LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels will host the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos Tuesday and Wednesday in a midweek series, which will wrap up the team's season-opening, five-game homestand at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. Game one is slated for a 6:05 pm first pitch Tuesday night, while Wednesday's affair is scheduled to start at 2:05 pm.
The two-game set between UNLV and UCSB rekindles a series that dates back to 1975, but has been dormant for 17 years. The two teams that once played in the Big West against each other last squared off in 2002; a 3-2 loss by the Rebels (April 24). The Scarlet & Gray owns the head-to-head series lead 31-18-1.
Making their first career starts for UNLV are right-handed freshmen
Troy Balko (Tuesday) and
Ty Pohlmann (Wednesday).
FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow along with the midweek series between UNLV and UC Santa Barbara through live stats. Additionally, both games will be streamed live and free of charge. Links to both stats and the video streams will be made available at UNLVRebels.com.
ON DECK: UNLV will hit the road for the first time this season with a trip to the Bay Area to face the Stanford Cardinal, who enter the week ranked in the top 10 by four publications: No. 5 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper; No. 7 Baseball America and Perfect Game; and No. 8 by NCBWA. The Cardinal, went 3-0 over the weekend in Arizona with wins over Ball State, Wichita State and Pepperdine, will face Grand Canyon Monday prior to this weekend's series in Palo Alto, California.
The trip to Northern California signals a stretch that will see the Rebels play six of seven on the road - all in the Golden State - with only playing at home once, a Feb. 26 (Tuesday) tilt with Utah.
LOOKING BACK: The UNLV Rebels went 2-1 last weekend in a season-opening, nonconference series against the Seattle Redhawks at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels were shut out in game one - a 4-0 loss to Seattle, but they scored a total of 19 runs the remainder of the series with an 11-10 win in 10 innings Saturday and an 8-5, series-clinching victory Sunday.
The Scarlet & Gray's offense was paced by shortstop
Bryson Stott, who .545 with six hits in 11 at-bats. Four of Stott's hits went for extra bases with two doubles, one triple and one home run, which produced a staggering 1.182 slugging percentage. Additionally, he was walked five times - one of which intentionally - to register a .688 on-base percentage.
The Rebels had a quartet notch three hits on the weekend, as
James Gamble,
Dillon Johnson,
Edarian Williams and
Jack-Thomas Wold combined for 12 hits, three doubles, seven RBI and seven runs.
On the mound,
Jackson Cofer played a role in both Rebel victories with a win in Saturday's affair and a save in Sunday's finale. Cofer, a transfer from Utah Valley, threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts against two hits and no walks.
Cameron Jabara, a transfer from Orange Coast College, got the ball in the season opener and tossed 6.0 scoreless frames against the Redhawks. Jabara allowed seven hits, but struck out seven before giving way to the bullpen.
NEWCOMERS MAKE IMMEDIATE IMPACT: The UNLV Rebels' 2019 roster features 22 newcomers with 11 freshmen and 11 transfers, and 12 of those saw action in the season-opening, nonconference series against the Seattle Redhawks.
Five of those newcomers that made their way into the lineup were
James Gamble (freshman),
Jacob Godman (freshman),
Duke Pahukoa (freshman),
Trevor Rosenberg (transfer),
Edarian Williams (freshman). Gamble and Rosenberg started all three games, with the former in center field and the latter at second base. Williams played in all three with two starts as the designated hitter. Godman played in two games with one start. Pahukoa saw action in one game as a defensive replacement.
On the mound, the Scarlet & Gray had seven newcomers toe the rubber against Seattle.
Cameron Jabara (transfer from Orange Coast College) and
Bradley Spooner (transfer from Saddleback College) started Friday and Saturday's games, respectively.
Jackson Cofer (transfer from Utah Valley),
Tallon Thomason (transfer from South Mountain CC) and
Matthew Mitchell (transfer from College of Southern Nevada) made two relief appearances apiece, while
Trent Bixby and
Sage Diehm each saw action in one contest.
Notable Newcomer Performances
-Jabara started Friday's game and threw 6.0 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts against seven hits
-Cofer picked up the win in Saturday's extra-inning game with 1.0 frame of scoreless relief and followed it with a 1.2 inning save in Sunday's victory; in all, he struck out and gave up three hits in 2.2 innings
-Thomason picked up the win in Sunday's triumph, tossing 2.0 innings with three strikeouts
-Williams went 3-for-8 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs; both doubles as well as two RBI and one run came in Sunday's win
-Gamble had three hits - all singles - with one RBI and two runs
-Godman went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run; both hits came in Saturday's come-from-behind, 10-inning win, and he scored the game-winning run after leading off the 10th with a single
2019 SEASON: UNLV baseball will play 56 games in 2019, 29 of which are left to be played at home at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. In all, the Rebels will play 30 contests against Mountain West competition and 26 more against foes from five different conferences, including six on the road at Stanford (Pac-12) and Houston (American Athletic) – two squads that finished 2018 ranked in the top 25 polls.
The Rebels, who went 35-24 in 2018, open the season with five straight home games, three against Seattle (Feb. 15-17) and two in a midweek set vs. UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 19-20). In fact, 21 of the Scarlet & Gray's first 30 games will be played at Wilson Stadium.
PURCHASE TICKETS: Tickets are now on sale for the 2019 season. Season tickets are just $90 for adults (13 and older) and $75 for UNLV faculty, staff and alumni, and seniors (62-plus). Single-game ticket prices this season are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, faculty and staff seniors, and $4 for groups of 15 or more. Fans that purchase tickets online up to three hours prior to first pitch can get them for an advanced single-game price of $5.
All high school, middle school and elementary students are now free under UNLV's new admission policy. To receive free admission, high school students must present valid Nevada area school I.D. at the box office on gameday to receive one (1) complimentary ticket. All other students will receive a complimentary ticket at the box office (no I.D. required). Kids not yet elementary school age will continue to receive free admission for all UNLV Olympic sports.
