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Hannah Walker

Baseball Written by Ron Stapp, Graduate Student Leader

Banfield Set to Lead CSUB into First Season at Hardt Field

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Taking over as a new head coach can present plenty of challenges, and that's certainly true for Cal State Bakersfield's Jordon Banfield.
 
The Roadrunners won just 15 games last season and haven't had a winning record since 2017. But for Banfield, it's eerily similar to when he took over as head coach at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., following the abbreviated season due to COVID-19 in 2021. The Grizzlies were just 45-199 in the four seasons before his arrival. It didn't take long to turn things around. Banfield won 91 games in his final three seasons, guiding Oakland to a top-3 finish in Horizon League each time.
 
"It does feel similar, except we have way more resources and we're in a way-better conference," Banfield said. "So they probably balance each other out."
 
Banfield was hired by Cal State Bakersfield on July 22 and has since hit the ground running to update his roster and fill-in his schedule, among other things, in preparation for the 2025 season.
 
"We've honestly just been working the whole time," Banfield said. "Getting the jump at a relatively-late time, we had to do a lot just to get the roster together. There were about a half a team worth of players here. It's just been kind of head down, pounding away at it ever since we got here."

Season Schedule
 
CSUB opens its season with a three-game home series against Lamar, with games Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 3 and Sunday at 10 a.m. at Hardt Field.
 
Friday night's Season Opener will feature Love at First Pitch, a Valentine's Day-themed promotion where a lucky couple will win a Date Night for two gift card each inning! Single-game and Season Tickets are on sale now at GoRunners.com/Tickets (buy online, beat the line!).
 
This weekend's matchup figures to be a tough opening to Banfield's first season. Lamar was 44-15 last season, winning the second most games in the country. The `Runners will then take to the road for the next three weeks with games at USC, Nevada, Cal, San Diego and Pacific, before opening Big West play at UC San Diego, March 7-9.
 
"We didn't have any (non-conference) games scheduled when I got here so we had to take what we could get," Banfield said. "So that's going to be a really stiff test right off the bat."

Team Breakdown
 
The `Runners lost about half of its roster to graduation and transfers, including its top three starting pitchers, but Banfield feels confident he has the depth to be competitive with anyone the team squares off with.
 
"A lot of it is just getting better players, but it's also important to get the right players that are willing to buy-in to something bigger than themselves," Banfield said. "and trust you enough to say that I understand that this isn't as fun in the Fall, but I understand there's a reason that we're doing this and it's going to help us. When we get enough of those guys, that's when it will happen for us."
 
CSUB expects to open the season with a mixed bag of starting pitchers, and Banfield feels his staff goes about 10 deep.
 
Right-hander Jack Leary is expected to be one of the team's starters for Opening Weekend. The redshirt-senior transfer for NCAA Div. III Whitworth University was one of the most consistent arms during the fall, according to Banfield.
 
Sophomore right-hander Shane McAlinden, who played for Banfield at Oakland last year, is working his way back from an elbow injury, but should be relied on for heavy innings this year.
 
Another one to look out for is right-hander Jeremy Jones, whom Banfield says has the best stuff on the team. The redshirt-sophomore transferred to CSUB from Shelton State Community College.
 
Two Bakersfield products could also start games this season, right-hander Jacob Gutierrez and left-hander Nick Perryman. Gutierrez, a junior from Ridgeview, was a two-way player last year, and Perryman is a redshirt-junior who graduated from Independence.
 
Centennial grad David Villegas, who led the team with four saves last year, returns and Banfield is planning to use him as a one-inning guy in relief.
 
"We don't have three starters they can ride like they did last year, but I think we have 10 guys that we feel fine about putting into the game," Banfield said. "I don't think we're going to get that 7-inning, 1-or 2-run start very often, but I think we can piece it together with some more guys that can be competitive out there."
 
The injury bug hit the `Runners recently, when prospective starting catcher Will White dislocated his thumb and will likely be out for 7 to 8 weeks.
 
In his absence, Banfield will lean on either Tyler Leroy, a senior transfer from Southern Illinois, or Liberty High School graduate Cooper Gerecke, a redshirt sophomore who started 27 games last year at CSUB.
 
The infield will be anchored by senior returner Eliah Pelayo, who started at shortstop all 53 games last year. Banfield describes him as an awesome defender and good athlete who has started to show some offensive upside recently.
 
