- Postgame: Senior Recognition Ceremony
QUICK HITTERS
• The 29 wins are the program's most since going 33-20 in 2010. The 11 conference wins are the most since the team won the same in 2015.
• UNLV is also guaranteed its first above-.500 win season in seven years. If they can win one of their last three, the Rebels will have their first 30-win season since 2010.
• The 29 wins are also the second-most under a head coach in his or her first year in program history. The most was 31 in Pete Manarino's first year in 2009.
• Historic Sweep In Fresno: The Rebels made history in Fresno last weekend in more ways than one. The three-game sweep was the program's first over the Bulldogs, while UNLV became the first team to sweep Fresno State in MW conference play - home or away - since the Bulldogs joined the conference in 2013. Most impressively, it was the first time FS had been swept on their home field by a conference opponent in its 37 year history. The offense, defense and pitching shined is Fresno as the Rebels hit .317 as a team - more than 40 points higher than their season average - committed just two errors and recorded a 1.67 ERA against the Bulldog hitters.
• Petmecky Shines In Fresno: One of the big reasons the Rebels were able to complete the sweep in Fresno was because of
Janine Petmecky. The senior went 8-for-10 (.800) at the plate on the weekend - which included reaching base safely in her first 10 plate appearances of the series and 10 of 12 at-bats overall - to go along with six runs scored, four RBI, one triple and two home runs. The right-hander didn't just do it on offense though as she went 1-0 with a save and eight strikeouts in 10.0 innings pitched and didn't allow a hit in 3.0 innings of relief.
• Honors Roll In For Petmecky: After her monster performance in Fresno, Petmecky earned some unprecedented honors in UNLV history as she became the first player in program history to be named the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week. She also earned the Mountain West Player and Pitcher of the Week honors, marking just the second time in conference history the same players has nabbed both awards in the same week.
• UNLV has won eight of its last 10 conference games after a streak of seven straight Mountain West losses
• The Rebels have won three straight Mountain West series and four overall this season, while Fresno State was the first series sweep. Two of the series victories have come on the road over the the first (Boise State) and third-place teams in the MW (Fresno State). The other MW series wins were at New Mexico and at home against UNR.
• UNLV finished its 2018 non-conference slate with a 18-7 record overall.
• UNLV's 20-8 record through the first 28 games was the program's best start since the 1996 squad had the same record to start the season.
• If the Rebels can score first, they have a good shot to win as they are 21-4 when that occurs. In Fresno, the Rebels scored in the first inning in all three games, while seven of their 14 runs of the weekend came in the first inning of each game.
• The Rebels have only lost once when they've out-hit their opponent at 20-1, but are 8-14 when out-hit by their opponents.
• Rebels are 21-3 when leading after the fourth inning, so getting the lead early has been a key to success.
• Season Streaks: The Rebels have two separate four-game win streaks, while their longest losing streak in 2018 is five games. Their longest Mountain West winning streak is three, while their longest MW losing streak is seven.
• Individual Streaks: Junior
Myranda Bueno has the longest hitting streak of the season at 10. Freshman
Mia Trejo at one point had reached base safely in 13 straight games. Both Bueno and
Brooke Stover both have on-base streaks that reached 10 at one point, while Stover had a nine-game hitting streak as well.
Reina Bondi will enter the weekend on a seven-game hitting and on-base streak, while Petmecky has reached base safely in five straight and Trejo has reached base in four straight.
• Strong defense: Part of the reason the Rebels have committed just 37 errors this season is the strong play of Stover behind the plate. The senior has not committed a single error this season in 257 chances and she is the only player in the MW (among those with over 50 chances) not to have committed an error this season. The Rebels are 17-3 when they make no errors in a game.
