Thursday, May 25
Bakersfield, Calif.
6:05 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
at
CSU Bakersfield
Photo by: Dianne Wentz
Matadors Visit CSUB in Regular Season Finale
5/23/2023 6:34:00 PM | Baseball
FULL GAME NOTES
NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (31-17, 17-10 Big West) concludes the regular season with a three-game road series against CSU Bakersfield this week. The series opens on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. before continuing Friday at 6:05 p.m. and wrapping up on Saturday at 1 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
CSUN at CSU Bakersfield
RHP Lucas Braun (5-5, 4.97 ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Verdugo (4-7, 6.23 ERA)
LHP Jon Mocherman (2-1, 3.69 ERA) vs. LHP Matt Comnos (3-5, 3.10 ERA)
TBA vs. TBA
POSTSEASON BID UP FOR GRABS
Despite UC San Diego (21-9) clinching a share of The Big West title last weekend, the Tritons are not eligible for postseason play due to their reclassification from Division II to I. CSUN is one of four Big West teams still alive for the Big West's automatic NCAA Tournament bid but the Matadors need help clinching that spot. UC Santa Barbara (18-9) and Cal State Fullerton (18-9) are tied for second place in The Big West and one game ahead of CSUN. The Matadors would need to finish ahead of both UCSB and Fullerton to clinch a postseason spot. UC Irvine, which sits in fifth place behind the Matadors, holds the strongest RPI (41) of any Big West team and eyes an at-large bid should it not catch the top teams.
LAST WEEK'S SERIES
CSUN won its third-straight Big West series, taking two of three games from Hawai'i to close the home portion of its schedule. The Matadors were shut out for the first time this season in game one, 7-0, but bounced back with an 11-2 win in game two and held on late in the rubber game for an 8-6 victory.
After suffering its first home shutout in six seasons, CSUN scored seven runs over the first four innings en route to a game two victory. Kevin Fitzer homered and drove in four runs in the win while Thomas Bainton notched his seventh win of the year by working six innings and allowing a run.
In game three, CSUN jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Jakob Simons. Ali Camarillo drove in three runs in the game and homered to help the Matadors take an 8-2 lead through six innings. Hawai'i though battled back with three in the seventh and one in the ninth to pull to within two. Joshua Romero worked the final 2.1 innings, yielding an unearned run to shut the door and pick up the save.
MATADOR HEADLINES
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Eddie Cornejo, CSUN has posted its second consecutive 30-plus win season in 2023. The Matadors are two wins away from surpassing last season's overall win total and a victory away from passing last year's Big West win tally. CSUN has also recorded four consecutive winning seasons for the first time in its Division I era this year. Last weekend, the Matadors completed the home portion of its schedule with an 19-8 record and with its most wins at Matador Field since winning 21 during the 2016 season.
While CSUN needs help reaching the postseason in 2023, the Matadors are alive for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid on the last weekend of the regular season for the first time since winning the Big West crown in 2002.
Junior relief pitcher Joshua Romero notched his Big West-leading 11th save of the season on Sunday. Romero, who is a converted catcher, is 11-of-11 in save attempts in his first season with CSUN. With one more save, Romero would tie Conner O'Neil (2015-17) for the most saves in a single season while two would give him the school record. Nationally, Romero's 11 saves are 10th-best in all of Division I baseball.
CSUN enters the week ranked 20th in the nation in batting average (.310) and 24th in sacrifice hits (38). The Matadors pace The Big West as well in batting average and in stolen bases (68). The offense also ranks second in the conference in runs (366), RBI (340), on-base percentage (.397) and slugging percentage (.472).
On the Big West's top-10 list in batting average, Ali Camarillo is ranked in third place (.370) followed by Jakob Simons in fourth (.358) and Kevin Fitzer in fifth (.345). Simons is also ranked second in the conference in home runs (13), on-base percentage (.456) and slugging percentage (.676) and fourth in runs scored (47) and RBI (41). Fitzer checks in at third in RBI (49) and ninth in slugging percentage (.558) while Camarillo is fourth in slugging (.599) and eighth in RBI (43). On the pitching side, Thomas Bainton is tied for the league lead in wins (7) and Lucas Braun is third in strikeouts (92).
