When walking into the office of UNLV baseball head coach Buddy Gouldsmith, there is a table off to the left that grabs the attention of anyone who enters. Sitting there are five Mountain West Conference trophies, two for regular season titles and the others represent the three-consecutive tournament titles the Rebels have won.
The problem for Gouldsmith, and it is one that any coach in the country would love to have, is that he is quickly running out of room for his trophies.
In his three years at UNLV, including the last two as head coach, Gouldsmith has transformed the Rebels into the premier baseball program in the MWC and brought them to the cusp of national prominence.
This is where that table, overflowing with trophies, comes back into play.
Despite all of his team's success, which includes three-straight trips to NCAA Regionals, the latest being the 2005 Tempe Regional, Gouldsmith knows the next step for the Rebels is to advance to a super regional for the first time in school history.
"We won a game at that (Tempe) regional and were in the other two with chances to win both of those games," Gouldsmith said. "The next step for us is to get to the championship game of a regional and win it. We need to get right back there where we were and play better and win it this year."
This coming season seems to be one of the best opportunities for Gouldsmith, the 2005 MWC Coach of the Year, to do just that. He returns 16 letterwinners from a year ago, including three All-MWC performers and the MWC Tournament MVP. Mix in 17 newcomers who figure to fight for playing time immediately and the 2006 edition UNLV baseball appears to be the strongest squad Gouldsmith has fielded.
INFIELD
There is an old saying in baseball that the center of a team's infield is the most important area on the squad, and the Rebels have one of the best combos in the MWC in senior shortstop Mike Cruz and senior second baseman CJ Lang.
A year removed from earning all-conference honors at third base, Cruz moved to shortstop this fall and he has made the transition seamlessly. After missing the first part of last season with an ankle injury, Cruz came back to start 42 games and hit .315 while playing solid defense at third.
"Probably the best move that we have made is Mike Cruz to shortstop," Gouldsmith said. "He has really fit in that spot and has played outstanding defense."
Cruz' double-play partner will be Lang, whose speed and range allow him to get to virtually any ball hit on the right side of second base. He hit .324 while scoring a team-high 62 runs and swiped seven stolen bases.
"CJ gets to more balls at second base than anyone I have ever coached," Gouldsmith said. "He does have a flair for the dramatic at second base and I have not had anyone who turns the double play better than him."
Slick-fielding sophomore Anthony Hernandez will see time at both shortstop and second base, as will sophomore Willie Bowman and junior-transfer Keith Smith.
First base will be manned once again by junior Chris Bonnell, a former walk-on who has progressed into one of the more steady first basemen in the league. A year ago Bonnell hit .342 while making 55 starts and playing in 60 total games. His nine home runs and 59 RBI were second on the team and he earned MWC Player of the Week honors twice, as well as being named to the MWC All-Tournament squad. A clutch player, Bonnell went 10-16 at the 2005 Tempe Regional and also drove in the game-winning run in UNLV's 6-5 win over then-No. 6 Cal State Fullerton last year.
Backing up Bonnell will be sophomore Efren Navarro Jr. and freshman Kyle Kretchmer.
"Chris Bonnell just continues to get better and better each year," Gouldsmith said. "He is making better decisions and puts himself in better positions to not make as many errors and he has worked hard at that."
Over at the hot corner, freshman Xavier Scruggs has emerged as the early front-runner to start the season at third base, although there is a lot of talent behind him ready to play in the likes of Smith, Bowman and Chad Miller.
Handling the duties behind the plate will be Braden Walker, who was moved from shortstop to catcher last year in an emergency role but has blossomed there. Desite the fact that Walker is only a sophomore, the Rebel pitchers have a high comfort level with Walker and he should only get better with more time behind the plate. His offense could also be a good addition to the lineup, as Walker hit .365 in limited at-bats last year. Senior catcher Albert Zerega is a strong defensive catcher who will push Walker, and freshman Michael Brenly could also see some playing time.
"Braden Walker has been unbelievable the way he has progressed behind the plate," Gouldsmith said. "He did a nice job last year having never caught and being converted from a shortstop to a catcher. I think it is a good move for him and he has welcomed it with open arms."
OUTFIELD
A pair of Ryans return to the Rebel outfield, with Ryan Bird back for a second year in right field and Ryan Kowalski entering his third year in center field. Gouldsmith is expecting big things from the duo.
