BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—The CSU Bakersfield men's soccer team gets the 2016 season underway this weekend when the Roadrunners host a pair of matches on the Main Soccer Field.

The 38th CSUB men's soccer season gets underway Friday night when the 'Runners host longtime rival Sacramento State for the 15th all-time matchup at 7 p.m. The match will be streamed on the Roadrunner Sports Network.

CSUB leads the all-time series 7-4-3 and are 5-0-1 against the Hornets since the 2010 MPSF Championship match which Sacramento State won 2-1 in overtime. The Hornets went 6-10-2 last season and were selected fourth in the Big West Conference's North Division in the league's preseason poll. Sophomore forward Brad Bumgarner was named to the preseason Big West all-Conference team.

The Roadrunners take on Drake for the first time Sunday night at 7 p.m. The game is scheduled to be streamed on GoRunners.com via Brown Cow TV.  The Bulldogs, the defending Missouri Valley Conference champion, are at Pacific Friday night before heading to Bakersfield. Drake went 13-5-2 under interim head coach Gareth Smith before advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Smith earned the full-time job in the offseason.

Drake, was picked to finish second in the MVC preseason poll as voted on by the league's coaches. The Bulldogs bring back nine starters.

The Roadrunners were selected fourth in the preseason Western Athletic Conference coaches poll. Seattle U is the preseason favorite to win the 2016 Western Athletic Conference men's soccer title. The Redhawks collected nine first place votes and 99 total points to take the top spot. Utah Valley earned the remaining two first place votes to take second with 87 points while 2014 champion UNLV was picked third with 79 points. San José State follows CSUB, edging out Grand Canyon for the fifth spot with the Lopes predicted to finish sixth. Houston Baptist was picked seventh, followed by Air Force, UIW, UMKC and UT Rio Grande Valley.

~www.GoRunners.com~