April 11, 2011

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV baseball sophomore outfielder Brandon Bayardi was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week for the week ending April 10th, announced the conference office on Monday.

Bayardi went 7-for-12 at the plate in a three-game span over the weekend, helping the Rebels (22-12) dial in their fourth series win at home, taking three of four games from Sacred Heart University. The Phoenix, Ariz. native batted .583 and slugged 1.250, smashing three-run home runs in each of UNLV's wins during Saturday's doubleheader.

His stellar performance at the plate included at least two hits in each game and helped raise his season average 40 points to .337. Bayardi's two home runs pushed his season total to a conference-leading 10 and his nine RBI over the course of the weekend upped his total to 35, which also leads the conference.

Bayardi is the second Rebel player this season to earn MWC Player of the Week honors, joining two-time winner Rance Roundy.

Bayardi and the Rebels will be back in action with a midweek game at UC Riverside on Tuesday, April 12th before coming home to host MWC rival BYU in a three-game series set to get underway Thursday, April 14 at Wilson Stadium