May 10, 2010
LAS VEGAS - UNLV baseball travels to UC Riverside for a non-conference game on Tuesday night at the Riverside Sports Complex, and it will be the final non-league game on the road for the Rebels this season. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. (PT).
The Rebels will bring a 26-20 overall record into tomorrow night's game, and they will be looking to rebound after having their five-game winning streak snapped in a defeat to BYU on Saturday at Wilson Stadium. Taking the mound for the Rebels will be right-hander Brady Zuniga, who is 5-0 with a 3.03 ERA in 17 appearances, including one start.
The Highlanders are 23-18 overall and they will also be looking to get back in the win column after they got swept by Cal State Fullerton in a three-game series this past weekend in Fullerton, Calif. Starting for UCR on Tuesday night will be right-hander Trevor Frank, who is 2-2 with a 8.29 ERA in six starts and 16 total appearances.
UNLV is being led at the plate by junior catcher Drew Beuerlein, who is hitting .361 (65-180) while pacing the squad with eight home runs and 47 RBI. True freshman Brandon Bayardi is enjoying a fine rookie season, hitting .365 (72-197) and has a team-best 18 doubles on the year. R.J. Arnold has hit six home runs on the year while Jarred Frierson has laced six triples.
UCR's top hitter is Justin Shults, who brings in an average of .366 (48-131) to go along with nine home runs and 35 RBI, while Robert Brantley is hitting .336 and has hit a team-high 13 doubles. UC Riverside's closer is Mitch Patito, and he has three saves and a 1.59 ERA in 14 appearances.
This is the second time this season that the two teams will play each other, completing a home-and-home series between UNLV and UC Riverside. The Highlanders earned an 18-10 win over the Rebels on April 27 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium on a windy night that saw the teams combine to hit eight home runs.
The Rebels will resume conference action this weekend, hosting Utah in a three-game series that gets underway Friday night at 7:00 p.m., at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. It will be the final weekend series of the season for UNLV, and Sunday's game will also be Senior Day at the ball park, as the Rebels will honor eight seniors before the game.
