May 15, 2006

LAS VEGAS - UNLV sophomore Braden Walker was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, marking the seventh time this year that a Rebel has earned the award, the league announced today.

It is the first weekly award for Walker, a Highland, Utah, native who went 6-for-13 (.462) from the plate with eight RBI and as he helped UNLV end its regular-season home schedule with a sweep of New Mexico last weekend.

In the opener Friday night, Walker came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and no out in an 8-8 tie and uncorked a grand slam over the left-field fence to win the game for UNLV. It was the first career grand slam for Walker and second-career game-winning hit this season.

He finished that game with five RBI and went on to add three more over the next two games of the series and in the final against the Lobos on Sunday he went 3-5 with a double.

San Diego State pitcher Bruce Billings, a San Diego, Calif., native, was named the MWC Pitcher of the Week as he improved to 6-3 on the season with his win over BYU last weekend. In 7.0 innings on the mound, he gave up no runs, while striking out six batters and scattering seven hits.

UNLV is back in action Thursday afternoon as the Rebels close out their regular season with a three-game set against Air Force with that begins Thursday at 1:00 p.m. (PDT) in Colorado Springs, Colo.