Aug. 19, 2008

LAS VEGAS - UNLV men's and women's basketball head coaches Lon Kruger and Kathy Olivier will throw out the ceremonial first pitches at the Las Vegas 51s game on Thursday, August 28, at Cashman Field just prior to the 7:05 p.m. game against Fresno.

Rebel fans are invited to join the coaches for the game and will receive a $2 per ticket discount to sit in the special "Rebel" section - with Coach Kruger and Coach Olivier - that evening if they mention the "Rebel" section when buying tickets at the Cashman Field box office. The discount is only available at the Cashman Field box office.

Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite Rebel gear.

Kruger will enter his fifth season at UNLV in 2008-09. He has compiled a four-year mark of 91-42 (.684), including a record of 57-15 (.792) over the last two seasons. He was named the Mountain West Conference's Coach of the Year this past season and was also recognized as the United States Basketball Writers Association's District VIII Coach of the Year along with being a finalist for national coach of the year honors.

The Runnin' Rebels finished the 2007-08 season with an overall record of 27-8 and lost to eventual national champion Kansas in the NCAA Tournament's second round. The appearance in the NCAA Tournament was the second straight for UNLV, which advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2007.

Olivier is entering her first season as the Lady Rebels' head coach. A former UNLV player, she came back to Las Vegas after spending the past 15 years as head coach at UCLA. Leading the Bruins, Olivier guided the squad to five NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 1999. Her team finished the year ranked seventh in the country that season.

As a player, Olivier was an honorable mention All-American at UNLV during the 1979-80 season.