LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels will host the San Diego State Aztecs three times this week at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Mountain West series featuring the fourth-place Rebels and second-place Aztecs begins Friday night at 6:05 pm and continues Saturday (6:05 pm) and Sunday (1:05 pm).
 
This weekend's series marks the only meeting between UNLV (23-19 overall, 10-11 MW) and SDSU (25-17, 10-7 MW) during the regular season. The MW schedule consists of four home-and-home and two one-off series, and the Rebels will only face the Aztecs (home) and the Air Force Falcons (road: April 5-7) once. Coincidentally, SDSU's two one-time series occur consecutively against UNLV and next weekend at home vs. San Jose State.
 
UNLV and SDSU are both coming off of road games; however, the former's contest – a 9-2 loss – took place in Tempe, Arizona, against the No. 10 Arizona State Sun Devils, while the latter's affair – a 4-2 win – consisted of a 10-mile drive west to face crosstown rival San Diego.
 
Historically speaking, UNLV and SDSU have squared off a total of 155 times with the first meeting taking place in San Diego in 1978. The Aztecs hold a 95-60 overall mark in the series, and have won the last seven head-to-head meetings since the Rebels notched a 4-3 win last year on March 23. The last two encounters took place in the 2018 MW Championships in San Diego.
 
FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow this weekend's conference series between UNLV and SDSU through live stats, video, radio (one game) and Twitter (@UNLVbaseball). All three games will be video streamed live via the Mountain West Network with Wyatt Tomchek handling play-by-play duties for Friday and Sunday's affairs. Doug Marsh and former Major League pitcher Josh Towers will provide the call for Saturday's simulcast on video and radio (ESPN 1100 AM/98.9 FM – LVSportsNetwork.com). Links to the video and radio streams as well as statistics will be made available at UNLVRebels.com.
 
PROMOTIONALLY SPEAKING: Saturday's contest between UNLV and San Diego State is being billed as "Bark in the Park Night," and the first 250 fans will receive a collapsible water bowl for their pets. Additionally, Rebel football head coach Tony Sanchez will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the game.

PLEASE NOTE: All pet owners must fill out Waiver & Release Form as well as bring up-to-date vaccination forms for entry to Earl E. Wilson Stadium.
 
ON DECK: UNLV hits the road for its longest stretch away from Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium, with a return trip to face the UC Riverside Highlanders Tuesday afternoon (3:00 pm) in Riverside, California. The trek continues with road series against the Houston Cougars (May 3-5) and New Mexico Lobos (May 10-12) in the Lone Star State and Land of Enchantment, respectively.
 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING – TEAM: UNLV is ranked in the top 100 of 11 different NCAA categories.
 
- UNLV ranks sixth overall in double plays (42) and "turns two" 1.00 times per game, which puts them 11th overall in the nation.
- UNLV ranks ninth in hits (444) and 11th in doubles (90), and sits outside the top 100 in home runs (140th: 26) and triples (142nd: eight).
- UNLV ranks 32nd in batting average (.294), 88th in slugging percentage (.416) and 103rd in on-base percentage (.374).
- UNLV ranks 82nd in runs (258).
- UNLV ranks 66th in fielding percentage (.974).
 
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING – INDIVIDUAL: UNLV has multiple players ranked in the top 100 of numerous NCAA statistical categories – top-100 statistics listed below.
 
- Bryson Stott is ranked in the top 100 of 10 categories, most notably: fifth in walks (44), 13th in doubles (17), 18th in runs (49), 17th in on-base percentage (.500), 36th in total bases (101), 37th in hits (59) and 75th in slugging percentage (.620). Stott is also 102nd in batting average (.362).
- Max Smith is ranked 67th in RBI (42), 72nd in total bases (93), 87th in doubles (13) and 90th in home runs (nine).
- Dillon Johnson is ranked 49th in hits (58).
- Edarian Williams is ranked 96th in hits (55).
- Jackson Cofer is 16th in saves (nine).
- Ryan Hare is 11th in WHIP (0.84), 35th in hits allowed per 9.0 IP (5.74), 38th in victories (six) and 91st in walks allowed per 9.0 IP (1.86).
- Cameron Jabara is 29th in games started (10) and 52nd in complete games (one).
- Chase Maddux is 29th in games started (10) and 53rd in walks allowed per 9.0 IP (1.60).
- Donavon McCrystal is 30th in pitching appearances (22).
- Conner Woods is 25th in pitching appearances (21).
 
