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Mark Duffel

Baseball

Casillas, Salas Return to Anchor Bakersfield Infield

BAKERSFIELD – Returning sophomores Aaron Casillas and Nick Salas are expected to reprise their roles as CSU Bakersfield's keystone combination in 2022, after spending most of last season playing together in the middle infield. Roadrunner infielders combined for a .975 fielding percentage a year ago and should key Bakersfield's defensive efforts again this season. 

GoRunners.com continues its 2022 Season Preview with a closer look at the infield unit, after featuring the CSUB outfield earlier this week. 

• CSUB Outfield Preview
 
"Our infield play with Salas and Casillas anchoring the middle will offer our pitching staff the confidence they need to induce contact and keep our opponents on the carpet as often as possible," said Head Coach Jeremy Beard. "We've worked hard to bring in top defenders to help shrink the middle of the field." 
 
A slick-fielding shortstop with range, quick hands and a quick release, Casillas is one of the Big West's most impactful players on the defensive side of the ball. He's made just five errors in 246 chances over 55 appearances and 53 starts at CSUB – a .980 career fielding percentage.  
 
"Aaron is as good of a defender as you will see in college baseball," Beard said.
 
Offensively, Casillas raised his batting average nearly 70 points in 2021, improving his slashline to .248/.291/.282, while doubling five times, driving in 14 runs and scoring 17 times. 
 
Jashia Morrissey's move to center field, clears the way for Salas to stake a claim to the second base position, after splitting 33 appearances between second and third a year ago. He finished the 2021 season with a .265 average and a .333 on-base percentage, doubling four times, stealing six bags and scoring 12 runs.  
 
Kobe Silva will get the first chance to win the first-base job this season.
 
Silva is one of just three Roadrunners in history to reach base three times in his career debut, doubling and walking twice in an opening night loss to Washington State in 2020. The Bakersfield native and Frontier High School graduate has appeared in 24 games, with 12 starts, over two seasons at CSUB.  
 
Newcomer Evan Rice is expected to start the season at third and contribute near the top of the `Runner line-up. Rice spent two seasons at Phoenix College, leading the team to the NJCAA Division II World Series and earning First-Team All-Conference Honors, while hitting .396 in 2021.  
 
True freshman Cody Hendriks will compete for playing time on the left side of the infield, bringing offensive upside and middle infield ability to the Roadrunner line-up, after spending 2021 with the European Champion Dutch National Team. Hendriks is a native of Port Coquitlam, B.C., and attended Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks, Alb.  
 
Tyler Vargas boasts Division I playing experience after playing his freshman season at Utah Valley, where he appeared in 17 games and made six starts for the Wolverines. Vargas hit .293 at Antelope Valley College in 2021 before transferring to CSUB.  
 
Andrew Allanson and Aaron Perez bring offensive potential to Bakersfield's line-up with the ability to see time at first base, corner outfield or designated hitter.  
 
Allanson is the son of former major league baseball player Andy Allanson, and hails from Quartz Hill High School in Lancaster, Calif., where he was teammates with Vargas early in his career. Allanson redshirted the 2021 season at CSUB, before hitting .370 with seven home runs last summer for the Humboldt Crabs in the Golden State League.  
 
Perez was the Offensive MVP at Villa Park High School in 2021, hitting .350 his senior season and leading the Spartans to a League Championship.   
  
Graduate student Daniel Carrizosa returns for his fifth season at CSUB in 2022. He's a career .255 hitter with nine doubles and 42 RBI. In the COVID shortened 2020 campaign, Carrizosa hit .343 with an .839 on-base plus slugging percentage in 11 appearances.  
 
Freshmen and former Gahr High School teammates Matthew Kurata and DJ Massey will also compete for playing time in the infield.  
 
Kurata was the 2021 Gahr Athlete of the Year and an All-San Gabriel Valley Honorable Mention choice and combined with Massey to lead the Gladiators to the League Championship in 2019.  
 
"The addition of Rice, Hendriks, Vargas, and Kurata will impact our depth immediately and keep us competitive at infield positions in the future," Beard added.
 
Bakersfield hosts 33 games at Hardt Field this season, beginning with a three-game series with Oakland University on Feb. 18-20. The Roadrunners will also host Kansas State and Utah at Hardt Field, along with Big West Conference series against Cal State Fullerton, Hawai'i, UC San Diego, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara.
 
Season and single-game tickets are now available for purchase on GoRunners.com/Tickets or by calling 661.654.BLUE.
 
All CSUB home games will stream live on ESPN+.
 
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Players Mentioned

Daniel Carrizosa

#5 Daniel Carrizosa

RHP/IF
6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
Andrew Allanson

#33 Andrew Allanson

C
6' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
S-R
Aaron Casillas

#2 Aaron Casillas

INF
5' 9"
Sophomore
R-R
Jashia Morrissey

#3 Jashia Morrissey

OF
6' 0"
Sophomore
S-R
Nick Salas

#11 Nick Salas

INF
5' 9"
Sophomore
R-R
Kobe Silva

#21 Kobe Silva

INF
6' 2"
Sophomore
R-R
Cody Hendriks

#38 Cody Hendriks

IF
6' 2"
Freshman
R-R
DJ Massey

#53 DJ Massey

IF
5' 8"
Freshman
R-R
Aaron Perez

#9 Aaron Perez

OF/1B
6' 1"
Freshman
L-R
Evan Rice

#4 Evan Rice

IF
5' 11"
Sophomore
L-R
Tyler Vargas

#1 Tyler Vargas

IF
5' 10"
Junior
R-R

Players Mentioned

Daniel Carrizosa

#5 Daniel Carrizosa

6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP/IF
Andrew Allanson

#33 Andrew Allanson

6' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
S-R
C
Aaron Casillas

#2 Aaron Casillas

5' 9"
Sophomore
R-R
INF
Jashia Morrissey

#3 Jashia Morrissey

6' 0"
Sophomore
S-R
OF
Nick Salas

#11 Nick Salas

5' 9"
Sophomore
R-R
INF
Kobe Silva

#21 Kobe Silva

6' 2"
Sophomore
R-R
INF
Cody Hendriks

#38 Cody Hendriks

6' 2"
Freshman
R-R
IF
DJ Massey

#53 DJ Massey

5' 8"
Freshman
R-R
IF
Aaron Perez

#9 Aaron Perez

6' 1"
Freshman
L-R
OF/1B
Evan Rice

#4 Evan Rice

5' 11"
Sophomore
L-R
IF
Tyler Vargas

#1 Tyler Vargas

5' 10"
Junior
R-R
IF
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