• Cal State Bakersfield’s baseball team hit the road for a Big West road series that featured the top two offenses in the conference. 
• 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 third in the Big West in runs scored, hits, home runs, and RBI while CSUB leads the league in stolen bases. 
• CSUB’s hitters have belted 23 home runs this season, which puts the `Runners tied for fifth-most in program history. 
• The `Runners enjoyed a pair of veterans leading the way on offense this week: 
  • Outfielder Elgin Bennett went 5-for-13 (.385) with 7 RBI and a .692 slugging percentage. 
  • Catcher Kanoa Morisaki equaled Bennett’s hitting performance (5-for-13) while scoring two runs and driving in a pair. 
• On the mound, relievers Jacob Gutierrez (5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 2 K) and Alex Navarrete (4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 4 K) were extremely effective in their respective appearances, leading Bakersfield to a series victory. 
• With their second-straight series victory, the `Runners are just one game back of a playoff spot with plenty of regular season remaining. 

 What’s Next?  

• CSUB heads home to host a non-conference series prior to welcoming Pacific the day after Easter: 
  • vs. Utah Valley 
    • Apr. 2-4 
      • Steal a Deal Friday 
      • Boots at the Hardt Saturday 
        • Tickets Giveaway for CSUB Boots in the Park event 
      • Bakersfield, CA / Hardt Field 
  • vs. Pacific 
    • Apr. 6 
      • Student-Athlete Appreciation Day 
  • Schedule and Tickets 
    • Skip the line, buy online! 

CSUB at CSUN 

• Bakersfield (11-16, 5-7 BW) earned its second-straight, 2-1 Big West series victory, this time against CSUN (15-11, 6-6 BW) thanks to dominant performances in the opening two games. 
  • CSUB 11, CSUN 3 
  • CSUB 8, CSUN 6 (10 inn.) 
  • CSUB 5, CSUN 9 
• CSUB (#2) and CSUN (#1) came into the weekend as The Big West’s top two run-producing programs. The `Runners got the best of their counterparts, outscoring the Matadors 24-18 on the series. 
• In Friday night’s series opener, Bakersfield’s offensive prowess was on full display while the `Runner pitchers stifled the bats of their hosts. 
  • Elgin Bennett went 2-for-4 with 4 RBI while Kanoa Morisaki chipped in a 3-for-4 night with a pair of RBI. 
  • Starting pitcher Ryan King set the `Runners up for a good chance to pull ahead (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER) before Alex Navarrete (4.0 IP, 3H, 1 R/ER, 4K) closed the door with a four-inning save. 
• Saturday’s middle game of the series was a back and forth affair that saw the `Runners eek out an extra-inning victory. 
  • Freshman Brendan Thompson’s 2-RBI double in the top of the tenth set CSUB up for the winning moment. 
  • Jacob Gutierrez earned the win out of the bullpen, pitching the final 5.2 innings while scattering 5 hits, 1 run, and striking out a pair of Matadors. 
• Bakersfield was unable to complete the sweep as CSUN got out to a quick start on Sunday and the `Runners were unable to close the gap. 

• The Roadrunner softball team continued the 2026 season with a conference road series on the coast. 
• 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 Molly Gill led the `Runners offensively this weekend, going 5-for-9 with 2 runs scored. 

What’s Next?  

• CSUB heads home to host a Big West series followed by a midweek doubleheader: 
  • vs. Cal Poly 
    • Apr. 3-4 
      • Saturday Coaster Giveaway 
    • Bakersfield, CA / Roadrunner Softball Complex 
  • vs. Utah Tech 
    • Apr. 7 
    • Bakersfield, CA / Roadrunner Softball Complex 
  • Schedule and Tickets 
    • Skip the line, buy online! 

CSUB at UC Santa Barbara 

• The `Runners (6-27, 4-8 BW) went toe-to-toe with UC Santa Barbara (21-16, 11-1 BW), which came into the weekend as the only team undefeated in Big West play: 
  • CSUB 6, UC Santa Barbara 5 
  • CSUB 3, UC Santa Barbara 10 
  • CSUB 0, UC Santa Barbara 9 (5 inn.) 
• UCSB came out of the gate in cruise control, taking a 5-0 advantage to the seventh inning in Saturday’s series opener, but the `Runners did not back down. 
  • CSUB scored sixth runs in the seventh inning to shock the previously-undefeated Gauchos. 
• UCSB settled into a groove the remaining two games, taking both contests as well as the series from the `Runners. 
• CSUB workhorse Cedes Saldana started all three games in the circle for CSUB, throwing 10.1 innings against the Gauchos. 
• Fellow freshman Kandi Malama-Ahlo was Bakersfield’s most effective pitcher this weekend, allowing just 2 earned runs in 3.2 innings of work in relief. 

