March 9, 2005
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IN THE BATTER'S BOX: UNLV heads out on the road for five games against Pac-10 oppenents beginning with a three-game set against California at Berkeley, Calif., from March 11-13. This will be just the second time in 2005 that the Rebels have played a three-game series on the road.
LAST TIME OUT: The Rebels played four games last week and started the stretch off with a 3-2 road victory against UC Irvine last Tuesday. UNLV scored two runs in the opening inning and added a run in the fifth to grab a 3-0 lead. Efren Navarro Jr. and Kyle Tabeek combined to keep UC Irvine off the board through the first seven innings, but UCI broke through for two runs in the eighth before Rebel right-hander Derek Rodriguez got the final four outs of the game for his first save in an UNLV uniform. The Rebels couldn't keep that momentum though, as they dropped three homes to Florida Atlantic this past weekend. Friday's series opener was suspended due to rain in the third inning with FAU up 2-0. When the game resumed Saturday, the Owls tacked on three more runs to win 5-0. In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader Justin Tellam hit his third home run of the year, but it wasn't enough as UNLV lost 6-4. FAU completed the sweep with a 3-1 win Sunday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
ON DECK: UNLV remains on the road for two mid-week games against Pac-10 member Arizona on March 8-9. The Rebels will then open MWC play at home with a three-game series against Air Force. The first game is set to get underway March 18 at 6:30 p.m. (PST).
UNLV REBELS (3-13, 0-0 MWC): Slugging sophomore catcher Justin Tellam leads the Rebels with a team-high three home runs. He has also laced two doubles and has driven in five runs. CJ Lang is pacing the Rebels with a .296 average (16-54) and an on base percentage of .457. Zeke Parraz and Matt Fry each have a team-high 17 hits and Parraz leads the team in RBI with eight. On the hill Kyle Tabeek has two wins out of the bullpen for UNLV while Eric Brock has the other Rebel win. Tabeek also sports a 1.17 ERA in seven appearances. Matt Luca has been a victim of poor run support as the right hander has a 3.99 ERA and 18 strikeouts but is 0-4 in his five starts. Derek Rodriguez leads the staff in innings pitched with 29.2 and he has UNLV's only save this season.
CALIFORNIA: (11-6, 0-0 PAC-10): The Bears enter this weekend's series after taking one game of a three-game home set from No. 15 Stanford. After losing the opening two games of the series, Cal won the final game 10-4. Before the series against Stanford, the Bears had won five straight. Brennan Boesch leads Cal's attack with five home runs, four doubles and 14 RBI. Boesch is batting .406 (26-64) and has a .734 slugging percentage. Matt Einspahr has added two home runs and 13 RBI. Matt Swanson is 3-0 in six appearances for the Bears and Travis Talbott has four saves and a 0.57 ERA in nine appearances.
UNLV AGAINST CAL: UNLV leads the all-time series against California 7-5 (.583) heading into this weekend's three-game series. The two teams last played in 2003, when the Rebels opened their season at home against the Bears. UNLV took two of three from Cal, winning the opener 9-6 and the final game of the series 10-4. Cal won the second game 8-7.
