• The Cal State Bakersfield men’s basketball team (7-9, 1-3 BW) continues Big West play with some momentum as the Roadrunners have won three of their last four contests. 
• The Roadrunners are under new leadership as Acting Head Coach Mike Scott took over the helm five weeks before the start of the season. 
  • Scott is in his ninth season with the `Runners, previously serving as an Assistant Coach prior to being elevated to the program’s leader. 
• Cal State Bakersfield has enjoyed a good mix of experience making an impact this year with the 2025-26 roster featuring six returners and eight newcomers. 
• Defense continues to be a hallmark of the CSUB men’s basketball program as the `Runners rank 20th in the nation with 5.4 blocks per game this season. 
  • Power forward Ronald Jessamy leads the way with 37 blocks, which makes him 11th in the country. 
• CSUB’s two-headed offensive monster this year has been guards Dailin Smith (14.9 pgg) and CJ Hardy (13.7 ppg), who are both Top 15 in the Big West in scoring. 

CSUB vs. UC Riverside (6-9, 1-2 BW) 

• CSUB welcomes the Highlanders to the Icardo Center: 
  • Jan. 8, 6:30 p.m. (PT) 
  • Bakersfield, CA 
  • Purchase tickets ahead of time at GoRunners.com/Tickets 
    • Skip the line, buy online! 
• UC Riverside is one of Cal State Bakersfield’s most familiar foes as Thursday night’s clash will be the 86th in the all-time series. 
  • CSUB leads UCR 46-39 in the series. 
• Last year, the Highlanders swept the `Runners in a pair of close games, winning by four points in Bakersfield before taking a five-point victory in Riverside. 
• Cal State Bakersfield is on a four-game skid against UCR as the `Runners will be looking for their first win against the Highlanders since January of 2024. 

CSUB at Long Beach State (5-10, 1-2 BW) 

• CSUB will head back out on the road for a trip to SoCal: 
  • Jan. 10, 4:00 p.m. (PT) 
  • Long Beach, CA 
• LBSU owns a narrow, 8-6 lead over CSUB in the all-time series. 
  • The `Runners have won three of the last four against the Beach. 
• Last year, Cal State Bakersfield swept LBSU, taking a 15-point victory at home before earning an overtime, buzzer-beating win in Long Beach. 
• The Beach has won three of their last four games on the year with the only loss against #4 Iowa State. 
• Schedule & Links  

• The Roadrunner women’s basketball team (5-9, 0-4 BW) sets out to build some momentum after a pair of hard-fought battles last week. 
• Second-year Head Coach Ari Wideman is leading a reform in the Roadrunner program, aided by the help of a talented coaching staff. 
  • Wideman’s roster features a pair of veteran returners and a large group of returners who are all helping redefine the team. 
• CSUB’s top offensive weapon this season has been guard Crishawn Coleman, who ranks fourth in the Big West this season with 18.4 points per game. 
• Center Tena Ikidi has been a problem on both ends all season, averaging 7.5 points and 8.6 rebounds a contest. 
• The `Runners have embarked on their sixth season as members of The Big West, pushing for a return to the conference tournament in March after a two-year absence. 

CSUB at UC Riverside (4-9, 2-1 BW) 

• Cal State Bakersfield takes a trip to SoCal to continue Big West play: 
  • Jan. 8, 6:00 p.m. (PT) 
  • Riverside, CA 
• CSUB and UCR will be meeting for the 24th time in their all-time series in which the Highlanders enjoy a 17-6 advantage. 
  • The two teams have split their last six matchups, 3-3. 
• Last year, CSUB and UCR each earned wins on their home courts, including a 60-48 Highlander victory in Riverside. 

CSUB vs. Long Beach State (1-12, 0-3 BW) 

• Cal State Bakersfield returns home to host the Beach: 
  • Jan. 10, 2:00 p.m. (PT) 
  • Bakersfield, CA 
  • Purchase tickets ahead of time at GoRunners.com/Tickets 
    • Skip the line, buy online 
• Saturday’s matchup will be the 14th all-time between CSUB and LBSU. 
  • The Beach have dominated the series, 10-3, including 10-straight victories for LBSU. 
• Last year LBSU earned a pair of victories against the `Runners, both by double-digit scoring margins. 
• Schedule & Links  

• The Cal State Bakersfield women's track and field program opens up the 2026 year at the Axe ‘Em Open hosted by Northern Arizona University. 
• This meet marks the second opportunity to see the 2025 Roadrunner recruiting class in action. 
• A few notable Roadrunners competing in their debut seasons are Rionna Wallace, Chizitere Okey-Dike, Adeline Rangle, and Teague Marzetta. 
  • After a successful Cross Country season, freshman Ava Leisenfelder will toes the line on the track for the first time. 
• Quote from Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Marcia Mansur-Wentworth: “We have added some depth to the women’s program with a great recruiting class, and I am excited for the Indoor season.” 

