World Baseball Classic Website

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball program will have three of its own participating in the 2017 World Baseball Classic next month. Rebel alums Blake Gailen and Dean Kremer will suit up for Israel while Efren Navarro will play for Mexico.

Gailen and Navarro were teammates during the 2006 and '07 campaigns. The former transferred to play at UNLV for two seasons after beginning his collegiate career at Glendale Community College (2004-05) while the latter spent his freshman to junior years (2005-07) with the Scarlet & Gray. Kremer, on the other hand, suited up for UNLV in 2016 after coming over from Delta Community College.

Since their playing days at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, the trio has played professionally. Gailen has played within the Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays' organizations as well as with various independent leagues. In 2012, as a member of the Lancaster Barnstormers, he was tabbed the Atlantic League's Most Valuable Player and Baseball America's Independent League Player of the Year.

Navarro was drafted by the Angels in the 2007 MLB Draft, and played 130 games with the organization. After spending the 2016 season in the Seattle Mariners' farm system, he signed with the Detroit Tigers and has been invited to their Spring Training camp.

Kremer made 15 appearances with four wins on the mound for the Rebels last year. He threw a total of 82.1 innings and struck out 46. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers following the season and played with the Ogden Raptors (rookie) and Grand Lakes Loons (Single A). Overall, he was 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA in 12 appearances, six of which were starts.

The WBC's pool play will be contested at four sites -- Seoul, South Korea; Tokyo, Japan; Jalisco, Mexico; and Miami -- and is scheduled to begin as early as March 6. There are 16 teams in total with four at each site. Israel has been placed in the Seoul bracket with Chinese Taipei, Netherlands and South Korea. Mexico will play host to Italy, Venezuela and Puerto Rico at Estadio Charros de Jalisco (March 9-13).

The top two teams from the four pools will advance to the second round in Tokyo and San Diego between March 11-19, while the championship round is slated for Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles from March 20-22.