Nov. 17, 2001

LAS VEGAS - Ten high school and junior college athletes signed national letters of intent to join the Rebel baseball program in 2002, as announced by UNLV head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle. It is the first fall signing class for Schlossnagle who took the helm at UNLV in July.

"I am extremely excited about both the talent and depth of our first fall recruiting class," said Schlossnagle. "We were able to fill some our needs, especially on the mound. I like the mix of junior college and high school players and am truly pleased that some of the best local players are now choosing UNLV. Our entire staff, led by recruiting coordinator Buddy Gouldsmith, did a great job and worked tirelessly to put this fall class together. I look forward to continuing our efforts into the spring."

Highlighting the ten-man recruiting class is Adam Elliot, a right-handed pitcher and utility player from Clayton Valley High School who hit .455 with three homeruns his junior season. Elliot is ranked as one of the nation's Top-30 players by Baseball America. He played this past summer for the Team USA Junior National Team with a 7-3 record, striking out 93 in 60 innings. Adam chose UNLV over the University of Miami.

"Adam is one of the nation's premier two-way players," Schlossnagle said. "He will certainly be an immediate impact pitcher and will also make a contribution in the field and at the plate."

Matt Elliot, a right-handed pitcher from Basic High School, chose UNLV over Arizona State and Long Beach State. He was a First Team All-State and All-Conference selection as a junior. He was voted MVP of the 2001 Mike Morrow Tournament and Most Outstanding Player at Basic HS where he compiled an 8-2 record with 61 strikeouts in 52 innings.

"Matt will help us tremendously as a freshman on the mound," Schlossnagle said. "He is extremely competitive and has good command of some outstanding pitches. I'm excited that one of the best local pitchers from one of the best high school programs has decided to study at home."

Bret Martinez was selected to the top 100 high school prospects and rated the third best catching prospect by Baseball America. He transferred to East Valley Redlands High School for his junior season where he hit .375 with one homerun. He chose UNLV over USC, Hawaii, Cal State Fullerton and San Diego State.

"Brett is an elite high school catcher and a great leader," Schlossnagle said. "The fact that a player of his caliber has chosen UNLV illustrates all of the positives that our program has to offer."

Coltyn Simmons, an outfielder from Durango High School, will join the squad in 2002. He was a 2001 All-State, All-Region and All-District selection, helping lead Durango to a third place finish in the state of Nevada, hitting .460 with four homeruns and 18 doubles. This past summer, Coltyn played for Team Florida with fellow recruit Adam Elliot, leading the team in all offensive categories and aiding it in winning the National Junior Olympic Tournament Championship. He chose UNLV over Arizona State, BYU and Loyola Marymount.

"Coltyn is a player that I have had my eye on for a long time," says Schlossnagle. "He has outstanding skills both at the plate and in the field and comes from a high school program with great tradition."

Matt Wagner is a right-handed pitcher from Cimmaron Memorial High School in Las Vegas. He helped lead his team to the 2001 Zone Playoffs, posting a 5-2 record. He was selected as a Legion All-Star this past summer and helped lead his team to the Nevada State American Legion Tournament.

"Matt is a very good student and athlete with a really good feel for the ball as a pitcher," Schlossnagle said. "He is very competitive and I expect him to help us very early in his career."

Patrick Dobson is a transfer from Cuesta College who helped lead his team to the California Community College Final Four Championships as a freshman. Following his first college season, he played in the Midwest wood bat summer league in Clarinda, Iowa where he led his team in hitting and was a First Team All Conference selection. Dobson chose UNLV over Texas Tech, NC State, and University of San Francisco.

"Pat is one of the best hitters in all of California junior college baseball and plays for one of the nation's best coaches," Schlossnagle said. "He will be an impact hitter and also comes from a great family."

Originally from Galena High School in Reno, Nev., Peter White is transferring to the Rebel baseball program from American River College. He suffered a broken hand after being hit by a pitch in the third week of the 2001 season. Although he missed 75 percent of American River's games, Peter overcame the injury to lead the team in home runs. Peter rejected a free-agent offer from the Baltimore Orioles over the summer to return to school and chose UNLV over Long Beach, UC Irvine, and the University of Hawaii.

"We are excited about Peter's return to UNLV and look forward to having his exceptional defensive skills make our infield better," Schlossnagle said.

Taylor George was the top starter for perennial California community college powerhouse, Cypress College. He compiled a 5-2 record and helped lead his team to the regional playoffs. George has been drafted twice, in the 30th round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and in the 33rd round by the New York Mets. He chose UNLV over the University of Hawaii and Santa Barbara.

"Taylor is the best pitcher at one of the nation's most successful junior college programs," says Schlossnagle. "He should make an immediate impact in our rotation."

Brad Thompson is a right-handed pitcher out of Cimmaron Memorial High School who is transferring to the Rebel baseball program from Dixie State College. He helped lead Cimmaron Memorial to a district playoff berth and an American Legion State Championship. In his freshman season at Dixie State College, he was 5-0, winning two games in the National Junior College Championships at Grand Junction, Colo., and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Thompson chose UNLV over Nevada, Reno.

"It is hard for me to put into words how happy I am that Brad has decided to return to Las Vegas," Schlossnagle said. "He is an outstanding pitcher with a great breaking ball and is a gamer."

Jake Vose is a transfer from Community College of Southern Nevada who also hails from Cimmaron Memorial High School, where he and teammate Brad Thompson helped lead their team to a district playoff berth and American Legion State Championship. A left-handed pitcher, Vose completed his freshman season at Taft College where he was the mainstay of a troubled staff, throwing more than 50 innings. Vose chose UNLV over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.

"It is hard to find good left-handed pitching," Schlossnagle said, "but in Jake we have found a great one. The development he has had at CCSN speaks to the quality of coaching of Coach Chambers' staff and we look forward to continuing in that development. I see no reason why Jake will not have a great career at UNLV among the top of our rotation."