CSUB at NAU Axe ‘Em Open 

• CSUB will hit the road for its first of three trips to Arizona. 
  • Jan. 9 
  • Flagstaff, Ariz.  
  • Walk Up Skydome 
• Rionna Wallace will toe the line in the 60m and 200m. Wallace is #2 all-time in both events after a successful debut in the Blue and Gold. 
• Skye Odom is set to compete in both the long and triple jump. Odom is CSUB’s indoor record holder in the triple jump. 
• Bakersfield native Julie Johnson will take on the 400m. A year ago, Johnson broke the school record in the event. 
• Freshman Adeline Rangel will join Johnson in the 400m. 
• Teague Marzetta and Chizi Okey-Dike will double up in the 60m and 200m, joining Wallace in the events. 
• Grace Padron is the lone `Runner set for the weight throw. Last meet she was a finalist in the event. 
• Schedule & Links 

• The 2025-26 season continues for the Cal State Bakersfield swim & dive programs as the Roadrunners prepare to host their final home duals of the season. 
• Bakersfield’s swim & dive teams welcome back a strong core of veterans while adding a nice complement of newcomers to the mix. 
• Bugby and the `Runners have selected a set of veteran leaders to guide each of his squads as team captains: 
  • Men’s Captains: Arthur Amaral Schneider, Tyler Coles, Anderson Laing, Kyle Sary 
  • Women’s Captains: Josiane Hill, Carolynn Kenney, Kanyan Robinson, Evelyn Silguero 
• The `Runners are in their second season as members of The Big West as the conference added swim & dive as a sponsored sport just a year ago. 
  • In its first year at the Big West Championships, CSUB won 9 medals and set seven `Runner records along with three Big West records. 

CSUB vs. Seattle U & Pacific 

• The `Runners will host a tri-dual on Friday: 
  • Jan. 9, 12 p.m. (PT) 
  • Bakersfield, CA / Hillman Aquatic Center 
• History vs. Seattle U: 
  • The two teams will be meeting for the first time since 2016-17. 
  • The `Runner women are on a 4-dual win streak vs. Seattle U while Bakersfield’s men lost the last matchup after 4-straight wins. 
• History vs. Pacific: 
  • The two teams have met annually for 5-straight years. 
  • The Tigers earned wins on both sides last season after the `Runner squads had bested Pacific for 4-straight matchups. 

CSUB vs. Seattle U & California Baptist 

• The `Runners will welcome back the Redhawks and add the Lancers for a second consecutive tri-dual: 
  • Senior Day 
  • Jan. 10, 12 p.m. (PT) 
  • Bakersfield, CA / Hillman Aquatic Center 
• History vs. California Baptist: 
  • The two teams will be meeting for the first time since 2019-20. 
  • The `Runner women won their last dual against the Lancers and 7 of the last 8. Meanwhile, Bakersfield’s men also won their last dual against CBU but the series has been much more even, with a 4-4 split over the last 8 meetings. 
• Schedule & Links  

• The Cal State Bakersfield wrestling program will resume the 2025-26 season with a return to the NWCA National Duals. 
• Seventh-year Head Coach Luke Smith aims to continue momentum built by his program last season. 
  • Smith’s squad qualified three Roadrunners for the 2025 NCAA Championships while 197 pounder AJ Ferrari earned Bakersfield’s first All-American honors in a decade. 
• The CSUB roster boasts a strong mix of returning veterans as well as fresh talent. 
• Smith will look to NCAA Qualifier Richard Castro-Sandoval (125) to set the tone heading into a new year. 
  • The `Runners will also rely on veterans like Guillermo Escobedo, Devyn Flores-Che, Chris Neal, Santino Sanchez, and Hayden Zinkin to lead the way. 
•  CSUB has several exciting newcomers ready to make their mark. To name a few: freshmen RJ Jones and Mikah Labuanan, redshirt freshman Evan Manzo, and redshirt senior Mason Cover. 

CSUB at NWCA National Duals 

• The `Runners head east for the second annual, revitalized National Duals tournament: 
  • Jan. 9-10 
  • Cedar Falls, Iowa 
• The Second Annual NWCA National Duals features 10 Division I teams competing in two different pools. 
  • Cal State Bakersfield has been placed in Pool B with #28 UNI, Ohio, Drexel, and Bloomsburg. 
• On Friday, the `Runners will face Ohio, UNI, and Bloomsburg in back-to-back-to-back duals. 
• CSUB will close out the event on Saturday with a final dual against Drexel. 
• The event-opening dual against Ohio will be CSUB’s first clash with the Bobcats since 2005, which the `Runners won. 
• CSUB and UNI will be meeting for the first time since 1999. UNI owns a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series. 
• The `Runners will go toe-to-toe with the Bloomsburg Huskies for the first time in program history. 
• CSUB leads Drexel 2-1 in the all-time series, including a 33-9 victory at the NWCA National Duals a year ago. 
• Schedule & Links