BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball came up short in the top of the ninth and dropped the 2026 season opener at Cal State Bakersfield, 8-7, Friday evening in Bakersfield, California. USI is 0-1 to start the season, while CSUB is 1-0 to begin its season.
 
After spotting the Roadrunners a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the second, USI senior leftfielder Hunter Miller scored the first run of the year when senior first baseman Patrick McLellan singled through the left side. Graduate centerfielder Khi Holiday crossed the plate with the Screaming Eagles' second run on a ground out by graduate rightfielder Jesse Velders for a 4-2 deficit after two-and-a-half frames.
 
Bakersfield pushed its lead to 7-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth. USI missed a chance to shrink the deficit once again, loading the bases with two outs, but left the bags jammed.
 
After the Roadrunners added another tally in the sixth to increase the margin to 8-2, USI closed the gap in the top of the eighth when Holiday knocked in the Screaming Eagles' third tally of the game with an RBI single to right field, scoring junior leftfielder Dane DeWees for an 8-3 score.  DeWees started the mini rally with a two-out double down the left field line in his first at-bat as a Screaming Eagle.
 
USI had one more rally left in the ninth before Bakersfield could close out the game. Velders started the rally with a one-out home run to make the score, 8-4, before senior catcher Micajah Wall singled in graduate pinch hitter Noah Foster with a RBI infield single.
 
Foster had singled and advanced to third on a two-out single by junior second baseman Skylar Graham. Graham would follow Foster across the plate on a two-out double to right field by senior pinch hitter Gavyn Boyle to make the score 8-6.
 
USI had one last shot with runners at second and third and Holiday at the plate. Holiday sent a liner back up the middle that was snagged by the shortstop, scoring junior pinch runner Zion Stephens, but Boyle was thrown out at the plate to end the 8-7 game.
 
Holiday finished the opening game with a USI team-high five hits and two RBIs. He had a hit in each of his first three at-bats.
 
On the mound tonight, USI junior right-handed starter Abdriel Figueroa took the loss in the opening game of 2026. Figueroa allowed five runs, four earned, in 2.1 innings of work, while striking out four and walking three.
 
Up Next for the Eagles:
USI continues the four-game series with CSUB Saturday with a 6 p.m. (CST) single game. The series will conclude Sunday when the Screaming Eagles and the Roadrunners play a 3 p.m. (CST) doubleheader.
 
Monday's series finale was moved up to Sunday due to the forecast of rain in Bakersfield.