• The Cal State Bakersfield wrestling team will continue the 2024-25 season at the Norman Duals this weekend, hosted by the University of Oklahoma.
• Two Roadrunners are currently nationally ranked by FloWrestling: #4 AJ Ferrari (197), #32 Jake Andrews (HWT).
• Former NCAA Champion AJ Ferrari is ranked the #13 Pound-for-Pound wrestler in the country by FloWrestling. InterMat ranks Ferrari #1 at 197 while The Open Mat has him at #3. 
• FloWrestling ranks Cal State Bakersfield #27 as a team while InterMat has the Roadrunners at #20. 
• Bakersfield native Jake Andrews is now 7-2 on the season. The `Runner heavyweight won the Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week honor on Nov. 26.
• Bakersfield’s wrestling program had an active streak of sending at least one Roadrunner to the NCAA Championships for 50 consecutive seasons, snapped last year. A mix of ready returners and determined newcomers will help 6th-year Head Coach Luke Smith return the program to new prominence in the wrestling world.
• Smith recruited two standout veterans to help guide the way: 2021 NCAA Champion (197) AJ Ferrari and 3-time NCAA Qualifier (174/165) Gerrit Nijenhuis (Oklahoma/Purdue).
• Seven consistent starters returned from last season’s lineup, giving Bakersfield a battle-tested lineup: Richard Castro-Sandoval (125), Santino Sanchez (133), Brock Rogers (149), Devyn Flores-Che (157), Guillermo Escobedo (165), Braden Smelser (184), and Jake Andrews (HWT).

CSUB at Norman Duals 

• Norman, Okla. / McCasland Field House
• Saturday, Dec. 21
• Matches are scheduled for 8/10/12 (PT), but matches will start as soon as the previous match ends.
• CSUB vs. Chattanooga - 8 a.m. (PT)
• CSUB vs. Oklahoma - 10 a.m. (PT)
• CSUB vs. Southeast CC - 12 p.m. (PT)
• ESPN+ broadcast for Oklahoma's matches only
• Live stats will be available for all matches through TrackWrestling
• Senior Gerrit Nijenhuis is in his first year at Cal State Bakersfield after transferring from Oklahoma.
• CSUB and Oklahoma met regularly in the 1980s and 1990s, but the two teams have only battled once since 1999.
• The Sooners hold an all-time record of 12-3-1 over the `Runners.
• CSUB and Chattanooga will be meeting for just the second time all-time and the first time since 2005.
• The `Runners won that first matchup.
• Bakersfield's will also tackle Southeast Community College, which is the #13 ranked Community College in NJCAA.
• Schedule & Links

Wichita State (5-6) - Wednesday, December 18, at 2:00 pm

• The Cal State Women’s Basketball team is back in action at the Icardo Center after a road trip before the holidays.
• Bakersfield will host Wichita State for a 2:00 PM matchup on Wednesday.
• This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams, making for an exciting contest. Wichita State, currently 5-6 overall, is coming off a two-game winning streak.
• As members of the American Athletic Conference, the Shockers want to extend their success, which presents a new challenge for Bakersfield.
• Schedule and links
• Tickets

• Jemel Jones and Corey Stephenson pace the Roadrunner offense both averaging 15+ points per game.
  • Stephenson also leads the team in rebounds per game (5.8)
• Bakersfield looks to defend the Icardo once again as they play host to Portland State night
  • The Roadrunners boast a 4-0 record this season at home, and a 14-4 record at home dating back to last season.
• Fidelis Okereke ranks 66th in the nation and 4th in the conference for blocks (17). Stephenson is 38th in the nation and 2nd in the conference for field goal percentage (58.7%).
• Marvin McGhee III has been very efficient from the field, and leading the team in scoring, over those three games he is averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting 63.3% (19-30) from the field and 77.8% (14-18) from the three-point line. He has also pulled down 5.0 rebounds per game in this stretch.