• Petmecky makes mark on record book: Petmecky now has 129 strikeouts on the season - a new-career high - which is the most since former Rebel
Amanda Oliveto had 140 in 2014 and ranks ninth in a single season in program history. The number is particularly impressive considering she didn't pitch one inning as a junior last season and her previous career high for a single season was 35. Her 18 wins lead the MW, are the most by a Rebel pitcher since Oliveto had 18 in 2013 and are tied with Oliveto for second most in a single season.
• Underclassmen Success: Two underclassmen have emerged at the plate, particularly during conference play - sophomore
Reina Bondi and freshman
Mia Trejo. Trejo leads the way with a .406 average, while Bondi is second at .349 in MW games. The pair have have combined for 48 hits, 17 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple and one home run.
• Senior Production: Petmecky isn't the only senior making an impact in her final campaign. Speedy third baseman Jade Yadao-Valdez has swiped 14 bases this season - a new career high - and has been stellar on the hot corner. Catcher
Brooke Stover is one of the best defensive players in the Moutain West and has also had a productive final season at the plate, hitting .263 with 35 hits, 13 runs scored, eight doubles and 24 RBI. Designated hitter
Alyssa Navarro has come on as of late with three home runs in the last nine games.
• Multi Madness: Trejo leads the team with 18 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games this season. In all, the Rebels have nine different players that have recorded four or more multi-hit games and five with five or more multi RBI games.
• RISP: While the offense has struggled at times this season, it has been consistent with runners in scoring position as the team is hitting .309 in those situations. Trejo leads the way .392 average (20-for-51).
• The Rebels have two multi home-run games this season - the series finale loss in Boise and game two in Fresno. After the Rebels managed just nine home runs total over the first 37 games, they now have nine over their last nine.
Janine Petmecky has five of those over the last seven games.
• After having one run-rule victory all of last season, the Rebels already have four this season, which included two straight from the series finale in New Mexico to the series opener against Utah State.
• The Rebels have won five Moutain West weekly honors this season, with Petmecky most recently sweeping both awards on May 8. The Rebels also swept the Mountain West weekly honors on March 13 with Petmecky earning Pitcher of the Week and Yadao-Valdez earning Player of the Week. It marked the first pitcher of the week and second player of the week honor for UNLV this season as freshman
Samantha Diaz already earned the honor once this season on Feb. 21. It marked just the third time since 2011 a pair of Rebels have earned the honor in the same week.
• In total, the Rebels have six come-from-behind wins this season. The two most recent ones were series clinching - Petmecky's two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth in game two against UNR and Trejo's clutch two-run single in the top of the seventh in game two at Boise State that lifted the Rebels to a 2-1 victory. Two others came in extra-inning walk-off fashion (6-5 over Buffalo in the eighth inning on Feb. 16 and a 3-2 walk-off win over North Dakota State on Friday, Feb. 9), while the fourth was a comeback win in Houston (a 6-5 win over UTSA thanks to a three-run top of the seventh) and the fifth was a 6-4 come-from-behind win at San Diego April 3 after trailing 4-3 heading into the sixth inning.
• UNLV has seven shutouts on the season, with Petmecky responsible for five of them.
• Both Petmecky and sophomore pitcher
Charlie Masterson have recorded career highs in innings pitched, strikeouts and wins this season.
SCOUTING COLORADO STATE
• Colorado State will enter the final weekend with a 25-19 record overall and a 9-12 mark in conference play. The rams have lost five straight.
• The Rams rank third in the MW in batting average (.301), fifth in ERA (3.53) and fourth in fielding percentage (.962)
• CSU has six players hitting over .300, led by Sarah Muzik at .411. She has 62 hits, 41 runs scored., 13 RBI, seven doubles and two triples. Three different players have 28 RBI or more - Lauren Buchanan, Corina Gamboa and Haley Donaldson - while Gambino leads the team
• No one on the CSU pitching staff has a sub-3 ERA. Bridgette Hutton lead the team with 13 wins on the season, a 3.02 ERA and 118 strikeouts, but she also has 10 losses this season.
• The Rams are coached by Jen Fisher, who is in her eighth season at the helm.
