MALIBU, Calif.: With two midweek games before continuing conference play, the Pepperdine baseball team will play a home-and-home series with the California State, Bakersfield Roadrunners this Monday and Tuesday.
GAME #40— Pepperdine (9-30, 5-10) vs. CSU Bakersfield (15-26, 7-11) | 3:00 p.m. Monday, April 21 | Eddy D. Field Stadium | Malibu, Calif.
GAME #41— Pepperdine vs. CSU Bakersfield | 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 | Hardt Field | Bakersfield, Calif.
COVERAGE: The games will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required). Links to the broadcasts as well as live stats will be available at pepperdinewaves.com.
SERIES VS. CSU BAKERSFIELD: With games only dating back to 2019, the history between the Waves and Roadrunners is brief. Holding the advantage 4-2, Pepperdine went 1-1 against Bakersfield last year, securing the win in Malibu. The most lopsided win for the Waves was in the very first meeting between the squads in 2019 with a shutout 11-0 victory.
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS: Under first-year head coach Jordan Banfield, CSU Bakersfield is sitting at 15-26 on the season, including 7-11 in conference play. The Roadrunners are coming off a 0-3 weekend at home against UC Davis, beating familiar WCC foe Pacific in the midweek game April 15. Offensively, Nick Mascaro leads the charge as the only player hitting above .300. The redshirt junior has started every game and leads the team with 49 hits. Junior Evan Cloyd leads in RBIs with 27, raking a game-high four in against Northridge March 23.
LAST TIME OUT: The Waves went 0-3 in three closely-contest games against Saint Mary's at home this weekend. Between Friday and Saturday, Pepperdine stranded 25 on base, but only lost by a combined four runs. Pepperdine looks to get back on track before resuming conference play against San Francisco next weekend.
WCC PRESEASON: Identical to last season, Pepperdine is predicted to finish seventh in the West Coast Conference this year. The whole list is as follows:
1. San Diego 2. Portland T-3. Gonzaga T-3. Saint Mary's 5. Santa Clara 6. LMU 7. Pepperdine 8. San Francisco; 9. Pacific.
COOKIN' WITH DANNY: Freshman second baseman
Danny Cook has been a consistent starter for the Waves since midseason, batting .256 with a .320 on base percentage. The Colorado native has gotten a hit in 11 of the past 12 games, dating back to April 1 against #14 UCLA.
UP WITH UPSTILL: Graduate
Nick Upstill leads the Waves with a .327 batting average, including a team-high 11 extra base hits. With a .800 stolen base percentage, the Huntington Beach native is intentional when he is on base, reflected by his statistics as he leads Pepperdine in nearly all offensive categories.
WAVES IN THE DRAFT: In the 2019 MLB Draft, Easton Lucas was drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 14th round with the 411th overall pick. He made his big league debut with the Oakland Athletics on 9/8/23 as a relieving pitcher against the Texas Rangers. Lucas has transitioned into a starter role with the Toronto Blue Jays and through two starts this season, has pitched 10.1 scoreless innings.
In 2023, middle infielders Ryan Johnson and John Peck were both selected in the MLB Draft. Peck was the Waves' highest drafted player since 2016, having been selected in the seventh round by the Detroit Tigers. Johnson was drafted in the eighth round by the Houston Astros. This is the first time since 2010 that Pepperdine had two picks in the first eight rounds. Left handed pitcher Shane Telfer also signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks on 7/17/23.
Last season, Billy Cook premiered in the majors with the Pittburgh Pirates, orignially drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
POSTSEASON HISTORY: Pepperdine won its only College World Series title in 1992 and also played in the 1979 CWS. The Waves made their 30th and most recent appearance in NCAA postseason play in 2015, advancing to the NCAA Fullerton Regional final. In 2014 Pepperdine made its first ever NCAA Super Regional after winning the San Luis Obispo Regional Tournament. The Waves eventually fell to TCU, two games to one in the best-of-three series.
TICKETS: Season tickets are now available for just $99! Any group inquiries for discounted rates can contact alrick.drummond@pepperdine.edu. All tickets can be purchased at tickets.pepperdinewaves.com. Register your youngster today to get exclusive perks like a JR WAVES t shirt and access to home events. Email joey.swett@pepperdine.edu for all interests.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY: Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 20 schools to have accomplished this feat — and 10 overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 26 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, five times (most recently in back-to-back years during the 2022-23 and 2021-22). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #76 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