CSUB @ Portland (4-7, 0-0 WCC), Dec. 18 @ 7 PM

• Bakersfield hits the road again heading up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Pilots
• CSUB is 0-3 all time when facing the Pilots, last meeting in December of 2012
• The Pilots were picked to finish 8th in the WCC in the coaches’ poll, tied in San Diego
• Austin Rapp is a player to keep your eye on for the Pilots, leading the team in points (12.7) and rebounds (6.6) per game
  • Rapp’s rebounds per game is good for 13th best in the conference, while his three-point percentage is the WCC’s best at 38.5% from the arc
• Bakersfield is currently outscoring opponents by a score of 76-70 on average, while Portland is being outscored by a score of 72.6-78.4

CSUB vs Portland State (5-5, 0-0 Big Sky), Dec. 21 @ 6:30 PM

• The Roadrunners are back home to defend their home floor, they currently sit at 4-0 at home this season, and 14-4 dating back to last season
• CSUB leads Portland State 4-2 all time when facing each other. They last met in December 2018 in Portland where the `Runners won 76-71
  • The Roadrunners have won the last three meetings
• The Vikings were picked to finish in sixth place according to the Big Sky preseason poll
  • Currently 3-2 in their last five games
• Portland State ranks highly in several statistical categories nationally and within in the Big Sky conference
  • They are 38th in the nation and 1st in their conference in assists per game (17.1), 36th in the nation and 1st in their conference in bench points per game (30.90), 10th in the nation and 1st in their conference in blocks per game (5.8), 28th in the nation and 1st in their conference in field goal percentage (49.5%), 26th in the nation and 1st in their conference in scoring offense (84.8), and 47th in the nation and 1st in their conference in turnovers forced per game (15.20)

CSUB @ North Dakota State (10-4, 0-0 Summit), Dec. 23 @ 5 PM

• Bakersfield will head to Fargo, North Dakota to take on the Bison for the second time this season
  • CSUB beat NDSU in the Icardo on Nov. 11th by a score of 86-81
• Jackson Moni and Jacari White headline North Dakota State’s offense
  • Moni averages 17.6 points per game and White averages 17.2 points per game
    • White scored 22 (6-13 FG, 1-6 3FG, 9-9 FT) when the two teams last met
    • White was held to 2-5 from the field in the second half but scored 11 points, seven of those coming from the free throw line
• Jemel Jones (25) , Corey Stephenson (18), and CJ Hardy (15) combined for 58 points
  • Hardy scored all 15 points in the second half shooting 80% from the field and making 6-9 free throws
  • Marvin McGhee IV knocked down two clutch three-pointers to help the Roadrunners complete their comeback over NDSU
• Since the last meeting, the Bison are 8-2 and come into this game on a seven-game win streak

• The Cal State Bakersfield swimming and diving teams will continue their way across the 2024-25 season by hosting their final two dual meets, including Senior Day on Saturday.
• The Roadrunners have sponsored six Big West Athlete of the Week honors this season across four different student-athletes: Vili Sivec (3), Arthur Amaral Schneider, Lorena Jerebic, Jessica Franco,
• Bakersfield recently sent two of its top `Runners to the U.S. Open, where junior Vili Sivec became the U.S. Open Champion in the 200 Butterfly.
• CSUB is in a new and exciting era as the `Runners are in their first season in The Big West with the first Big West Championships scheduled for Feb. 12-15 in Houston.
• Bakersfield is coming off a highly successful 2023-24 season which saw the `Runners win eight conference medals, with most of the team posting high-scoring best times.
• The `Runner rosters feature several experienced and determined veterans looking to lead the way, including Sivec, who is the reigning MPSF Swimmer of the Year.

CSUB vs. UC Santa Barbara

• Dec. 18, 12 p.m.
• Bakersfield, Calif. / Hillman Aquatic Center
• Both the `Runner men and women have lost dual meets against UCSB each of the last two seasons

CSUB vs. UC San Diego

• Senior Day
• Senior Ceremony shortly before the start of the meet
• Dec. 21, 1 p.m.
• Bakersfield, Calif. / Hillman Aquatic Center
• Similar to UCSB, the `Runner men and women have lost dual meets against UCSD each of the last two seasons
• Schedule & Links
• Admission is free for CSUB swim & dive home events. Starting 2 hours before home events, Parking in Lot I, is free to fans, courtesy of CSUB Athletics