LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels return to Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium for a tussle Tuesday afternoon with the Utah Utes. The midweek affair between former WAC and Mountain West Conference foes is slated for a 2:05 pm first pitch.
UNLV and Utah rekindled a rivalry that dates back to 1969 last year with a two-game, home-and-home series. The Rebels won both meetings in 2018 - 3-1 in Las Vegas (March 12) and 3-0 in Salt Lake City (March 27), to push their winning streak to three straight over the Utes, with a victory in 2012 (9-2 on Feb. 25) sparking this stretch. Moreover, the Scarlet & Gray has won four of the last five and 10 of the last 13 in the series between the I-15 squads.
FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow along with Tuesday's game between UNLV and Utah through live stats and Twitter (@UNLVbaseball). Additionally, all three games will be streamed live through YouTube. Links to both stats and the video stream will be made available at UNLVRebels.com.
ON DECK: The UNLV Rebels will make their second straight trek to the Golden State this weekend; however, the games will take place in the Central Valley and count towards the Mountain West standings. After playing three in the Bay Area against No. 5 Stanford last weekend, UNLV will open its 30-game conference schedule against the Fresno State Bulldogs in a series that begins Friday night in Fresno.
Friday and Saturday's games are slated to begin at 6:05 pm, while Sunday's finale is at 1:05 pm.
LOOKING BACK: The UNLV Rebels hit the road last weekend and went 1-2 against the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal in Stanford, California. All three contests were decided by one run, as UNLV won game one, 2-1, while Stanford claimed games two, 3-2, and three, 6-5, en route to the series victory.
In game one, the Rebels jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning off run-scoring hits from
Edarian Williams and
Max Smith. Those two scores were all
Cameron Jabara and
Jackson Cofer needed, as the duo combined to limit the Cardinal to five hits and only one unearned run, which scored with help from two errors in the fourth. Jabara earned his first win as a member of the Scarlet & Gray as he tossed 7.0 innings, striking out three against five hits and three walks. Cofer followed up with 2.0 innings of scoreless and hitless relief to earn his third save of the year.
In game two, the Rebels evened the score at 2-all in the top of the ninth; however, the Cardinal countered in the home half of the frame with a walk-off double to end it. Stanford scored first off a sacrifice fly in the second only to see UNLV draw even in the sixth off a bases-loaded balk. The hosts used a home run in the seventh to reclaim their lead until Johnson's ninth-inning at-bat. SU's Christian Robinson delivered the game-winning hit with two out and runners in scoring position.
In game three, the Rebels fought back in the ninth with three runs to pull within one, but was unable to score the equalizer as the potential game-tying and go-ahead runs were left in scoring position when the game ended. Stott and Williams combined for six hits, four RBI and three runs. Stott smashed two homers in the game, while Williams had four hits - three singles and one double.
The Rebels got three quality starts from their starting pitchers at Stanford. As previously mentioned, Jabara went 7.0 innings, struck out three, and allowed only one unearned run off of five hits and three walks.
Bradley Spooner and
Chase Maddux went 6.0 and 5.1 innings, respectively, and received no decisions in their outings. Spooner, who started game two, struck out six and surrendered only one run off two hits and two walks. Maddux struck out five, and was in line for the win after giving up one run off of four hits and two walks when he exited.
UNLV offense at Stanford was powered by Williams and Stott. The former hit .462 with six hits, two of which were doubles, to go along with three runs and two RBI, while the latter hit .333 with the RBI and three runs coming from four extra-base hits (two homers, one double and one triple) for a 1.083 slugging percentage.
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 eight contests, as the former has started all eight in center field, while the latter has gotten seven starts at either second base or as the designated hitter.
Additionally, junior
Trevor Rosenberg (San Diego) has played in seven games, with six starts (all at second base), while freshmen
Jacob Godman and
Duke Pahukoa have seen action in five.
On the mound, the Scarlet & Gray has gotten starts from four newcomers, as juniors
Cameron Jabara (Orange Coast College) and
Bradley Spooner (Saddleback College) have gotten the ball for the Friday and Saturday contests against Seattle and No. 5 Stanford, respectively. Freshmen
Troy Balko and
Ty Pohlmann started the midweek series against UC Santa Barbara, while later has also made relief
STOTT STARTS STRONG, ONCE AGAIN: UNLV's
Bryson Stott made his presence felt at the plate and on the bases through eight games of action, thus far, this season. Stott, who leads off the Rebel batting order, is tops on the team in average (.414), hits (12), doubles (four), home runs (three), total bases (29), slugging percentage (1.000), walks (nine) and on-base percentage (.553).
To date, he is in the top 100 of 11 NCAA statistical categories, and leads the nation in triples (two). Additionally, he is No. 5 in total bases, No. 11 in slugging percentage, No. 18 in walks, No. 23 in doubles and No. 42 in hits.
Stott is 12-for-29 at the plate this year and more 75 percent of his hits have gone for extra bases, with four doubles, three home runs and two triples.
Defensively, he was a perfect 1.000 in the field converting all 36 chances with 10 putouts and 26 assists.
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.
