Nov. 7, 2005

LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball will conclude its fall schedule this week, as the three-time MWC champion Rebels will hold a three-game intrasquad series with the first game Wednesday at 3:05 p.m. (PST) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

The Rebels will be divided into two teams, a scarlet squad and a gray team, and the games are open to the public. Game one will feature two lefties, as Koji Pupo will take the mound for the grey team while the scarlet team will counter with Efren Navarro Jr. Game two of the series will be Thursday at 3:05 p.m. and if a third game is necessary it will be Friday at 3:05 p.m. There will not be a scrimmage Tuesday due to the three-game series.

UNLV won last year's Mountain West Conference title, beating BYU twice to claim the title, the Rebels' third consecutive championship. They wrapped up the season with an overall record of 35-29 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season, losing to Coastal Carolina at the Tempe Regional.

Head coach Buddy Gouldsmith enters his third season with the Rebels and returns 17 players from last year's roster, including MWC Tournament MVP Matt Wagner, along with All-MWC performers Mike Cruz and Navarro Jr.

UNLV opens its 2006 season with a three-game series on the road against Pepperdine beginning Feb. 3 in Malibu, Calif. The Rebels' first home game is Feb. 24 against Eastern Michigan.