• The Roadrunner beach volleyball team continued the 2026 season by hosting the second-annual Bakersfield Beach Bash. 
• 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 trio of veteran leaders this season: 
  • Sisters Vivi Kaelin and Kendall Kaelin join junior Ella Ensign with 13-10 records on the season while competing against 7 nationally-ranked foes already. 

What’s Next?  

• CSUB heads to Texas for the weekend: 
  • Islander Classic 
    • Apr. 3-4 
    • Four matches over two days 
    • Corpus Christi, Texas 

CSUB vs. Bakersfield Beach Bash 

• The Roadrunners went 2-0 in an abbreviated version of their home tournament, which was shortened by a last-minute pullout by one of the scheduled teams: 
  • CSUB 5, Hope International 0 
  • CSUB 3, Vanguard 2 
• Bakersfield enjoyed three `Runner duos going 2-0 on the day: 
  • Flight 2: Kendall Kaelin & Vivi Kaelin 
  • Flight 4: Ella Ensign & Vianna Garcia 
  • Flight 5: Havi Montana and Katey Milne 
• Between matches, CSUB played in the sprinklers with some special guests from the Girls Scouts, enjoying a fun opportunity to engage with the local community. 

• The Cal State Bakersfield’s track and field team wrapped up the two-day West Coast Relays meet with multiple personal bests and program all-time marks. 
• CSUB competed against host school, Fresno State along with other schools such as UC Davis, Cal Poly, San Jose State, and UC Santa Barbara. 

West Coast Relays – Friday-Saturday, Mar. 27-28 

• On Friday, the men’s hammer throw squad had a 1-3 sweep. The Roadrunners were led by senior Javier Toro with a first place finish. His mark of 64.88m (212’10”) matched his lifetime best. Adam Torres threw a personal best and landed himself 16th on the CSUB all-time list for the event.  
• Toro returned on Saturday with a third place finish in the shot put. He marked in a 16.47m (54’0.5”), which is a season best.  
• Jacob Yagers had a strong season debut in the men’s 1,500m. Yagers placed first overall after crossing the finish line in 3:45.89. 
• In the men’s triple jump, Ethan Lavina placed third overall with a mark of 14.29m (46’10.75”). 
• Johnathan Ware, Jacob Mounmanivong, and Laurance Burston ran season bests in the men’s 100m. 
• Dual student-athlete Alma Smith marked in a 4.43m (14’6.25m) in the men’s pole vault after just two weeks of practice. Also a diver for the CSUB swim & dive program, Smith placed fifth overall in the pole vault and now is seventh on the CSUB all-time list.  
• On the women’s side, Skye Odom placed second in the triple jump and a season best (11.87m/38’11.5”).  
• Amiera Hollis, Chizi Okey-Dike, and Teague Marzetta all had great performances in the women’s 100m. All three women ran personal bests. The `Runners were led by Hollis with a new PB time of 11.97 and is now 11th on the CSUB all-time list.  
• Rain Gomez clocked in a personal best in the women’s 800m with a time of 2:18.40. She is now 18th on the program all-time list. 

• The Cal State Bakersfield swimming and diving team watched from afar as one lone Roadrunner represented his program on the national stage. 
• CSUB returned to the NCAA Championships for the first time in four years (Autumn D’Arcy, 2022) and sent a `Runner male to NCAAs for the first time since 2015 (Mitchell Huxhold). 
• With the end of the 2025-26 season, the `Runners will look toward the year ahead, which will be led by a new leader of the program. 
  • Stay tuned in the near future for the announcement of the next Director of Swimming & Diving. 

  What’s Next?  

• Offseason begins while the `Runners focus on finishing the academic year strong. 

CSUB at NCAA Championships 

• Mar. 26-28, Atlanta 
• Senior Vili Sivec earned his first trip to the NCAA Championships with victories and qualifying times in the 100 Fly and 200 Fly at the Big West Championships. 
• On the national stage, Sivec represented the `Runners well, becoming just the third `Runner in the Division I era to qualify for the Championships. 
• During his week in Atlanta, Sivec posted two strong results: 
  • 100 Fly: 46.01, 36th place 
  • 200 Fly: 1:43.26, 28th place