May 12, 2003

LAS VEGAS - UNLV junior first baseman Fernando Valenzuela and Utah righthander Clay Westmoreland are the Mountain West Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. Both Valenzuela and Westmoreland are first-time award winners.

Valenzuela, from Los Angeles, Calif., helped the Rebels win two of three games at second-place New Mexico last week after hitting .500 (7-for-14) with two home runs and nine RBI. UNLV clinched the outright regular season MWC championship with the two wins over the Lobos. Valenzuela, who has played error-free at first base all year, started the series 1-for-4 in game one, followed by a 4-for-6 performance in game two, including a double, a home run and five RBI. In game three, he was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.