NEWS & NOTES

• 13-7 is the best start under Lisa Dodd through the first 20 games in her five years at the helm. This is also the best start through the first 20 games since they went 15-5 in 1996 and is the seventh best start overall in program history. This is also the first time ever the team has managed a 13-7 start through the first 20 games.
• On Thursday, Feb. 16, Dodd picked up her 100th career win in a 8-7 win over Northern Iowa at home. All of her career head coaching wins have come at UNLV, while she became the fourth coach in program history to reach the 100 win mark.
• Streaks: The Rebels have two separate four-game win streaks this season and haven't lost more than two in a row.
• Home Field Advantage: Eller Media Stadium has been kind to the Rebels as they hold a 7-2 record at home this season, including all three of their shutouts.
• Ettinger sets new career-high for wins: After matching her career-high for wins in a single season last weekend at the Red Desert Classic, Ettinger set a new personal record with her 11th win of the season in the 4-0 shutout over Creighton. It was also her sixth complete game of the season. Her 48 strikeouts are just six shy of matching her career-high of 54 in a single season. Currently, she leads the conference in wins, is fourth in strikeouts and is eighth with a 2.12 ERA.
• Fast Starts: The Rebels have scored at least one run in the first inning in 11 out of 20 games this season, with multi-run first innings against Louisville (4), Southern Utah (3), Northern Iowa (3) and Creighton. The first inning is also their highest scoring inning overall, with 19 runs total in the opening frame. They are currently 9-2 when they do manage to score in the first inning. On the flip side, they are 4-5 when their opponent scores in the first inning. The team has also scored the most runs in the first and second innings combined this year (31), proving the fast starts are crucial for the Rebels.
• Second and Third Inning Bursts: The Red Desert Classic March 3-5 in St. George, Utah, was the first tournament the Rebels failed to score any runs in the first inning of the five games they played. They did, however, score runs in the second and third innings for three-straight games to open the tournament -- all wins.
• While Coach Dodd would likely prefer to win by larger margins, the Rebels have proved they can win the close ones as they are undefeated in one-run games with a 5-0 record.
• Comeback Kids: The Rebels had some come-back magic in 2017. Over a seven-game stretch, the Rebels pulled off five come-from-behind wins, with the efforts including a walk-off home run by Janine Petmecky at home against Weber State on Feb. 17 and two late-inning home runs that proved to be the game winners -- one by Justine Federe on Feb. 24 at Hawaii and another by Alyssa Navarro against Montana in Honolulu on Feb. 25.
• Fourth-Inning says it all: So far, if the Scarlet & Gray can find themselves ahead or tied on the scoreboard after four innings, there's a good chance they will go on to win the game. Currently, they are undefeated (12-0) when they accomplish that feat. On the other hand, they are just 1-7 when trailing after four innings.
• Janine Petmecky's walk-off home run against Weber State on Friday, Feb. 17 was the first for UNLV since former Rebel Garie Blando hit on in a 6-5 victory over Mountain West foe New Mexico on March 27, 2015.
• Senior transfer Brianna Gatlin has made an immediate impact in her first season as a Rebel. She recorded a seven-game hitting during the first 14 games of the season and safely reached base in the first 17-straight games -- a streak that ended against Montana on Saturday, March 4 in St. George. Both streaks are the longest by an Rebel this season. She currently leads the team in batting average (.357), hits (20), doubles (5), triples (2) and runs (12).
• In addition to Gatlin, two other transfers, sophomore Kiley Harrison and junior Alyssa Navarro, have been strong additions. Harrison has made 17 starts in three different positions and is tied for second in RBIs (9) and tied for fourth in runs scored (8) while Navarro is fifth on the team in batting average (.304), tied for third with hits (16) and tied for second in RBIs.
• The freshmen also continue to make their mark on the young season. Mara Kemmer has led the way, taking hold of the leadoff spot. When she's not in right field she has spent time in the circle as a dual threat player for the Rebels. In her first year, Kemmer is hitting .297 with 19 hits, 11 runs scored and eight RBIs while leading the team in at bats with 64. She's made seven appearances on the mound with two starts, going 1-1 in those outings and recording a overall ERA of 4.39 and 13 strikeouts. She picked up her first career collegiate win on Saturday, March 4 against Utah Valley, going 4.0 innings and giving up just two runs. The duo of Justine Federe and Emily Vela hav also see significant time in their first collegiate seasons. The two have combined for 24 starts, with Federe looking particularly comfortable at the plate, hitting .300 on the season with 15 hits, eight runs scored and eight RBIs.
• Petmecky and fellow junior Jade Yadao-Valdez have set tone among the position player returners. Petmecky most recently lit it up at the Red Desert Classic, going 7-for-15 (.467) with two doubles, two RBIs, and two runs scored to lead the team. Yadao-Valdez has also been one of the most consistent players on the team, hitting .308 with 16 hits, nine runs and five RBIs while owning the hot corner on third base.