May 22, 2002
PROVO, Utah - The UNLV baseball team upset second-seeded Utah 13-9 in the opening game of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. With the win, the Rebels improve to 29-28 on the season, while the Utes fall to 32-25.
The Utes opened the game with a pair of runs in each of the first two innings for a quick 4-0 lead. A four-spot in the fourth inning extended Utah's lead to 8-0.
UNLV battled back with six runs in the seventh and used a David Trujillo double in the eighth to tie the game at 9-9. Eric Nielsen drove in Trujillo for the go-ahead run and game-winner.
UNLV starter Robbie Van went 3.2 innings, giving up eight runs on 11 hits. David Seccombe relieved Van and went 1.1 innings, giving up one run on three hits. James Wickman threw 1.2 innings and gave up only a single hit before turning it over to Jeremy Weinberg. Weinberg (2-4) pitched 1.1 innings and is credited with the win. He held the Utes scoreless, giving up only a single hit with one strikeout.
Utah's Jared Snyder (1-3) is credited with the loss. He gave up three runs on four hits in 0.2 innings of work.
Brent Johnson hit his 29th double of the season, setting the UNLV single season record previously held by Bill Max (1981). He finished the game 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
David Trujillo went 5-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored, hitting his 14th home run of the season in the seventh inning and 15th in the ninth.
MWC Freshman of the Year Joe Wickman finished the game 1-for-5 with a run scored.
Eric Nielsen and Garett Shitanishi added three hits each. Nielsen went 3-for-6 with one RBI and two runs scored, while Shitanishi went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Tony Schuler, Jason Reuss and Robert VanKirk added a pair of hits each.
"It certainly was a great comeback and it was something we haven't put together all season long," said UNLV head coach Jim Schlossnagle, "but I felt if we kept getting baserunners and got a couple big hits, we would have a chance. It's hard for us to score in bunches because we don't hit a lot of home runs. If we could get a little bit of confidence, I felt like we had a chance to come back."
With the win, UNLV will take on the winner of the Air Force/BYU game at 6 p.m. PST on Thursday. Utah will play sixth seeded New Mexico at 10 a.m. PST.
