Score: UC Davis 5, Cal State Bakersfield 0
Location: Davis, Calif. (Dobbins Stadium)
Records: UC Davis 14-17 (6-10 Big West), Cal State Bakersfield 14-20 (5-8 Big West)
THE SHORT STORY: Keenan Anzai etched his name into the UC Davis record books Thursday night at Dobbins Stadium, tossing a complete-game, one-hit shutout to lead the Aggies to a 5-0 victory over Cal State Bakersfield in the opener of a three-game Big West series. The right-hander struck out six and allowed just one hit across nine dominant innings, delivering the program's first complete game since Chris Brown accomplished the feat against Utah Valley on March 3, 2019, and the first complete-game shutout by an Aggie since Robert Garcia blanked UC Santa Barbara on May 6, 2017. The Aggies backed Anzai with a patient offensive effort, drawing nine walks and getting timely hits from Ethan Felix, Ryan Lee and Joey Wright to take the series opener.
LEADING OFF
- Anzai was virtually untouchable on the mound, spinning a nine-inning, one-hit shutout while striking out six and walking just two. The right-hander needed only 102 pitches to complete the masterpiece, throwing 65 for strikes. The lone hit against him came on a two-out single by Dusty Vela in the third.
- Joey Wright paced the Aggie offense with a 2-for-4 night, recording a double and an RBI.
- Ryan Lee drove in a team-high two runs on a 1-for-3 night, adding a double and a sacrifice fly.
- Ethan Felix contributed the game's first RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the opening frame, later adding a hit to finish 1-for-3.
- Braydon Wooldridge, Elijah McNeal and Eli Burnham each added base hits in a balanced offensive attack that totaled seven hits and nine walks. Zach Story reached base four times, drawing three walks and a hit by pitch while scoring twice.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UC Davis wasted no time getting on the board, drawing three consecutive walks with two outs in the bottom of the first to manufacture the game's first run. After Wooldridge singled to put the Aggies in business, Story, McNeal and Felix each worked walks from Bakersfield starter Ryan King, with Felix's free pass forcing in Wooldridge to make it 1-0.
- The Aggies added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Story drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a McNeal groundout before coming around to score when Felix singled and an errant throw from the shortstop allowed him to race home. Burnham followed with a double, and Lee's fielder's choice plated Felix to push the lead to 3-0.
- UC Davis added two insurance runs in the seventh. Story was hit by a pitch to start the rally, McNeal singled to move him into scoring position, and Burnham was hit by a pitch later in the inning to load the bases. Lee delivered a sacrifice fly to left to bring Story home, and Wright followed with an RBI single through the middle to score McNeal and push the lead to 5-0.
- Anzai matched the offense by completely silencing the Roadrunner bats. The right-hander retired the side in order in the ninth to cap the complete-game shutout, getting Evan Cloyd looking for his sixth strikeout of the night before inducing a routine flyball for the final out.
UP NEXT
UC Davis returns to Dobbins Stadium on Friday looking to clinch the series against Cal State Bakersfield. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m., pending weather.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS:
UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States in agriculture and forestry as well as No. 1 in veterinary medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
