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Bakersfield, Calif. - The Roadrunners battled back following a Friday afternoon loss to win Saturday and Sunday at UC Davis and clinch their third-consecutive Big West Conference series victory to open the year; they'll play for a fourth when they welcome Hawai'i to Hardt Field, Thursday, April 14-Saturday, April 16, in a three-game league set. Bakersfield remains tied for second in the conference standings, with its 7-2 Big West mark through three weekends of league play.

CSUB is 14-16 overall, and has won nine of its last 15 outings after opening the season just 5-10. The `Runners took three of four at Hawai'i last season, improving to 7-2 in nine all-time meetings with the Rainbow Warriors. The two schools will meet for just the second, third and fourth times at Hardt Field in this weekend's series.

Bakersfield will complete a midweek home-and-home at Pepperdine on Tuesday, Apr. 19 to close out the week.

The Roadrunners have averaged more than 7.5 runs per game in their last 15 contests, including 23 runs in three games at UC Davis.

Rightfielder AJ Miller continues to lead the club with a .316 average and 37 hits, to go with eight doubles and four home runs on the year.

Outfield mates Jashia Morrissey and James Bell, along with designated hitter Andrew Allanson have broken out the past few weeks to join Miller at the top of CSUB's offensive charts. Morrissey is now hitting .314 with a team-best .425 on-base percentage and 12 extra-base hits, while Allanson and Bell are hitting .288 and .277, respectively, and are the team's top-two run producers.

The offense has picked up Bakersfield's starting pitching, which had been so strong for much of the season, but has faltered a bit over the past two weeks.

Benji Caggianelli still ranks second on the team with his 2.83 earned run average and looks to return to early season form that saw him allow just four earned runs over his first six starts, and 32.1 innings of work. He leads the club with 48 strikeouts this season. Kellen O'Connor has worked at least six innings in each of his last three starts, grabbing a pair of victories and improving his ERA to 3.86. Jaykob Acosta has been fantastic out of the CSUB bullpen of late. He's lowered his ERA to 2.89 in 37.1 innings pitched, second most on the team.

ROADRUNNER QUICK PITCHES...

O'CONNOR IN COMMAND
CSUB Saturday starter Kellen O'Connor has worked through at least the sixth inning in each of his last three outings to earn a pair of victories and a no decision. O'Connor has struck out 21 opposing hitters in that span, while walking zero. He now boasts a 6:1 strikeout to walk ratio in 2022 (42:7).

ROUND TRIPPERS
Shortstop Aaron Casillas belted his first career home run in Saturday's 9-7 win at UC Davis. It was Bakersfield's 20th long ball of the season, which already ranks as the sixth most in single-season school history. CSUB needs just one more HR to move into the top-five and three more home runs to match their entire 2021 season total of 23.

DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS
Bakersfield has turned in just a .959 fielding percentage this season, but has been much better in conference play raising their number to .977. CSUB made just three errors in three games at UC Davis and has committed just eight in nine league contests.

ACOSTA DOING BUSINESS
Sophomore Jaykob Acosta has allowed just six earned runs in his last 25.0 IP (2.16 ERA), lowering his season ERA to 2.89. He's limited opposing hitters to a .243 average.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Eight Roadrunners already have driven in double digit runs this season, after just six accomplished the feat a season ago. Andrew Allanson leads the team with 27, followed by AJ Miller (19) and James Bell (18). Nick Salas has eight and could join the group as early as this weekend.

CAUGHT IN THE ACT
CSUB has been excellent in slowing down opposing running games this season, especially of late. Roadrunner catchers have cut down 14 of 36 would-be base stealers (38.9%) along with the run game management of the Bakersfield pitching staff, which has nabbed five more opponents with moves to first base. That stat will be tested this weekend by a Hawai'i team that has successfully stolen 40 bases in  59 attempts for a 67.8% conversion rate.

A GRAND OLE TIME
Andrew Allanson became the first player in CSUB history to hit a pair of grand slams in a single game, and drove in a program record eight RBI in a loss to Pepperdine. Allanson hit one grand slam from each side of the plate, a feat accomplished just once in MLB history (Bill Mueller, Red Sox, 2003). He has 7 home runs in 2022, tied for the fifth most in CSUB single-season history. He needs one more to move into a T-3rd and two more to move into a T-2nd. Martin Medina holds the `Runner record with 12 in 2010.

