Highlanders In Week EIGHT

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at CSU Bakersfield

Tuesday, March 31, 6 pm PT

RHP Gabe Gentner

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Bakersfield, CA—The UC Riverside Baseball Team looks to get back on the winning track this week with a Tuesday trip to CSU Bakersfield. First pitch is slated for 6 pm PT.

The Highlanders have lost five straight heading into the week including two games last week to #22 Oregon. They were swept at UC Davis in the first weekend of Big West competition, and have allowed 56 runs over their last five games.

Right-hander Gabe Gentner gets his first start of the season on Tuesday after 13 relief appearances. He is 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA, and his longest outing of the season is a three-inning, no-hit, three-strikeout effort at San Francisco on March 7 (box score/recap).

Gentner will square off against AJ Monarrez (0-0, 6.35) who is making his third start of the season. Monarrez has logged just 11.1 innings on the season, and opponents are hitting .340 against him.

Four Bakersfield regulars are hitting better than .300 led by David Metzgar (.345/.397/.436). Joey Sanchez leads the team with a .484 on base percentage, and Ryan Grotjohn's .500 slugging percentage (4 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run) is tops the squad.

The Highlanders are 12-4 all-time against the Roadrunners (view results), but Bakersfield picked up a 9-3 win over UC Riverside on March 11 of this year at the Plex (box score/recap).

Metzgar went three for five with two runs scored and an RBI in the game while Sanchez went two for four with two runs and two RBIs. Drake Zarate paced the Highlanders offense with three of the team's eight hits. Gentner pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief in the contest.