May 10, 1998
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The UNLV baseball team lost two out of three games against New Mexico on May 8-10, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
UNLV concluded the 1998 season with an overall record of 31-24 and 13-17 in the WAC South Division. The 31 wins was a seven-game improvement from last season (24-31). UNLV also recorded a .500 or better season for the 20th time in the last 23 seasons. The 31 wins also marked the 20th time in school history that a UNLV team won 30 or more games in a season.
UNLV lost to New Mexico, 16-8, in the final game of the regular season. UNLV was fighting for the sixth and final spot in the WAC Tournament (May 13-16).
The Rebels posted impressive offensive numbers for the 1998 season. UNLV s .335 batting average is second all-time in school history. The 1981 Rebels batted .349.
UNLV hit 86 home runs as a team (school record is 107 in 1986) and had four players with 10 or more home runs. Junior third baseman Kevin Eberwein was tied for the team lead with 16 home runs. Freshman catcher Ryan Hamill had 16 home runs which tied the UNLV freshman record which was set last season by Ryan Ludwick. Speaking of Ludwick, the sophomore hit 14 home runs and junior catcher/first baseman Sean Campbell added 10.
Sophomore first baseman Tony DeMarco led the team with a .422 average (79-for-187). He became the first Rebel to hit .400 or better in a season since Bill Max in 1981 (.443).
Eberwein batted .377 and led the team in hits (84), at bats (223), runs scored (63), doubles (24) and was second in RBI (52). Junior outfielder Nate Smith batted .354 and led the team with 5 triples. Ludwick batted .352 and was second with 21 doubles and led the team with 57 RBI. Junior second baseman Chris Gillette batted .345 with 15 doubles. Hamill batted .338 with 46 RBI. Sophomore outfielder Jesse Pryor batted .328 with 7 home runs and 35 RBI. Campbell batted .310 with 39 RBI and junior outfielder Chris Adolph batted .299 with 13 doubles. Junior shortstop Eliott Sarabia batted .277 and fielded .932. Eberwein and Sarabia were the only UNLV players to play and to start in all 55 games.
Junior right-hander Jimmy Smith led the pitching staff with a 4.83 ERA. He was 3-3 in 27 appearances and recorded 8 saves. Sophomore right-hander Andy McCulloch led the staff with a 6-2 record. He appeared in 19 games and pitched in 43.1 innings (5.40 ERA). Junior left-hander Billy Barker was 4-4 in 73.2 innings; Senior right-hander Jerimiah Tipton was 5-2 in a team-leading 92.2 innings pitched; Junior right-hander Mike Zipser was 5-5 in 77.2 innings pitched; Junior right-hander Bill Scheffels was 4-3 in 62 innings pitched.
The Rebels enjoyed early season success and were ranked No. 22 in the nation by the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll for three weeks (Feb. 23, March 2, 9). Over the 1998 season, UNLV posted victories over well respected programs such as: UC Santa Barbara, Pepperdine, Nevada, Reno, Cal State Fullerton, Fresno State, Ohio State, Arizona, Rice and Arizona State.
