UNLV Athletics Hall Of Fame
The 2003 UNLV baseball team holds the distinction of capturing the first regular-season conference title in the proud program's history. Led by second-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle, the Rebels were a star-studded group with first baseman Fernando Valenzuela Jr. winning Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and Patrick Dobson being named MW Tournament MVP while both players' famous dads watched from the stands. Only the second Rebel baseball team to enter the Hall of Fame, the 2003 squad went 41-15 in the regular season overall, including a school-record 24-6 to easily capture the outright league crown, marking the only time in 50 years of the sport that UNLV did so. The high-scoring Rebels went to Albuquerque and did not lose a game in taking down Air Force, New Mexico and San Diego State (twice) by a combined score of 49-16. Rebels earned five of the 11 spots on the MW All-Tournament Team, led by tourney MVP Dobson, who set a league record with 14 combined runs batted in. The team was sent to the NCAA Tempe Regional hosted by Arizona State and won two games before falling to the champion Sun Devils. The Rebels finished with 47 victories, ranking just behind 1980 Hall of Fame team. Becoming nationally relevant again, UNLV was ranked as high as 15 in the country during the season and finished at No. 20. Schlossnagle was named MW Coach of the Year and a trio of players - Valenzuela, starting pitcher and freshman All-American Matt Luca and relief pitcher Ryan Braun - earned first team all-conference honors while a total of 11 players were eventually drafted by MLB teams.
