• Cal State Bakersfield’s baseball team played four games over another busy week, including an Education Day game at home and a Big West road series. 
• Prior to the start of the season, Head Coach Jordon Banfield promised fans that his squad would play an exciting brand of baseball and they continue to deliver. 
  • The Roadrunners are tied for the Big West lead with 130 runs scored this season, an average of almost 7 runs per game. 
• CSUB’s hitters have belted 19 home runs this season, putting the `Runners on the edge of the program’s single-season Top 10 just 20 games in. 
• Kanoa Morisaki and Jacob May represented a two-headed offensive monster this week for the `Runners as both men tallied 4 RBI. 
  • Morisaki hit .462 (6-for-13) with a 1.357 OPS thanks to 4 doubles and 4 walks. 
  • May went 6-for-17 (.353) at the plate with a double and a home run. 
• On the mound, Ethan Minaker (3.0 IP, 2 app), Alex Navarette (2.1 IP, 2 app), and CJ Brown (2.0 IP, 1 app) all were effective, allowing 0 earned runs on the week. 

 What’s Next?  

• CSUB heads to Los Angeles to face a team with only one loss all season before hosting a Big West series over the weekend: 
  • at No. 11 USC 
    • Mar. 16, 6 p.m. (PT) 
  • vs. Long Beach State 
    • Mar. 20-22 
    • Bakersfield, CA / Hardt Field 
      • Friday: `Runner Gold Beer Promos 
      • Saturday: Youth Baseball Jersey Giveaway 
      • Sunday: Kids 12 and Under Free / Kids Run the Bases after the game  
  • Schedule and Tickets 
    • Skip the line, buy online! 

CSUB 7, Westcliff 6 (10 inn.) 

• CSUB hosted Westcliff University for the team’s second-annual Education Day. 
  • Over 800 students came out to root for the `Runners at Hardt Field. 
• Both teams put on strong pitching performances throughout the game with Bakersfield taking a 2-1 lead into the eighth inning. 
• Westcliff put up two runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to take a 6-2 advantage. 
• Bakersfield rallied with a four-run ninth inning, capped by a three-run homer from Jacob May to force extra innings. 
• In the bottom of the 10th, CSUB put pressure on the Warriors and ultimately scored the game-winning run on a failed pick off. 

CSUB at Cal Poly 

• Bakersfield (7-13, 1-5 BW) battled hard against Big West leader Cal Poly (12-7, 6-0 BW) but ultimately dropped all three games in the weekend series. 
  • CSUB 4, Cal Poly 8 
  • CSUB 2, Cal Poly 6 
  • CSUB 3, Cal Poly 6 
• Catcher Kanoa Morisaki was the most effective hitter for CSUB during the Cal Poly series. 
  • He went 5-for-10 at the plate with 3 doubles and 3 RBI. 
• Evan Cloyd and Devon Wilkes each went 4-for-11 on the weekend as good offensive options for the `Runners. 
• In Sunday’s series finale, Bakersfield native Jacob Gutierrez tossed the finale 5.2 innings, scattering 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5 Mustangs in a scoreless outing. 
• CSUB’s Saturday starter, Shane McAlinden, gave the `Runners a chance with 5.2 innings pitched while allowing 2 earned runs, but 4 unearned runs sunk Bakersfield’s chances. 

• The Roadrunner softball team continued the 2026 season by winning a historic Conference series against a familiar foe. 
• The 2026 edition of the CSUB softball team sees 9 returners welcome in 14 newcomers under the leadership of Interim Head Coach Alyssa Graham. 
• Freshman Cedes Saldana continues to be the ace of the `Runner pitching staff. This week, she appeared in all three games, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.11 ERA while striking out 6 Matadors. 

What’s Next?  

• CSUB heads back out on the road for back-to-back weekends: 
  • at UC Davis 
    • Mar. 21-22 
    • Davis, CA 
  • Schedule and Tickets 
    • Skip the line, buy online! 

