Santa Barbara, Calif. — The CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners capped off their weekend series at UC Santa Barbara with a milestone-filled win, bouncing back in Sunday’s finale to avoid the sweep and build momentum heading into the heart of Big West play. Although CSUB dropped the first two games, the team left Santa Barbara with several bright spots—both on the field and in the program’s record books.
Game 1 featured a standout effort from senior right-hander Jack Leary, who threw Bakersfield’s first complete game of the season, working 8.0 strong innings while allowing just four earned runs and striking out five. Despite the loss, Leary’s ability to battle deep into the game helped preserve the bullpen and set a tone for the weekend. Offensively, Matt Dobson provided the big swing, launching a home run and driving in two of CSUB’s runs in the opener.
Game 2 saw the Roadrunners fall behind early and struggle to contain UCSB’s offense. A rough second inning derailed the outing for Ryan King, who allowed three earned runs over 5.1 innings, while the bullpen surrendered a combined 10 runs in the final inninxgs. But the CSUB offense continued to produce, with hits from Elgin Bennett, Noah Alvarez, and Tyler Leroy, who collectively helped CSUB tally nine more knocks in the loss. The Roadrunners finished the first two games with 18 total hits, showing offensive depth despite the outcomes.
In Sunday’s finale, Bakersfield flipped the script. Fueled by early offense and timely defense, CSUB earned a much-needed win to close the series. The offense collected another nine hits—including key contributions from Louis Zulaica (4-for-7, .571 AVG for the series), Cody Hendriks (.500 AVG, 1 HR, 1.000 SLG), and Tyrese Johnson, who consistently got on base. Defensively, the 'Runners were rock solid throughout the weekend, turning four double plays and committing just four errors over 27 innings of baseball. Their team fielding percentage for the series stood at a strong .960.
But the biggest storyline of the weekend came on the basepaths. Known for their aggressive style under head coach Jordon Banfield, the Roadrunners broke the program’s single-season stolen base record during Sunday’s win. With seven successful steals against UCSB, CSUB raised its season total to 82, eclipsing the previous record of 79 set in 2017. Speed and smart baserunning continue to be pillars of CSUB’s offensive identity, and the new mark is a testament to the team’s pressure-based approach.
Overall, CSUB out-hit UCSB 27–35 across the series but showed superior efficiency on the bases, going a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts, compared to UCSB’s 1-for-2. While the pitching staff finished with an 8.64 ERA, key bullpen pieces like Alex Urias-Calvillo and Jeremy Jones turned in scoreless outings, and Dante Jackson picked up the win in relief on Sunday.
