Feb. 12, 2007
LAS VEGAS - UNLV senior leftfielder Blake Gailen was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, the first such honor for Gailen and the first weekly award of the 2007 season, the league announced today.
Gailen, a native of West Hills, Calif., put together one of the most dominating performances in recent Rebel history at the plate at home against perennial national power Cal State Fullerton. In the three-game series Gailen went 11-for-13 (.846) with a home run, four doubles, a triple and five RBI. He scored eight runs, swiped four bases and also pitched to a batter in the ninth during Sunday's game.
Gailen started the series going 4-for-4 and falling a home run short of the cycle. He collected two doubles and a triple, while knocking in one RBI and scoring a pair of runs. He also stole two bases in the 5-4 Rebel loss. In game two of the series he went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored in a 13-4 loss.
He saved his best for last though, going 5-for-5 with five runs scored and three RBI in a 12-11 UNLV victory on Sunday at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. He played a part in nearly each one of UNLV's rallies on the afternoon, including a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth which gave the Rebels a 6-4 lead. Gailen also came in from left field to pitch to a Fullerton batter in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the ninth with two outs and Fullerton up 11-10, he singled, advancing Calvin Beamon to scoring position. Beamon later scored to knot the score at 11 and Gailen advanced to third base. He then scored the winning run on a balk.
BYU pitcher Jordan Muir was named the league's pitcher of the week as well. He pitched four innings of shutout ball on the way to his first win of the season in BYU's 5-2 over Sam Houston State. In six innings on the mound, he struck out four, while walking two and giving up one earned run.
UNLV will be on the road this week, traveling to Berkeley, Calif., for a three-game series with Cal that gets underway on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. (PST).