CSUB vs. CSUN 

• The `Runners hosted their first Big West series of the season and earned a historic win in the process: 
  • CSUB 3, CSUN 2 
  • CSUB 2, CSUN 1 
  • CSUB 5, CSUN 8 
• Taking the series 2-1 from the visiting Matadors, CSUB earned its first-ever Conference series win against CSUN. 
  • The `Runners were 0-6 in series against CSUN when the two teams were in the CCAA in the 1980s 
  • CSUB was 0-4 in Big West series heading into this past weekend 
• Friday’s series opener set the tone as Cal State Bakersfield earned the victory on a walk-off home run from Mari Narvaiz. 
• On top of Cedes Saldana’s standout pitching performance this week, fellow freshman Amber Estrada was extremely effective, allowing just one run across 7.1 innings pitched in two appearances. 
• Strong pitching from both teams made offense hard to come by, but Bakersfield enjoyed solid performances at the plate from a few `Runners in the weekend series: 
  • Alexia Castro: 3-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 SB 
  • Aariana Harrison: 4-for-8, 2 R 
  • Alexandra McDanell: 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI 
  • Anahi Castillo: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI 

• The Roadrunner beach volleyball team continued the 2026 season with a road trip to Malibu, Calif., to face off against a pair of opponents. 
• CSUB continues to build on being a competitive squad among The Big West, one of the toughest beach volleyball conferences in the country. 
• Cal State Bakersfield has enjoyed a pair of standout duos this season: 
  • Sisters Vivi Kaelin and Kendall Kaelin lead the team with a 10-5 record from the third flight. 
  • `Runner veterans Ella Ensign and Vianna Garcia have earned a 7-3 record as the No. 4 pair. 

 What’s Next?  

• CSUB hits the road for its annual mid-season clash with The Big West. 
  • at Big West Challenge 
    • Mar. 21-22 
    • Long Beach, CA 
    • Six matches over two days against the entire conference 

CSUB at Malibu Invite 

• The Roadrunners split their four matches with Hope International and Pepperdine: 
  • CSUB 4, Hope International 1 
  • CSUB 1, Pepperdine 4 
  • CSUB 4, Hope International 1 
  • CSUB 1, Pepperdine 4 
• CSUB moved to 5-10 on the season with the weekend results. 
• Bakersfield's most consistent play this weekend came out of its third and fourth flights, both of which went 3-1 across the four matches. 

• The Cal State Bakersfield’s track and field program split ways at a pair of meets this weekend. 
• The Roadrunner throwers headed to Fullerton, Calif. for the Ben Brown Invitational before joining the rest of the squad at the Oxy Distance Carnival & Spring Break Classic. 

Ben Brown Invite – Friday, Mar. 13 

• On Friday in Fullerton, the `Runner throwers enjoyed one particular highlight performance. 
• Senior Javier Toro placed first overall in the men’s hammer throw with a mark of 211’7”. 

Oxy Distance Carnival & Spring Break Classic – Saturday, Mar. 14 

• The Cal State Bakersfield’s track and field team had a successful outing at the Oxy Distance Carnival and Spring Break Classic.  
• In the morning, Javier Toro placed second in the men’s shot put with a mark of 51’9.50”. Teammates Adam Torres (8th) and Tyler Balgeman (9th) also competed in the event.  
• The women’s 4x100m relay team placed first overall with a time of 45.44. Makiah Parker, Rionna Wallace, Teague Marzetta, and Amiera Hollis had strong legs in the race, and their time is now the second fastest in program history.  
• The four athletes came back and swept the women’s 100m race. Parker placed first overall with a time of 11.75. Wallace was close behind in second (11.93).  
• The men’s 4x100m relay team also placed first with a time of 41.60.  
• Adeline Rangel was just off the conference standards in the women’s 400m after clocking in a 57.47. She placed fourth in the race and earned herself a personal best. Senior Julie Johnson was close behind in seventh place with a time of 58.18.  
• Javier Toro came back and competed in the men’s hammer throw for the second time in the week. He marked in a 205’10.25”, good for first overall. Teammates Adam Torres and Daniel Hartman were close behind placing third and fourth.  
• Bakersfield native Tyler Balgeman was the lone `Runner in the men’s discus, he threw a 137’7.75” good for fourth overall.  
• Newcomer Francisco Felix clocked in a 14.23.61 in the men’s 5,000m. Felix placed second overall in the event and now holds the second fastest time in CSUB history.