COLLEGE ROUNDUP, Aug. 31-Sept. 6: Fall sports in full swing
Sep. 7—The leaves are changing, and the weather is theoretically going to cool down somewhat at some point this weekend — these are the telltale signs of college roundup season.
Yes, college sports are back in full force, and there's just too much to cover on a weekly basis. That's where articles like this come in, providing a chance to highlight the local athletes who might not necessarily get as much recognition otherwise.
Almost immediately, this season has promised to be much different from the last. The Bakersfield College women's soccer team under Edgar Linares scored more goals in its first two games than it did the entirety of last season. Volleyball squads at Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield are going through some growing pains. And CSUB men's soccer is trying to get an early-season winning streak going.
Read on for a comprehensive recap of all that's new around Bakersfield this fall.
Bakersfield College
Cross-country: Both the men's and women's teams opened competition last Friday in Moorpark and finished in first place. Francisco Felix, Jacob Yagers and Nathanael Rodriguez paved the way for the men with top-five finishes on the 4-mile course. Rain Gomez paced the women's team, led all runners on the women's side with a time of 19:51. Cross-country will be back in action in Fresno on Saturday.
Football: There remains plenty more to be revealed about BC football this season — who will play quarterback in the long term? How will they fare against conference foes after playing so many close games last year? Who will emerge as the offense's top playmakers? But after a 59-12 victory over LA Pierce propelled the Renegades into the California Community College Athletic Association Top 25, we know the team has plenty of talent in all three phases of the game. Jaquell Bonner and Dylan Tooker scored on special teams, five different players posted rushing touchdowns and Chris Thompson had a pair of picks. The Renegades will travel to El Camino for their first road game Saturday.
Men's soccer: It's been an up-and-down start to the season for a team that made the playoffs last year but lost multiple players to four-year schools, and now sits at 1-2-1 early in the season. Marco Guerrero scored two goals through the first three games as BC lost to College of the Sequoias, beat Fullerton and tied Norco during a heat-disrupted schedule. But the Renegades suffered a setback in the burning heat Tuesday when San Bernardino Valley came to town and pulled away in the second half to win 5-2. The Renegades will next take on Cerritos in a road contest Friday.
Women's soccer: First, the caveat: Porterville hasn't had a women's soccer team in 20 years. That hardly took the shine off BC's season-opening 8-0 victory over the Pirates, in which the Renegades scored over and over, led by a hat trick from Liliana Flores, making a statement to open the year. They followed that up by taking the show on the road for a 3-1 victory at Merced — a team they tied at home last year — and slipping past West Hills in Lemoore on a lone goal by Mariah Myers-Caldarella. The undefeated Renegades host College of the Sequoias on Friday.
Volleyball: A road tournament in Santa Barbara presented a significant obstacle for BC. Already down Aubree Dees after an injury suffered on the very first point of the season, the Renegades deployed only seven players — missing newcomers Kya Jones and Alexandra Johnson — against powerhouses San Diego Mesa and Pasadena, and failed to take a set off either, despite a strong performance from Kami Marion, who had 20 kills between the two games. The Renegades sit at 1-3 after losing just twice all of last season, and the nonconference slate continues with tough games against Reedley and Fullerton at home Friday.
Miscellaneous: Women's golf also opened its season at Antelope Valley Monday, as did wrestling at Victor Valley Wednesday night.
Cal State Bakersfield
Cross-country: The Roadrunners opened their season sixth of six teams at Sonoma State's Seawolf Invitational, but University of Applied Health Sciences (Croatia) transfer Helena Valentic, the lone nonlocal player on the roster, made a splash right away by finishing third overall. She completed a 5K in 18:59.32, and the next closest Roadrunner took nearly three minutes longer. CSUB has almost a month before its next meet in Malibu on Oct. 1.
Men's soccer: A return to the Main Soccer Field was apparently just what the doctor ordered for CSUB, which won consecutive close games against prominent programs in Grand Canyon and Gonzaga. Rene Cortez spearheaded the Roadrunners' offense against GCU with a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win (made all the more impressive by GCU's 3-2 victory over No. 4 UCLA Monday night). Then, against Gonzaga Sunday, Filippo Dadone made two saves to preserve a shutout as Shammai Camara added the lone goal, heading home a corner kick from Jacob Fitzgerald. Dadone earned Big West Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performances. The Roadrunners are 2-2 entering Thursday's home contest with Utah Tech.
Volleyball: CSUB is already showing growth amid its nine-game road trip to open the year, going 2-1 in Pullman, Wash., over the weekend. The Roadrunners lost to host Washington State 3-1, despite taking a set off a Pac-12 foe for the first time in six years, and beat Cal Baptist and Belmont by identical 3-1 scores. Paige Calvin and Lizzie Binder earned all-tournament honors. Calvin had 26 digs in her top showing against Belmont, while Binder was at her best with 17 kills against Cal Baptist. CSUB, now 2-4, will attend the third of its preseason tournaments beginning Friday in South Dakota.
Women's soccer: The Roadrunners have faded since opening the season with a win against UNLV, losing four straight. The last two defeats, each 3-0, came during the past week at Gonzaga and Montana. With the start of conference play rapidly approaching, CSUB sits at 1-4, but will get the chance to play at home the first time this year Friday against Northern Arizona.
Reporter Henry Greenstein can be reached at 661-395-7374. Follow him on Twitter: @HenryGreenstein.