SENIOR SALUTE
Lucas Braun made his final start at Matador Field this past Friday where he went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs. The right hander graduated with a degree in Economics this past week. Braun, who began his collegiate career at the University of San Diego, has been a mainstay in the Matadors' weekend rotation over the past two seasons. He emerged as a Friday starter this season where he has won five games and totaled seven quality starts. In two seasons, Braun has won gone 12-9 with a 4.00 ERA and 169 total strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUN leads CSU Bakersfield 20-13 in the all-time series dating back to 2009. While the Matadors are just 9-8 against the Roadrunners at home in the series, CSUN is 11-5 at Hardt Field. Last season, CSUN took two of three games from the Roadrunners, winning both contests in walk-off fashion. Mason Le was the hero in the rubber game, hitting a game-winning solo home run. Two seasons ago, the Matadors swept a four-game series in Bakersfield.
SCOUTING CSU BAKERSFIELD
The Roadrunners come in with an 18-31 overall record and 9-18 mark in Big West play. CSUB dropped three games at Baylor last weekend, but the team is coming off back-to-back Big West series wins over UC Riverside and Long Beach State. The 'Runners have gone 13-13 at Hardt Field this season. Head coach Jeremy Beard is in his sixth season leading the program.
Matt Kurata is ranked second in The Big West in batting with a .372 average followed by Cody Hendriks in sixth place at a .344 clip. Kurata has driven in 20 runs on the year while Hendricks has 13 RBI to go with a .427 on-base percentage. In the middle of the lineup, James Bell has a team-high 39 RBI and AJ Miller has hit a team-best four homers. Second baseman Nick Salas has stolen eight bases and drawn 36 total walks. Matt Comnos, who starts Friday on the mound, sports a 3.10 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 78.1 innings.
#GoMatadors
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NORTHRIDGE, Calif.---CSUN Baseball (31-17, 17-10 Big West) concludes the regular season with a three-game road series against CSU Bakersfield this week. The series opens on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. before continuing Friday at 6:05 p.m. and wrapping up on Saturday at 1 p.m. All three games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
CSUN at CSU Bakersfield
RHP Lucas Braun (5-5, 4.97 ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Verdugo (4-7, 6.23 ERA)
LHP Jon Mocherman (2-1, 3.69 ERA) vs. LHP Matt Comnos (3-5, 3.10 ERA)
TBA vs. TBA
POSTSEASON BID UP FOR GRABS
Despite UC San Diego (21-9) clinching a share of The Big West title last weekend, the Tritons are not eligible for postseason play due to their reclassification from Division II to I. CSUN is one of four Big West teams still alive for the Big West's automatic NCAA Tournament bid but the Matadors need help clinching that spot. UC Santa Barbara (18-9) and Cal State Fullerton (18-9) are tied for second place in The Big West and one game ahead of CSUN. The Matadors would need to finish ahead of both UCSB and Fullerton to clinch a postseason spot. UC Irvine, which sits in fifth place behind the Matadors, holds the strongest RPI (41) of any Big West team and eyes an at-large bid should it not catch the top teams.
LAST WEEK'S SERIES
CSUN won its third-straight Big West series, taking two of three games from Hawai'i to close the home portion of its schedule. The Matadors were shut out for the first time this season in game one, 7-0, but bounced back with an 11-2 win in game two and held on late in the rubber game for an 8-6 victory.
After suffering its first home shutout in six seasons, CSUN scored seven runs over the first four innings en route to a game two victory. Kevin Fitzer homered and drove in four runs in the win while Thomas Bainton notched his seventh win of the year by working six innings and allowing a run.
