LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels hit the road for the first time this season with a trip to the Bay Area to face the Stanford Cardinal in a three-game, nonconference series at Sunken Diamond in Stanford, California. The Rebels and Cardinal were originally scheduled to begin the series Friday; however, inclement weather has altered the weekend's action. The squads will now play twice Saturday - times TBA - and once Sunday.
 
Stanford, which hails from the Pac-12 Conference, is 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 - and No. 12 by D1Baseball.com.
 
The weekend tussle between UNLV and Stanford rekindles a series that dates back to 1980, but has been dormant for six years. The Rebels bolstered their four-game edge in the head-to-head series, which sits at 7-3, with a three-game sweep of the Cardinal in 2013: March 8 - 3-2; March 9 - 13-2; and March 10 - 5-1).
 
FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow along with the weekend series between UNLV and Stanford through live stats. Additionally, all three games will be streamed live. Links to both stats and the video streams will be made available at UNLVRebels.com.
 
ON DECK: The UNLV Rebels return to Earl E. Wilson Stadium to face the Utah Utes in a matinee Tuesday (Feb. 26) afternoon at 2:05 pm before it heads back to the Golden State to kick off Mountain West play at Fresno State. The Rebels and Bulldogs square off March 1-3 in Fresno with games one and two set for 6:05 pm, while the third-and final affair will start at 1:05 pm.
 
LOOKING BACK: The UNLV Rebels split a midweek series with a former Big West foe, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels suffered a 13-2 setback in game one Tuesday, but held on for a one-run win, 9-8, in Wednesday's contest.
 
In game one, UCSB built a seven-run cushion, 7-0, through its third-inning at-bat before UNLV could muster any run production. The Rebels pushed two across off a triple by Grant Robbins in the home half of the third, but that was all the home team would score, as the Gauchos added a run in the sixth and five more in the eighth.
 
In game two, UNLV turned a three-run deficit, 4-1, into a one-run lead, 5-4, in the third inning with help from a fielding error - that allowed two runs to score - and a two-run home run from Max Smith. The Rebels scored four more in the fifth when Edarian Williams and Jacob Godman connected on  back-to-back, run-scoring hits: an RBI single and a three-run triple. UCSB fought back to pull within one with two runs in both the sixth and eighth innings, and attempted to tie the score at 9-all in the ninth, but Jackson Cofer fielded he final out to notch his second save of the season and secure the win for Ryan Hare.
 
UNLV's James Gamble, Robbins and Smith produced three hits apiece in the two-game set. Gamble and Godman led the team with identical .500 batting averages, as the latter was 3-for-6 at the plate, while the latter was 2-for-4.
 
NEWCOMERS MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT: The UNLV Rebels' 2019 roster features 22 newcomers with 11 freshmen and 11 transfers; however, two of the transfers will not play this year due to injury (Ryan McDonald) and Haydn King (transfer restrictions).
 
Thirteen of those newcomers made their Rebel debuts in the season-opening, nonconference series against the Seattle Redhawks, while six more made their way into the lineup for the first time in the midweek set versus UC Santa Barbara.
 
Delving deeper, nine of those first-year Rebels have had a minimum of two plate appearances, while 10 more  have pitched in at least one game.
 
Freshmen James Gamble and Edarian Williams have appeared in all five contests, as the former has started all five in center field, while the latter has gotten four starts at either second base or as the designated hitter.
 
Additionally, junior Trevor Rosenberg (San Diego) has played in four games, with three starts (all at second base), while freshmen Jacob Godman and Duke Pahukoa have seen action in three. Both Godman and Pahukoa have started twice and played in one more as substitutes.
 
On the mound, the Scarlet & Gray has gotten starts from four newcomers, as juniors Cameron Jabara (Orange Coast College) and Bradley Spooner (Saddleback College) threw in the season-opening series against Seattle and freshmen Troy Balko and Ty Pohlmann started the midweek.
 
Senior Jackson Cofer (Utah Valley) and juniors Matthew Mitchell (College of Southern Nevada) and Tallon Thomason (South Mountain CC) have made three relief appearances apiece.
 
STOTT STARTS STRONG, ONCE AGAIN: UNLV's Bryson Stott made his presence felt at the plate and on the bases through five games of action, thus far, this season. Stott, who leads off the Rebel batting order, is tops on the team in hits (eight), doubles (three), total bases (16), slugging percentage (.941), walks (seven) and on-base percentage (.800).
 
Stott is hitting .471 (8-for-17) on the year more than half of his hits going for extra bases, with three doubles, one triple and one home run.
 
Defensively, he was a perfect 1.000 in the field converting all 20 chances with five putouts and 15 assists.
 
He has a five-game hitting streak with at least one hit in all five affairs as well as three in game two versus Seattle (Feb. 16) and two more in the third tilt (Feb. 17).
 
He had a triple in game one versus Seattle, but upped his production in game two going 3-for-4 with a double and three walks. He stepped up to the plate seven times and reached base safely six times, with three walks adding into the mix of hits. He had three RBI and scored once in the contest, which was the game-tying tally in the ninth that sent the affair to extras. In Sunday's finale, he went 2-for-3 with a double and an inside-the-park home run that produced three RBI and one run. The double pushed UNLV ahead 3-2 in the fifth, while his homer added a pair of insurance runs that upped the score to 8-5.
 
He went 1-for-3 in both contests against UC Santa Barbara, with two runs in the game-two win.
 
Stott led the nation in doubles last year with a Rebel record 30. Additionally, 37 of his 92 hits went for extra bases as he mixed in four home runs and three triples to register a .556 slugging percentage. His 32 walks in 2018 helped him to a .442 on-base percentage.
 
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.