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CSU Bakersfield Softball
Paul Muyskens

Softball

CSUB Softball Ready to Kick Off 2022 Season

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The final countdown to the return of the CSU Bakersfield softball team has arrived as the Roadrunners will kick off the 2022 season this weekend. With a gap of 706 days separating CSUB's last two competitive games, the `Runners excitedly anticipate getting the season going at UNLV's Rebel Kickoff in Las Vegas, Feb. 11-13.

With almost two full seasons having passed since CSUB last competed, there are plenty of new faces around the diamond for the `Runners. Let's take a look at the position-by-position breakdown.

Note: When student-athletes' years are referenced, their year of eligibility is being stated, not their academic standing.

Outfielders

Patrolling the grass in the outfield will be Bakersfield's most experienced group of `Runners, despite the fact that most of them have not played yet for CSUB. The `Runners have a pair of redshirt freshmen in Kailey Samora and Baylee Garrett who each played in a limited number of games before the 2020 season was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both women are in their third year in Head Coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler's program, so they bring a strong knowledge of expectations into the year ahead.

A trio of experienced newcomers join the `Runner last line of defense this year in Cieana Curran, Laela Minnich, and Savanna Montoya. Curran, who is the younger sister of CSUB's starting shortstop Cydney Curran, transferred to CSUB to play her final year of eligibility after a standout career at NCAA Division II Hawai'i Pacific. Minnich and Montoya are a pair of junior college transfers, from Howard College and Salt Lake City College, respectively.

Rounding out the `Runner outfielders are Kaia Johnson and Tayler Thomas. Johnson is a second-year `Runner who had her freshman year postponed when CSUB opted out of the 2021 season while Thomas is a true freshman from San Diego.

Infielders

Cydney Curran highlights the CSUB infield as the most experienced `Runner on Buck-Ziegler's squad. In a little over three competitive seasons, Curran has started all 150 games for CSUB at shortstop. The speedy lefty also enters the season ranked eighth among all NCAA Division I softball players with 13 career triples.

CSUB's infield features a few more veterans in Samantha Martinez, Kayla Tadewosian, and Samantha Pech. Martinez was a junior college transfer in 2020 and she was mashing the ball for CSUB before the season was cut short. Tadewosian has been a member of the `Runner softball team since 2019, but because of injuries and the COVID situation, she has yet to play a full season. Pech also came to CSUB in 2019, when she made 26 starts. Tadewosian and Pech are two prime candidates to start as Bakersfield's Designated Player this season.

Jordan Head returns to CSUB for her third year, also looking to play her first full season as a `Runner. Lauren Randle returns for her redshirt freshman season after sitting out with the squad last year and looks to see time at first base.

Five newcomers are joining the Bakersfield infield this season: Alexis Ortega, Kaine Marcinkowski, Karissa Munsey, Maya Williams, and Shaylene Fuimaono. Ortega enjoyed a standout prep career in El Monte, Calif. while Marcinkowski hails from Shoreline, Wash. Munsey, a native of Fontana, Calif., will battle with Randle for time at first base. Williams is a College of Southern Idaho transfer who will share time at third base with Fuimaono, who comes to CSUB from Oceanside, Calif.

Catchers

Buck-Ziegler has a quartet of new `Runners to choose from to be CSUB's woman behind the plate. Jocelynn Molina, like Randle, joins CSUB for her second year after sitting out the 2021 season. Three true freshmen and California natives -- Natalya Rodriguez, Maya Molina-Villareal, and Miranda Rodriguez -- are ready to make their impact as `Runners.

Pitchers

The CSUB pitching staff also features an all-new group of `Runners in 2022, completing a totally refreshed battery. Kirsten Martinez transferred to CSUB from Howard College ahead of this season. Reina Castillo comes to Bakersfield after a standout prep career at Aquinas High School. A native of Mesa, Ariz., Kaycie Kennedy rounds out CSUB's trio of hurlers. All three women are right handers and will throw their first pitches in `Runner uniforms in the coming games.

Season Kickoff

The `Runners are prepared to start the 2022 season on the road this weekend. CSUB will travel to Las Vegas to compete in UNLV's Rebel Kickoff, Feb. 11-13. The season-opening tournament will feature three tough opponents for Bakersfield. CSUB will play a pair of games each against host UNLV and perennial power BYU on Friday and Saturday. Closing out the tournament on Sunday, the `Runners will face off against fellow Big West Conference member Hawai'i in a non-conference contest.

All of CSUB's games this weekend will be live streamed via UNLV's YouTube account. Links to those broadcasts as well as live stats and tickets can all be found at GoRunners.com/Live. Season tickets and single-game tickets for CSUB's home games, which start on Feb. 19, are available ahead of time at GoRunners.com/Tickets.

~GoRunners.com~
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Players Mentioned

Cydney Curran

#1 Cydney Curran

INF
5' 4"
Redshirt Senior
L/R
Baylee Garrett

#27 Baylee Garrett

OF
5' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
L/R
Jordan Head

#8 Jordan Head

INF
5' 7"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
Kaia Johnson

#2 Kaia Johnson

OF
5' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
Samantha Martinez

#30 Samantha Martinez

INF
5' 4"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Jocelynn Molina

#66 Jocelynn Molina

C
5' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
Samantha Pech

#16 Samantha Pech

1B
5' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
Lauren Randle

#29 Lauren Randle

1B
5' 9"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
Kailey Samora

#33 Kailey Samora

OF
5' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
L/R
Kayla Tadewosian

#88 Kayla Tadewosian

INF
5' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/R
Karissa Munsey

#50 Karissa Munsey

1B
5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
Savanna Montoya

#55 Savanna Montoya

OF
5' 5"
Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Cydney Curran

#1 Cydney Curran

5' 4"
Redshirt Senior
L/R
INF
Baylee Garrett

#27 Baylee Garrett

5' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
L/R
OF
Jordan Head

#8 Jordan Head

5' 7"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
INF
Kaia Johnson

#2 Kaia Johnson

5' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
OF
Samantha Martinez

#30 Samantha Martinez

5' 4"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
INF
Jocelynn Molina

#66 Jocelynn Molina

5' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
C
Samantha Pech

#16 Samantha Pech

5' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
1B
Lauren Randle

#29 Lauren Randle

5' 9"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
1B
Kailey Samora

#33 Kailey Samora

5' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
L/R
OF
Kayla Tadewosian

#88 Kayla Tadewosian

5' 3"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/R
INF
Karissa Munsey

#50 Karissa Munsey

5' 8"
Freshman
R/R
1B
Savanna Montoya

#55 Savanna Montoya

5' 5"
Junior
R/R
OF
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