COLLEGE ROUNDUP, Jan. 25-31: Two seasons converge
Feb. 1—Just a few short weeks ago, with both local college campuses on winter break, only a few sporting events — mostly basketball games — were taking place in any given seven days.
Suddenly, as of this coming week, 11 sports teams are active at Bakersfield College alone. That includes women's wrestling, which is competing for the first time ever. In other words, fans are being exposed to truly unprecedented levels of sports overload.
The winter/spring combined season will reach its peak in about two weeks' time, when BC swimming is underway and Cal State Bakersfield baseball and softball take to the diamond for the first time. For now, here's more on the only moderately overwhelming slate of sporting events going on currently.
Bakersfield College
Baseball: BC opened its year with a satisfying series win against Moorpark, splitting its lone doubleheader of the year before shaking off a six-run comeback in the rubber match to win 10-7 in 10 innings. Alek Martinez, Ryan Redstone and Jordan Lopez each tallied RBI singles in the 10th, with Martinez adding two sacrifice flies for a team-high three RBIs. The Renegades added a one-off 9-5 win over College of the Sequoias Tuesday thanks to six multi-hit performances and moved to 3-1 ahead of a showdown with Ohlone Saturday at Gerry Collis Field.
Men's basketball: This year's men's basketball team has had a flair for the dramatic, and that continued Jan. 25 against L.A. Valley, as the Monarchs held BC to 21 second-half points and forced one overtime on a layup with 14 seconds remaining, then a second overtime on a Nikko Rodriguez 3-pointer at the buzzer, but still let the Renegades come out on top thanks to an Eloy Medina 3 and some Terrin Dickey free throws. Medina finished with a career-high 24 points. Saturday's loss to Citrus was a letdown in comparison, as the conference-leading Owls easily outpaced the Renegades to win 83-67 and sent BC back to 11-11 on the year ahead of Wednesday night.
Softball: The Renegades avenged last season's playoff elimination at the hands of Mt. San Antonio College, chasing starter Alexa Duran early Friday night and edging the Mounties 8-7 behind a 3-for-4 showing from returning first baseman Anika Romo. The problem was that BC claimed just that win from its first four games of 2023, losing 5-3 to Santiago Canyon on Friday, 13-3 to state No. 1 San Mateo (which had just lost to Mt. SAC) on Saturday and 4-3 to Ventura Tuesday. The offense has been somewhat iffy so far, with the Renegades batting .245 for just 26 hits in four games, and another tough Southern California foe awaits Saturday at Long Beach.
Women's basketball: League play has not been kind to the Renegades, who have now lost their first seven Western State Conference games of the year (ignoring two forfeit wins), six by double digits, including a 31-point loss to L.A. Valley on Jan. 25. A matchup with Citrus, which BC lost to 60-57 in overtime on Jan. 4, presented a possible chance for redemption, but the Renegades fell 48-38 despite 15 points from Laura Arciga. They stood at 8-16 overall entering a road game with Canyons Wednesday night.
Miscellaneous and looking ahead: Beach volleyball debuts at Mt. SAC Friday ... men's golf opened its season Monday in Lompoc and will be back on the course in Valencia next week ... men's tennis scrimmaged Westmont in Santa Barbara Tuesday and faces Ventura on the road Thursday ... track and field also opened its year at Westmont Saturday and had Francisco Felix and Nate Rodriguez finish first and second in the 5K ... women's tennis hosts Glendale to open its season Thursday ... women's wrestling debuted at Cerritos Saturday.
Cal State Bakersfield
Men's basketball: After fielding just eight players in a 21-point home loss to UC Davis last Thursday, the Roadrunners showed some life in Hawaii Saturday, turning a comfortable Rainbow Warrior lead into just a three-point loss behind season-best performances from Antavion Collum and Travis Henson and a sizable contribution from Cameron Smith. CSUB still dropped to 6-15, but stood up to one of the conference's top teams despite playing its starting lineup for 176 of 200 possible minutes, providing some cause for optimism entering a home date with UC Riverside Thursday.
Women's basketball: As head coach Greg McCall put it, against UC Davis, the Roadrunners could score but couldn't get a stop. Similarly depleted to the men's team last Thursday, they played without Taylor Caldwell and Sophie Tougas and gave 31 minutes to former walk-on Nseije Ortiz, who managed career highs in practically every stat, with 13 points, six rebounds and four steals. The Aggies still won 79-57. Hosting Hawaii two days later, with most of its players back, CSUB jumped out to a 13-point lead twice early thanks to (go figure) 13 points in the first quarter from Hennie van Schaik. But the Rainbow Wahine contained her down the stretch as part of a vigorous comeback, and a string of late turnovers and missed free throws sank the Roadrunners in another narrow 51-47 loss. CSUB, now 5-13, has a chance for redemption against UC Riverside Thursday, having beaten the Highlanders 56-53 on Dec. 29.
Wrestling: Competing with a depleted roster, CSUB got off to an inauspicious start to Pac-12 competition, falling 43-4 to Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore., on Sunday. Josh Brown earned a lone major decision at 149. Cal Poly visits the Icardo Center for another conference dual Friday.
Miscellaneous and looking ahead: Beach volleyball unveiled its schedule and will begin at home against Westcliff and Vanguard on Feb. 24 ... track and field competed in New Mexico over the weekend, with throwers Jesse Solis and Madison King posting new PRs and pole vaulter Miranda Miller coming in second. Next up is a return trip to Flagstaff, Ariz., on Friday ... women's golf, which will host the Valley Invitational beginning Monday, joined a pair of Big West Conference foes in Ojai Wednesday; results to come in next week's roundup.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