Bird was an All-MWC honoree a year ago and the senior will be one of the main cogs in the Rebels' offensive attack this season. A .343 hitter with six home runs and 57 RBI last year, Bird was also named to the MWC All-Tournament team. His experience in right field will also be key, as the sun tends to cause nightmares for defenders who play right field during the day at UNLV.
A year after playing through various injuries, a healthy Kowalski appears energized and ready to ignite the Rebel offense from the leadoff spot. A speedster who causes havoc on the base paths, the left-handed Kowalski can reach base a variety of ways. His speed is also valuable in the outfield as he covers a lot of ground running from alley to alley.
"Ryan Bird and Ryan Kowalski really played well in the fall and I would expect them to hit in the top of our order," Gouldsmith said. "Those guys have some experience, with Ryan Bird being a senior and Ryan Kowalski a junior."
Left field is a position that is up in the air, with a number of transfers vying for the final starting spot in the Rebel outfield. Zach Borba, Calvin Beamon and Blake Gailen are all newcomers who arrive at UNLV with experience, either at the junior college level or as Division I transfers. Troy Harlander, a freshman with speed and the ability to steal bases, may also see some time in the outfield.
"Left field will be extremely competitive and right now Zach Borba is a little bit ahead," Gouldsmith said. "I would expect him to have an opportunity to start there and he is very talented. However, Calvin Beamon and Blake Gailen could play there as well."
PITCHING
On the mound is where the Rebels seem to have a few question marks, not due to lack of talent but rather uncertainty about the health of potential starters.
Matt Luca, Kevin Skogley and transfer Chris Saddoris all figure to start at one time or another, but they are all coming off of surgeries and how they respond this year will be key to UNLV's season.
The most important one of the trio is Luca, who has been a mainstay in the Rebels' rotation since his freshman season. The senior tied for the team lead in wins with five, made 16 starts and at times over his career has shown flashes of dominance, including throwing a no hitter as a freshman.
"We will be as good as we are healthy when it comes to the mound," Gouldsmith. "We have some guys in Kevin Skogley and Chris Saddoris and Matt Luca who are all coming off rehabilitation stints and we will be as good as they are healthy."
Joining that trio as starters for UNLV, whether in the weekend rotation or during week-day games, will be returnees Koji Pupo, Navarro Jr., and Matt Wagner, last year's MWC Tournament MVP. Two other players who could start will be transfers Jabe Beard and Ryan Tabor.
"The one thing that I am most encouraged about our staff is that we have a lot of guys who throw strikes," Gouldsmith said. "That will minimize our walks and the amount of mistakes that we make. Last year there were times when we gave up so many outs but I am encouraged by our ability to throw strikes and play defense behind our pitchers."
UNLV's bullpen will be a mix of experience and youth and Gouldsmith believes it will take a little time for players to define their roles.
Alex Chalfant and Scruggs are two pitchers that will be among the first relievers used by Gouldsmith, with Scruggs probably being the set-up man for probable closer Eric Brock. Gailen and Robert Gamch are two other arms that Gouldsmith will use, as well as members of the staff who are not starting.
"The relief roles are something that we waiting for some people to rise to the top, but there have already been some to do that," Gouldsmith said. "They will need to fill the gaps between our starters and our closer."
THE SCHEDULE
Quickly becoming a trademark of Gouldsmith and his staff, UNLV's schedule will once again be among the most challenging and difficult as any in the country. The Rebels are slated to play six teams ranked in Collegiate Baseball's preseason top-40 poll and will face another four squads that received votes.
The non-conference slate is highlighted by a three-game home series with defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Texas at Earl E. Wilson Stadium on March 3-5. UNLV opens its season with three-game sets at preseason No. 13 Pepperdine and No. 9 Cal State Fullerton. Its home opener is Feb. 24 against Eastern Michigan. With TCU joining the league, teams in the MWC will not play home-and-home series with each other, instead rotating home and away series each season. New this year though will be a pre-conference tournament in San Diego on March 29-April 2 that will have each MWC team play four conference games.
The 2006 Mountain West Conference Tournament makes it return to Las Vegas, and will be played May 23-27 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
"If you want to be the best, you have got to beat the best. I want to play good teams. We owe it not only to our program but to our community to play a great schedule and play teams that are consistently ranked and among the nation's elite. We've upgraded our schedule every year since I have been here," Gouldsmith said. "There is not a weekend on our schedule where we can just show up and win. We are going to have to play well every game."
