Feb. 23, 2006
Click Here For The UNLV Baseball Weekly Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
IN THE BATTER'S BOX: UNLV will finally play its home opener, hosting Eastern Michigan in a three-game series that begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. (PST) at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. This will be the first home series of the year for the Rebels, who spent the previous three weeks on the road, including playing six games against teams in the top 15. Saturday's tilt is set for 2:00 p.m. and the Sunday capper is slated for 1:00 p.m. There is a possibility that the two clubs could play a doubleheader one of the days to make up for games canceled due to weather.
LAST TIME OUT: UNLV lost two games to rival Nevada, Reno last weekend and had one game snowed out as the Rebels saw their losing streak extended to six games. In the opener Friday the Rebels were in a 1-0 game heading into the seventh inning before three errors led to three Wolf Pack runs. The final score was 6-0 and it was the first road shutout of UNLV since the 2003 season. Efren Navarro Jr. made his debut on the mound for the Rebels, working four innings. Snow and cold weather kept the two clubs from playing Saturday and on Sunday the Rebels lost a frustrating 3-2 game in which UNLV had three runners thrown out at home, including the tying run in the top of the ninth inning. Zach Borba had a pair of RBI singles for the Rebels in the game.
UNLV(1-7, 0-0 Mountain West Conference)Head Coach: Buddy Gouldsmith(73-60, 3rd year; Overall, same)
The Rebels: UNLV enters this weekend's series against Eastern Michigan with a 1-7 record after it dropped two games to rival Nevada, Reno up north. It was originally supposed to be a three-game series but the middle game of the set was snowed out. UNLV banged out a season-high 13 hits in the final game against UNR. Chris Bonnell leads the Rebel regulars in batting average with a .313 clip (10-32) and he has a four-game hitting streak heading into this weekend's series. Mike Cruz has drawn a team-high five walks while Xavier Scruggs paces the team in home runs with two and his three RBI are tied for the most on the squad. Chris Saddoris (1-2) has the top ERA among the Rebel starters with a 3.71 mark in a team-high 17 innings of work. Kevin Skogley leads the team with eight strikeouts while Alex Chalfant has made a team-leading five appearances.
EASTERN MICHIGAN(1-3, 0-0 Mid-American Conference)Head Coach: Roger Coryell(786-552-2, 19th year; Overall, same)
The Eagles: Eastern Michigan will be coming to Las Vegas well rested and in search of dry weather as the Eagles did not play last weekend. EMU opened with road series at East Tennessee State and Tennessee with both of them getting interupted by rain and snow. The Eagles were only able to play two games each against ETSU and UT, both doubleheaders. The Eagles won its first game of the year, a 9-6 win over ETSU, but they have lost their last three, including two 3-2 defeats to Tennessee. Jeff Hehr (.412) and Jeff Davis (.400) are the only two Eagle batters hitting above .300 and Aaron Powell has knocked in seven runs. Jeff Fischer is 1-1 in his two starts with a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings of work.
SERIES HISTORY: UNLV trails the short history with Eastern Michigan 1-2 (.333). The two teams last played in 1993, when the Rebels split a two game series at home to the Eagles, winning the first one 8-6 before losing the second game 21-7. The first meeting between the two teams came in the 1981 Midwest Regional and it was a 15-3 win for EMU.
HOME AT LAST: This season's home opener falls on Feb. 24, and it is the latest the Rebels have played their home opener since the 1969 season, the third year of baseball at UNLV. The Rebels hosted Grand Canyon on Feb. 28. and lost 7-0. That date is the latest home opener in UNLV's history. This year's date is the third-latest opener for the Rebels, as their home opener in 1967 was on Feb. 25 and in 1968 it fell on Feb. 24.
