• The Cal State Bakersfield baseball team continues its conference schedule against Cal Poly this weekend. 
• Head Coach Jordon Banfield returns a core group of `Runners who excelled during the 2025 season and bolstered the roster with his first full year of recruiting. 
  • This year’s Roadrunner squad features 17 returners and 26 newcomers. 
• Banfield enjoys an uncommon circumstance in that he returns all three of his weekend starters from the 2025 season: Ryan King, Shane McAlinden, and Jacob Gutierrez. 
• Bakersfield’s offensive firepower has been on display through the first three weeks of the season. 
  • The `Runners are averaging over 7 runs per game and CSUB has slugged 19 home runs already. 
• Earning a 20% increase in wins from 2024 to 2025 despite the fact that Banfield had to throw a schedule and a team together at the last minute, so CSUB is optimistic about the 2026 season outlook. 

CSUB at Cal Poly 

• CSUB travels to challenge long-time opponent Cal Poly: 
  • Mar. 13-15 
  • San Luis Obispo, Calif.  
• The `Runners will be meeting up with the Mustangs, a very familiar opponent that CSUB has previously played 40 times. 
  • Cal Poly leads the all-time series, 28-13, currently with a 4-game winning game streak against Bakersfield.  
• Cal Poly proves to be a challenging opponent for the `Runners as the Mustangs are currently tied for first in the Big West standings after sweeping their first series.  
• Schedule & Links 

• The Cal State Bakersfield softball team comes home to face off against a long-time rival in its first Big West home games of the 2026 season. 
• This year’s Roadrunner squad features 9 returners and 14 newcomers. 
• Marianna Narvaiz, Hannah Garcia, Alexia Castro, and Faith Steffany bring the most experience back in the group of veteran `Runners. 
• A trio of `Runner freshmen – Kayla Whaley, Jayda Eaton, and Molly Gill – as well as veteran outfielder Aariana Harrison have been the offensive highlights for the squad thus far in the season. 
  • All four are batting over .300 with Harrison leading the team with a .400 batting average. 
• The `Runners finished, 1-2 against the Beach in the first Big West weekend of the season. 

CSUB vs. CSUN  

• Cal State Bakersfield is home for the second Big West weekend of the season: 
  • Conference Home Opener / Schedule Magnets Giveaway Friday 
  • Mar. 13-14 
  • Bakersfield, CA / Roadrunner Softball Complex  
  • Purchase tickets ahead of time at GoRunners.com/Tickets 
    • Skip the line, buy online! 
• CSUB will compete in three games over two days of action, including a doubleheader on Saturday.  
• Bakersfield and Northridge have faced off 77 times in the past with CSUN leading the all-time series, 56-21. 
• Last year at CSUN, the Matadors won the series against the `Runners 2-1. 
  • The first of the doubleheader was a close game, CSUN taking it 8-7. In the second game Bakersfield was able to come back and win 4-3. Northridge took the series final with a 9-2 victory. 
• Schedule & Links 

• The Cal State Bakersfield beach volleyball team will continue the 2026 season with another road trip, once again taking on familiar and new opponents. 
• Led by third-year Head Coach Andy Fulenwider, the 2026 edition of the Roadrunners features 11 returners and 7 newcomers. 
• Vivi Kaelin, Ella Ensign, and Katey Milne bring the most experience back in the solid group of veteran `Runners. 
  • Among several other newcomers, Fulenwider welcomed to the squad Kendall Kaelin, a graduate transfer who is the older sister of Vivi Kaelin. The siblings are expected to pair together in the sane this season. 
• Cal State Bakersfield has set out on a new season with the ultimate goal of competing for a Big West Championship in sight. 

CSUB at Malibu Invite 

• The `Runners will contest four matches over a pair of days: 
  • Mar. 13-14 
  • Malibu, CA / on the campus of Pepperdine 
• Cal State Bakersfield’s toughest competitor of the weekend will be against Pepperdine, a team CSUB is 1-9 against all-time. 
• CSUB will also be facing off against Hope International for the second time in the all-time series. 
  • Last year being the first match against the two, CSUB earned the victory 5-0. 
• Bakersfield will be competing against these two opponents twice each in the course of two days.  
• Schedule & Links 

• The Cal State Bakersfield track and field program has a busy schedule ahead of them this week with two different meets. The Roadrunner throwers will be at the Ben Brown Invite while the rest of the team will head to the Oxy Distance Carnival and Spring Break Classic. 
• CSUB has 14 regular-season outdoor competitions on the schedule.  
  • The Big West Track and Field Championships will take place May 15-16.  
• Newcomer Francisco Felix Jr broke the school record last week in the men’s 3,000m. 
• Senior Javier Toro and Sophomore Makiah Parker are two returners who qualified for the NCAA West First Round’s last year.  
• Bakersfield saw six athletes qualify for the Big West Championships in May including the reigning Big West champion in the 200m and runner-up in the 100m, Makiah Parker.  

CSUB at Ben Brown Invite - Mar. 12  

• Javier Toro is coming off a huge performance in the men’s hammer throw. He placed 8th overall but fourth amongst collegiate athletes. He was just 2 centimeters off his personal best mark. He will be joined by fellow teammates Daniel Hartman, Adam Torres, and Tyler Balgeman in the hammer throw.  
• For the women, Grace Padron and Annie Amneus will also compete in the hammer throw. Padron moved up to fifth all-time in program history after a big throw at the Beach Opener. 

CSUB at Oxy Distance Carnival & Spring Break Classic - Mar. 14 

• On Saturday, the rest of the squad will be competing at Occidental College.  
• The women’s sprints team is coming off their best season opener.  
• The 4x100m relay team ran the fastest time since 1983 while also placing first. Makiah Parker, Rionna Wallace, Teague Marietta, and Chizi Okey-Dike will be apart of the relay team again and will run the 100m. They will be joined by teammate Amiera Hollis in the event.  
• Emilia Mandela continues to run the women’s 100mH. She placed first overall to open the season.  
• The throwers squad will bounce back on Saturday for their second day of competition for the week. Torres, Balgeman, and Toro will compete in the shot put while Padron and Hartman will be entered in the hammer throw.
• Francisco Felix will make his 5,000m debut after breaking the CSUB record in the 3,000m and placing first a week ago.
• Skye Odom and Ethan Lavina will both compete in the horizontal jumps.
• Ava Leisenfelder and Rain Gomez will race the 1,500m.
• Schedule & Links