CSUB Softball Team Opts Out

CSUB Softball Team Opts Out

Cal State Bakersfield says their Roadrunners Softball team will not playing this season due to the pandemic.

The press release in full below:

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield Director of Athletics Dr. Kenneth “Ziggy” Siegfried announced Wednesday that the Roadrunner softball team has decided to opt out of competition for the 2021 season.

“The decision to compete this spring has not been taken lightly by any member of CSUB Athletics,” Siegfried said. “I fully support our softball student-athletes and their choice to opt out of this season. We will continue to stand behind our `Runners and support their efforts toward academic success, which has always been our top priority for all of our scholar-athletes.”

Due to the ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19, the NCAA directed all member institutions to provide student-athletes with an option to opt out of athletics participation. CSUB Athletics has supported the decisions of any individual student-athletes who wish to opt out this year and the Department will continue that support with the softball team.

There were a number of members of the softball team who wished to compete this season, but the majority of the squad opted to sit out. Head Coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler and her team did not have enough `Runners to field a full squad that would be able to endure the rigors of a full competition season.

“This was an extremely difficult and heart-breaking decision that our team made regarding opting out of the 2021 season,” Buck-Ziegler said. “We love the game of softball, but the health, safety and well-being of our women will always come first. We will remain focused in our pursuit of academic excellence and will continue to develop our scholar-athletes.”

While the CSUB softball team will not compete in spring 2021, the group will remain unified. Buck-Ziegler and her squad will continue to regularly come together in virtual meetings and the `Runners will continue their educations as full-time students. CSUB’s Kegley Center academic support staff will also continue its support of the team’s academic studies.