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Hannah Walker

Baseball

Meet CSUB Baseball 2024: Catchers

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The Roadrunner Baseball team kicks off the 2024 season today at the College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz. Cal State Bakersfield will be on the road for the first two weeks of the season, so we want to help fans get to know seventh-year Head Coach Jeremy Beard's new roster, starting with the `Runner catchers.

Beard on the five men behind the plate: "Our catching crew has some experience with both Matthew Kurata and Konnor Palmeria. Those two will lead the way and help each other stay healthy throughout the season. Both can play secondary positions, but the majority of their time will be behind the plate."
 
#8 Matthew Kurata
  • Junior in his third season with the `Runners.
  • Earned Second Team All-Big West honors last year.
  • Had team-leading .369 batting average that is also good for the 8th best single-season mark in CSUB's history.
  • Played in 42 games with 38 starts while leading in most batting categories for the `Runners.
  • Team-leading 27-game on-base streak ranks 6th in CSUB's single-season streak in history.
  • Tallied four different multi-RBI games, totaling 21 on the year with 58 hits, 11 doubles, and 4 stole bases. 
#10 Konnor Palmeira
  • Junior in his second season with the `Runners.
  • Played 42 games while starting 32, primarily at first base.
  • Slashed .278/.378/.365 en route to 32 hits, 19 RBI, and 16 walks.
  • Helped lead the charge in historic 19-11 victory over Pepperdine, going 3-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBI.
  • Held a .967 fielding percentage as CSUB's primary first baseman.
 #9 Cooper Gerecke
  • Redshirt freshman in his second season with the `Runners.
  • A 2022 graduate of Liberty High School from Bakersfield, Calif.
  • Earned All-Area and All-League honors as a senior.
  • Played 59 games with the Patriots, batting .371 with 66 hits in 178 at bats.
  • Outside of baseball, competed in Sporting Clay Shooting.
 #15 Brock Perreira
  • Sophomore in his second season with the `Runners.
  • From Honolulu, Hawai'i, went to Kaiser High School.
  • In 2023, Appeared in 19 games while starting five.
  • Totaled 28 at-bats, hitting at a .179 clip for 5 hits, including a triple and homer for 6 RBI.
  • Held .357 SLG% despite limited time at designated hitter or first base.
 
#18 Austin Thomason
  • Redshirt sophomore in his first year with the `Runners.
  • Transferred from Northwest Nazarene University.
  • Appeared in 19 games for the Nighthawks last season.
  • Defensively sound, committing 0 errors.
  • Went 2-for--4 versus the #1 team in the nation: Colorado Mesa University
 
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Players Mentioned

Matthew Kurata

#8 Matthew Kurata

IF
5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
Brock Perreira

#15 Brock Perreira

C/1B
6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
Konnor Palmeira

#9 Konnor Palmeira

UT
Junior
R/R
Cooper Gerecke

#55 Cooper Gerecke

C
5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
Austin Thomason

#18 Austin Thomason

C
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R

Players Mentioned

Matthew Kurata

#8 Matthew Kurata

5' 10"
Sophomore
R/R
IF
Brock Perreira

#15 Brock Perreira

6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
C/1B
Konnor Palmeira

#9 Konnor Palmeira

Junior
R/R
UT
Cooper Gerecke

#55 Cooper Gerecke

5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
C
Austin Thomason

#18 Austin Thomason

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
C
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