In game three, CSUN jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Jakob Simons. Ali Camarillo drove in three runs in the game and homered to help the Matadors take an 8-2 lead through six innings. Hawai'i though battled back with three in the seventh and one in the ninth to pull to within two. Joshua Romero worked the final 2.1 innings, yielding an unearned run to shut the door and pick up the save.
MATADOR HEADLINES
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Eddie Cornejo, CSUN has posted its second consecutive 30-plus win season in 2023. The Matadors are two wins away from surpassing last season's overall win total and a victory away from passing last year's Big West win tally. CSUN has also recorded four consecutive winning seasons for the first time in its Division I era this year. Last weekend, the Matadors completed the home portion of its schedule with an 19-8 record and with its most wins at Matador Field since winning 21 during the 2016 season.
While CSUN needs help reaching the postseason in 2023, the Matadors are alive for an automatic NCAA Tournament bid on the last weekend of the regular season for the first time since winning the Big West crown in 2002.
Junior relief pitcher Joshua Romero notched his Big West-leading 11th save of the season on Sunday. Romero, who is a converted catcher, is 11-of-11 in save attempts in his first season with CSUN. With one more save, Romero would tie Conner O'Neil (2015-17) for the most saves in a single season while two would give him the school record. Nationally, Romero's 11 saves are 10th-best in all of Division I baseball.
CSUN enters the week ranked 20th in the nation in batting average (.310) and 24th in sacrifice hits (38). The Matadors pace The Big West as well in batting average and in stolen bases (68). The offense also ranks second in the conference in runs (366), RBI (340), on-base percentage (.397) and slugging percentage (.472).
On the Big West's top-10 list in batting average, Ali Camarillo is ranked in third place (.370) followed by Jakob Simons in fourth (.358) and Kevin Fitzer in fifth (.345). Simons is also ranked second in the conference in home runs (13), on-base percentage (.456) and slugging percentage (.676) and fourth in runs scored (47) and RBI (41). Fitzer checks in at third in RBI (49) and ninth in slugging percentage (.558) while Camarillo is fourth in slugging (.599) and eighth in RBI (43). On the pitching side, Thomas Bainton is tied for the league lead in wins (7) and Lucas Braun is third in strikeouts (92).
SENIOR SALUTE
Lucas Braun made his final start at Matador Field this past Friday where he went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs. The right hander graduated with a degree in Economics this past week. Braun, who began his collegiate career at the University of San Diego, has been a mainstay in the Matadors' weekend rotation over the past two seasons. He emerged as a Friday starter this season where he has won five games and totaled seven quality starts. In two seasons, Braun has won gone 12-9 with a 4.00 ERA and 169 total strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
CSUN leads CSU Bakersfield 20-13 in the all-time series dating back to 2009. While the Matadors are just 9-8 against the Roadrunners at home in the series, CSUN is 11-5 at Hardt Field. Last season, CSUN took two of three games from the Roadrunners, winning both contests in walk-off fashion. Mason Le was the hero in the rubber game, hitting a game-winning solo home run. Two seasons ago, the Matadors swept a four-game series in Bakersfield.
SCOUTING CSU BAKERSFIELD
The Roadrunners come in with an 18-31 overall record and 9-18 mark in Big West play. CSUB dropped three games at Baylor last weekend, but the team is coming off back-to-back Big West series wins over UC Riverside and Long Beach State. The 'Runners have gone 13-13 at Hardt Field this season. Head coach Jeremy Beard is in his sixth season leading the program.
Matt Kurata is ranked second in The Big West in batting with a .372 average followed by Cody Hendriks in sixth place at a .344 clip. Kurata has driven in 20 runs on the year while Hendricks has 13 RBI to go with a .427 on-base percentage. In the middle of the lineup, James Bell has a team-high 39 RBI and AJ Miller has hit a team-best four homers. Second baseman Nick Salas has stolen eight bases and drawn 36 total walks. Matt Comnos, who starts Friday on the mound, sports a 3.10 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 78.1 innings.
#GoMatadors
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