BIG WEST SLUGGERS
CSUB centerfield Jashia Morrissey was named Big West Player of the Week on Monday, Mar. 21, after a standout performance in a series sweep of UC Riverside. Morrissey was 6-for-8, with five walks, a triple, a home run, five runs scored and four RBI. Andrew Allanson made it consecutive weekly honors for Roadrunner sluggers, when he captured the Player of the Week award on Mar. 28. Allanson started his week with a pair of grand slams and eight RBI against Pepperdine, before homering three more times and driving in eight more in a series split with Utah Valley.

HOME IS AT HARDT
CSUB boasts a 33-game home schedule in 2022, including nine home series and four individual midweek opponents. Five of those series are against Big West opponents Cal State Fullerton, Hawai'i, UC San Diego, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara, later in the year. Twelve home games remain, with season tickets and single-game tickets for all CSUB home contests available for purchase on GoRunners.com/Tickets or by calling 661.654.BLUE. CSUB was 12-12 at Hardt Field last season, winning key Big West series against UC Riverside and Cal Poly, while splitting with UC Davis.

EXIT POLLING
CSU Bakersfield was picked to finish eighth in the Pre-Season Big West Conference Coaches' Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches. The Roadrunners finished with 35 points, sandwiched in a middle of the pack that also includes Cal State Fullerton, Hawai'i, CSUN and UC San Diego. Long Beach State, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly are among the pre-season favorites, while UC Riverside and UC Davis found themselves at the bottom of the poll. CSUB was picked to finish dead last in 2021, before spending most of the season in the top four. The `Runners stumbled at the finish and ended up in seventh place a season ago.

GRADUATE STUDENTS
Three Bakersfield scholar-athletes are working towards graduate degrees during the 2021-22 school year. Fifth-year seniors Kevin Altamirano, Daniel Carrizosa and Kenny Johnson are all taking advantage of COVID eligibility to pursue advanced degrees.

TEAMMATES AGAIN
James Bell and AJ Miller both signed with the University of Oregon out of high school and were teammates with the Ducks during the COVID shortened 2020 season. Bell played one season in Eugene and another at Fresno City College before joining the Roadrunners, while Miller spent three seasons at Oregon.

Newcomers Evan Rice and Adrian Santa Cruz were teammates at Phoenix College, leading the Bears to the NJCAA Division II World Series in 2021.

Benji Caggianelli and Gabe Ulloa played together at Bakersfield College in each of the last two seasons.

Four sets of `Runners were high school teammates. Andrew Allanson and Tyler Vargas played together at Quartz Hill High School in Lancaster, Calif., while Matt Kurata and DJ Massey competed at Gahr High School in Cerritos, Calif., Nick Salas and AJ Cleveland played at Highland High School in Bakersfield, Calif., and Aaron Casillas and Michael Pollard were teammates at Mission Viejo High School in Mission Viejo, Calif.

LOCAL BOY MAKES GOOD
Bakersfield native and three-year Roadrunner outfielder Jacen Roberson became the 21st CSUB baseball player selected in the Major League Baseball Draft when he was chosen by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 468th choice in the 16th Round. Roberson hit .282 with 10 doubles, three triples and seven home runs last season, earning All-Big West Honorable Mention honors.


SCOUTING THE OPPONENT(S)...

• HAWAII: Hawai'i enters the weekend with a similar 13-16 overall record, and a 6-6 mark in conference play following a series sweep of UC Riverside on Oahu a week ago. UH has faced stiff Big West competition, dropping 2-1 series decisions at Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara, and at home versus UC Irvine.

The Rainbow Warriors are hitting .244 as a team, led by Matt Wong (.282) and Aaron Ujimori (.280). Wong and Jacob Igawa lead the team with nine extra-base hits, with Igawa the top HR hitter with four. UH is especially aggressive in the running game, successfully stealing 40 bags in 29 games played to date.

Hawai'i pitchers have combined for a 4.94 ERA, including respective 5.25 and 5.75 ERA's from eight-time starters Cade Halemanu and Andy Archer. Six other Rainbow Warriors have made at least one start this season.
 

LAST TIME OUT...

The Roadrunners improved to 7-2 in Big West play when they took two of three on the road and won the series over UC Davis at Swimley Field. Bakersfield dropped Friday afternoon's opener 7-5, before storming back to win the final two games and scoring nine runs in each. CSUB stands tied for second in the Big West standings, alongside Cal Poly and behind only UC Santa Barbara. 

2022 Overall Statistics


NEXT WEEK...

Following a midweek effort at Pepperdine, the Roadrunners will continue a Big West home stand by welcoming conference rival UC San Diego. Bakersfield took three of four from the Tritons in La Jolla, during the 2021 campaign - the first season as members of the Big West for both schools.