Bakersfield Christian graduate Evan Cloyd, a junior transfer from Cal Poly, is expected to be an everyday player at first base, with sophomore returner Noah Alvarez, Ridgeview freshman Adam Salazar and junior transfer Louis Zulaica from Gavilan College battling for time at second and third base.
 
"I think we have enough guys that are capable of being fine players in this league if they can perform to their capabilities, Banfield said. If it's too big for them because they've never done it before at this level, then it could probably get away from us. As coaches, we have to make sure that doesn't happen. We gotta just get our guys to go play baseball."
 
The outfield is expected to see a good deal of rotation, Banfield said, with several players in the mix.
 
"I think we're going to be able to put nine competitive hitters that will be able to work their way on base and hopefully create some scoring opportunities for us," Banfield said. 
 
Senior returner Cody Hendriks has locked down one of the corner outfield spots, according to Banfield, who says "he has been the team's most proven returning player and he'll be an everyday player until proven otherwise."
 
Senior Lewis Barnum V, a redshirt senior from Bryant University, will open the season in center field, but could be moved to second base if others earn time in the outfield. 
 
"He's probably our best hitter, most consistent hitter, and has versatility," Banfield said.
 
Others battling to earn time include junior transfer Elgin Bennett, who Banfield says has the best power and is the fastest on the team, and Nick Mascaro, who sat out last year as a medical redshirt. Banfield says the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Mascaro is "super physical and can run."
 
Redshirt senior Jared Bujanda-McConnell and senior Michael Pollard are two other returners that have been making a late push to get into the lineup, Banfield said.
 
Senior returner Brock Pereira is expected to start the season as the team's designated hitter.
 
"Most teams, except the ones that are really, really bad and cannibalize themselves and the ones that make the 64-team tournament and win 38-plus games, everyone else is going to win between 20 and 35 games," Banfield said. "What determines that is how well you play when the game's on the line. I think that's the mix that we're in. It's just what are we going to do with those 15 games in the middle? Until our roster gets where it needs to be I think we're going to be in that group. I'm confident we're not going to be in the 15-win category, but beyond that, we'll just have to see."

~GoRunners.com~ 
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Players Mentioned

Jared Bujanda-McConnell

#33 Jared Bujanda-McConnell

OF
5' 11"
Senior
L/R
Cooper Gerecke

#9 Cooper Gerecke

C
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
Jacob Gutierrez

#1 Jacob Gutierrez

IF/RHP
6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
Cody Hendriks

#38 Cody Hendriks

IF
6' 2"
Junior
R/R
Nick Perryman

#34 Nick Perryman

LHP
6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L
Michael Pollard

#31 Michael Pollard

OF
5' 10"
Junior
R/R
David Villegas

#40 David Villegas

RHP
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Noah Alvarez

#14 Noah Alvarez

IF
6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
Nick Mascaro

#32 Nick Mascaro

OF
6' 3"
Junior
L/R
Lewis Barnum V

#5 Lewis Barnum V

UT
5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Elgin Bennett

#20 Elgin Bennett

OF
6' 0"
Junior
L/L
Evan Cloyd

#25 Evan Cloyd

1B
6' 1"
Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Jared Bujanda-McConnell

#33 Jared Bujanda-McConnell

5' 11"
Senior
L/R
OF
Cooper Gerecke

#9 Cooper Gerecke

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
R/R
C
Jacob Gutierrez

#1 Jacob Gutierrez

6' 3"
Sophomore
R/R
IF/RHP
Cody Hendriks

#38 Cody Hendriks

6' 2"
Junior
R/R
IF
Nick Perryman

#34 Nick Perryman

6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
L/L
LHP
Michael Pollard

#31 Michael Pollard

5' 10"
Junior
R/R
OF
David Villegas

#40 David Villegas

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
RHP
Noah Alvarez

#14 Noah Alvarez

6' 2"
Freshman
L/R
IF
Nick Mascaro

#32 Nick Mascaro

6' 3"
Junior
L/R
OF
Lewis Barnum V

#5 Lewis Barnum V

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
UT
Elgin Bennett

#20 Elgin Bennett

6' 0"
Junior
L/L
OF
Evan Cloyd

#25 Evan Cloyd

6' 1"
Junior
R/R
1B
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