. Seniors Noah Cordova and Eric Charles are both taking advantage of the NCAA's COVID-related eligibility ruling and returned this season to begin pursuit of their master's degrees. Classmate Kenny Johnson was able to complete his undergraduate degree last Spring, thanks to a redshirt in 2018.

Cordova is pursuing a degree in Environmental Resource Management, while Charles and Johnson are studying Psychology and Kinesiology, respectively.

HENDERSON SIGNS            
Outfielder Damian Henderson signed with the Cincinnati Reds following a stand-out 2020 season in Bakersfield. Henderson led the `Runners in nearly all offensive categories last season.

He is the 23rrd Roadrunner to sign a professional contract after his collegiate playing career, and the third as a free-agent, in the program's 11-year history.

HOME BOYS       
Eight Roadrunners hail from the city of Bakersfield, representing six local high schools, including one set of high school teammates in Stockdale's Cory Blackburn and Eli Brum. Newcomers Art Joven and Nick Salas each attended Highland, but did not play together. Additionally, Roman Angelo (Bakersfield Christian), Aaron Charles (Ridgeview),  Jacen Roberson (Garces Memorial), Kobe Silva (Frontier) are all local products.

INTERNATIONAL WATERS            
Freshmen Jack Lee and Jo Stevens are the first non-North American student-athletes to suit up for CSUB Baseball. Both Lee and Stevens hail from Australia, where they were teammates on the country's 2019 U-18 WBSC Team. Stevens is a native of Mount Colah, New South Wales, while Lee grew up in Sydney, New South Wales.

CENTURY CLUB         
A handful of `Runners are chasing triple-digit milestones in 2021. Evan Berkey needs just six more hits for 100 in his career, while Davonte Butler (97) and Ethan Skuija (89) are both closing in on 100 career strikeouts. Junior Roman Angelo has 74.2 career innings pitched over one-plus seasons at CSUB. Finally, Jeremy Beard is just 18 wins shy of 100, heading into his fifth season (4th full season).

BOYS OF SUMMER         
Ethan Skuija and Nick Grossman each enjoyed standout summer ball in the Expedition League  in 2020. Skuija was the EL Pitcher of the Year, setting league records in ERA (1.25), K/9 (15.6), WHIP (0.78) and opponents batting average for the Pierre Trappers. Grossman also played in Pierre, hitting .284 with 10 doubles and a league-high six home runs.

Evan Berkey posted a .361 on-base percentage with the Mankato Moondogs, leading the club in doubles (7) and extra-base hits (9), while stealing nine bases.

Additionally, Aaron Charles and Davonte Butler spent the summer with the Bradenton Juice in the Florida State League, while CJ Rivers (Portland Pickles), Eli Brum (Bismarck Bull Moose) and Kobe Silva (Bakersfield Waves) also played over the summer.

A number of other `Runners saw their summer ball plans canceled, including Jacen Roberson, who was set to play with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod League. Roberson is the first athlete in CSUB history to get a full-season deal with a CCL club.

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL        
Bakersfield catchers Cody Holtz and Angel Saldivar cut down seven of 12 would be base stealers during the 2020 season, essentially stifling opponents' running games. Holtz caught 50% of would be base stealers (4/8), while Saldivar threw out an astounding 75% (3/4).

MAKE THEM EARN IT         
CSUB starting pitchers opened last season allowing just three earned run over their first 38.1 innings pitched. All five starting pitchers return from last year's team in Jaykob Acosta, Roman Angelo, Davonte Butler, Aaron Charles and Ethan Skuija, while the additions of Art Joven and Cody Tucker should make the rotation even stronger in 2021.

SLAM THE DOOR         
Right-hander Noah Cordova was dominant and dependable out of the `Runner pen a season ago. The senior from Gilbert, Ariz., posted a 2.08 ERA, a 0.81 WHIP and a .103 opponents batting average across six appearances in 2020, collecting a pair of saves. He pairs well with lefty Kellen O'Connor, who led CSUB with seven appearances last season, finishing 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA.

STRANDED          
One area where the `Runners must improve in 2021 is timely hitting with runners on base and in scoring position. CSUB stranded 122 base runners in 2020, an average of 8.7 left on base per game.

CARDBOARD COPIES        
While fans will be unable to attend CSUB home games in 2021, the Bakersfield community has ensured they will be at Hardt Field in spirit, already purchasing 625 fan cutouts to be displayed in the Hardt Field grandstand this season. At least 400 of those cutouts will be installed by the season opener against Utah Valley. For more information on purchasing a cutout of your own, visit www.gorunners.com/cutouts.

BAKERSFIELD ONLINE         
All 28 Roadrunner home games will be carried live on local radio (101.1 FM / 1230 AM) and available to audio stream online (www.bakersfieldespn.com).

Additionally, 24 of 28 home contests will be live streamed on WATCHESPN and the ESPN APP.
 
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Players Mentioned

Roman Angelo

#40 Roman Angelo

RHP
6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
Evan Berkey

#1 Evan Berkey

IF
5' 11"
Junior
R/R
Cory Blackburn

#11 Cory Blackburn

OF
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
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
Kenny Johnson

#35 Kenny Johnson

RHP
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Tyler Jorgensen

#10 Tyler Jorgensen

INF
6' 2"
Senior
L/R
Jacen Roberson

#16 Jacen Roberson

OF
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
L/L

Players Mentioned

Roman Angelo

#40 Roman Angelo

6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Evan Berkey

#1 Evan Berkey

5' 11"
Junior
R/R
IF
Cory Blackburn

#11 Cory Blackburn

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
OF
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
Kenny Johnson

#35 Kenny Johnson

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
RHP
Tyler Jorgensen

#10 Tyler Jorgensen

6' 2"
Senior
L/R
INF
Jacen Roberson

#16 Jacen Roberson

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
L/L
OF
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