May 15, 2014

UNLV Game Notes | Nevada, Reno Game Notes

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV baseball (30-21/17-10 Mountain West) resumes conference play and will conclude its season by hosting instate rival Nevada, Reno (27-22/15-12 MW) for a three-game series that will begin on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. The Rebels and Wolf Pack will also play on Friday at 6:05 p.m. and on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. Fans can watch online all three games at UNLVRebels.com, thanks to Mountain West Network. UNLV most recently dropped a midweek game to Arizona State 9-5 on Tuesday. Last weekend the Rebels suffered a series loss at San Diego State. The Rebels won the first game of the series 6-1 but fell 7-3 and 3-2 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. UNR comes into the series having won three of its last six games. The Wolf Pack defeated UC Davis and Saint Mary's before dropping a series to New Mexico. UNR wrapped up its home schedule by beating Utah Valley earlier this week.

SCOUTING THE REBELS
UNLV baseball (30-21/17-10 Mountain West) resumes conference play and will conclude its season by hosting instate rival Nevada, Reno (27-22/15-12 MW) for a three-game series that will begin on Thursday at 6:05 p.m. The Rebels and Wolf Pack will also play on Friday at 6:05 p.m. and on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. Fans can watch online all three games at UNLVRebels.com, thanks to Mountain West Network. UNLV most recently dropped a midweek game to Arizona State 9-5 on Tuesday. Last weekend the Rebels suffered a series loss at San Diego State. The Rebels won the first game of the series 6-1 but fell 7-3 and 3-2 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. From the mound, Erick Fedde (8-2, 1.76 ERA) has led the Rebels this season, but he will have to undergo Tommy John surgery, which will end his season. He finished with 82 strikeouts in 76.2 innings of work and opponents hit .209 against him this year. John Richy (9-3, 2.82 ERA) picked up his ninth win of the year at San Diego State and now leads the conference in wins. Richy ranks second in the MW, behind his teammate, with 86 strikeouts in 99.0 innings of work, which is a team-high. He also leads the Rebels with five complete games in 2014. Bryan Bonnell (5-5, 2.63 ERA) has struck out 37 batters this season and has walked 13 in 95.2 innings of work. Kenny Oakley (3-6, 3.22 ERA) will move into the third starting role. He has struck out 68 batters in 78.1 innings of work this season and has made 15 appearances, 11 of which have been starts. Brayden Torres (1-1, 2.70 ERA) leads the team with six saves and has struck out 28 in 23.1 innings of work. From the plate the Rebels are led by Morgan Stotts (.348), Patrick Armstrong (.321), T.J. White (.302), Joey Swanner (.304) and Joey Armstrong (.299). Pat Armstrong leads the team with six home runs and has driven in a team-high 40 runs. White leads the team with 16 stolen bases and has scored a team-high 40 runs. Joey Armstrong has drawn a team-high 28 walks and has stolen seven bases, which is tied with VanMeetren for the second most on the team. Edgar Montes recorded his seven outfield assists, which is tied for eighth in the country. As a team, UNLV is hitting .292 this season and has recorded 16 outfield assists.

SCOUTING THE WOLF PACK
Nevada, Reno (27-22) comes into the series having won three of its last six games. The Wolf Pack defeated UC Davis and Saint Mary's before dropping a series to New Mexico. UNR wrapped up its home schedule by beating Utah Valley earlier this week. Austin Byler leads the team with a .350 batting average and has hit 13 home runs, which leads the Mountain West. Kewby Meyer is hitting .345 this season and has scored 42 runs, which is tied for the most on the team with Byler. Trenton Brooks (.320) is the only other Wolf Pack hitter that is batting over .300. From the mound, UNR is TBA on Thursday, will send left-handed pitcher Barry Timko (6-2, 3.62 ERA) to the mound on Friday and right-handed pitcher Jason Deitrich (2-1, 3.15 ERA) will get the nod on Saturday. Timko has struck out 28 batters in 64.2 IP while Deitrich has struck out 37 in 68.2 innings of work.

UNLV-NEVADA, RENO HISTORY
UNLV leads the overall series against Nevada, Reno 74-50. The Rebels most recently swept the Wolf Pack in Reno last year, despite dropping the series in Las Vegas. This will be the only meeting between the rival schools this season.

ON DECK
UNLV will begin postseason play by hosting the Mountain West Championship. The Rebels first opponent is TBA, but if UNLV wins the series over Nevada, Reno they will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will have first round bye. If they sweep the Wolf Pack and New Mexico drops one game, UNLV will be the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

#PROTECTEARL
UNLV baseball owns a 18-3 home record, which gives the Rebels a winning percentage of 85.7 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium this season. The team got off to a school-record 15-1 start to the season. It is the best start on Roger Barnson Memorial Field at Earl E. Wilson Stadium since 1992 when the Rebels started the year 8-0 before losing to the second game of a doubleheader 3-2 to Utah on February 24. It is also better than the 1973 season when the Rebels started the season by winning seven straight home games. UNLV then lost the first game of a doubleheader 4-0 to BYU on March 3, 1973. The Rebels would bounce back and win four more at home to open the season 11-1 that season. If the season ended today, the 2014 squad would own the best winning percentage at Wilson Stadium in school history. The top-five winning percentages are:
YEAR RECORD WINNING %
2014 18-3 85.7
1996 34-6 85.0
2003 25-5 83.3
1980 44-8-1 83.0
1979 32-7 82.0

GOVERNOR'S SERIES PRESENTED BY NV ENERGY
The one series against Nevada, Reno this year is part of the Governor's Series Presented by NV Energy. Three points will be awarded to the winner of the three-game baseball series with the Wolf Pack that will be completed on May 15-17 when UNR travels to Las Vegas, Nev.
On October 8, 2012 Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval announced the launch of the Governor's Series, presented by NV Energy. This historic, new competition establishes a formal head-to-head athletic and academic challenge between longtime rivals -- the UNLV Rebels and the Nevada, Reno Wolf Pack. The all-encompassing competition will annually crown one school the winner of the Governor's Series.
UNLV is currently leading 24.0-18.0. Nevada, Reno earned three points in cross country, men's basketball, women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis and captured the APR points. The Rebels earned three points in volleyball, football, women's soccer, women's basketball, indoor track and field, softball and men's and women's golf. Only two sports (outdoor track and field and baseball) remain. UNLV has clinched the series for the second straight year. UNR can mathematically tie UNLV, but since the Rebels won the Fremont Cannon, UNLV owns the tiebreaker.