June 7, 2004

LAS VEGAS - Four members of the 2004 Mountain West Champion UNLV baseball team were selected during the first day of the Major League Baseball draft held today. Seniors Ben Scheinbaum, Jake Vose and Brent Johnson, along with junior Eric Nielsen were all selected during the drafts first eighteen rounds.

Senior reliever Ben Scheinbaum was the first Rebel to be chosen, going in the 10th round (309th pick overall) to the New York Yankees. Scheinbaum, who set the UNLV all-time record for appearances, was - this year with a 4.87 ERA and three saves.

Junior right fielder Eric Nielsen, who was a first-team All-American and the 2004 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, was chosen in the 12th round as the 357th overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays. Nielsen, who set a single-season record for hits with 101 on the year, ended the season with a .402 batting average, with 87 RBI and 16 homers.

Senior southpaw Jake Vose was chosen in the 13th round as the 372nd overall pick by the San Diego Padres. Vose, who amassed a 10-4 record this season, was named to the MWC All-Conference team and finished the year with a 5.19 ERA and 69 strikeouts.

Senior center fielder Brent Johnson was chosen in the 14th round as the 423rd overall pick by the Seattle Mariners. Johnson, who holds the all-time UNLV record for hits, finished the year with a .359 batting average with 72 RBI and 6 homers.

This year marks the twentieth straight year that UNLV has had at least one player selected in the draft.

Rounds one through eighteen were completed today, while the following thirty-two rounds of the fifty round draft will be completed tomorrow.