RANKED OPPONENTS: To date, UNLV has played three teams that are currently ranked in the top-25 polls. Five of those contests came against the Pac-12's Stanford Cardinal (Feb. 23-24) and Arizona State Sun Devils who were ranked at the time of play, with the former coming in as high as No. 5 and the latter at No. 9 (April 9) and No. 10 (April 23). The Rebels went 1-2 at Stanford and are 1-1 against ASU. To date, the Cardinal are ranked No. 2 overall in three polls, while the Sun Devils are No. 10 in the CBN poll.
 
Additionally, the Scarlet & Gray split a two-game, midweek series against UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 19-20) in Las Vegas. The Gauchos, who are ranked No. 6 in the CBN poll this week, were not ranked when they played at Earl E. Wilson Stadium prior to the Stanford series.
 
STOPPER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST: UNLV's Jackson Cofer was one of 45 student-athletes named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year Award watch list this week, an award that is given annually to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.
 
Through 10-plus weeks of the season, Cofer ranks 15th nationally in saves with nine. The senior transfer from Utah Valley has made 19 relief appearances and sits 2-2 on the year with a 2.52 ERA in 25.0 innings of work. He has struck out 24 batters against eight runs (seven earned), 26 hits and five walks.
 
STOTT ON TWO WATCH LISTS: UNLV baseball's Bryson Stott has worked his way onto the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list as well as the Brooks Wallace Award watch list through three months of play.
 
The Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list is comprised of 40 of the nation's top amateur players from the high school and college ranks, and includes the addition of 21 athletes that have played their way into the mix since the preseason list was announced in early February.
 
The Golden Spikes Award Advisory Board will continue to maintain a rolling list of players that will allow athletes to play themselves into consideration for the award throughout the season. USA Baseball will announce the semifinalists on May 15, and the finalists two weeks later on May 29. Fan voting will open May 29 at GoldenSpikesAward.com and run through June 10. The 42nd Golden Spikes Award will be presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation on June 14.
 
The Brooks Wallace Award watch list has identified 69 players that are in the mix for to be named the nation's top collegiate shortstop. The award will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation this summer.
 
QUICK HITS:
- UNLV is 17-8 at home and 6-11 on the road.
- UNLV is 13-8 in nonconference and 10-11 in conference games.
- UNLV is 10-8 in games decided by one or two runs: 9-7 in one-run games and 1-1 in two-run games.
- UNLV is 4-1 in extra innings and 1-1 in shutouts.
- UNLV is 18-4 when scoring six or more runs in a game, but 5-15 when limited to five or fewer runs.
- UNLV is 15-4 when it limits an opponent to five or fewer runs, but 8-15 when it allows six or more runs.
- UNLV is 12-7 when it scores first and 7-6 when it scores in the first inning.
- UNLV is 11-12 when an opponent scores first and 6-9 when an opponent scores in the first inning.
- UNLV owns impressive figures when leading after six (17-2), seven (15-2) and eight (16-3) innings.
- UNLV is 17-3 when it outhits and opponent, 4-12 when it is outhit and 2-4 when hits are tied in a game.
- Smith enters the weekend series with a 26-game reached-base streak, while Stott and James Gamble have gotten to first base safely in 18 and 14 games, respectively.
- Stott extended his hitting streak to 13 games with two hits in Tuesday's contest at Arizona State.
- In his last 13 games, Stott is hitting .481 (26-for-54) with 11 extra-base hits (nine doubles and two homers) that has helped amass a .759 slugging percentage. With the combination of hits and 11 walks, he has a .569 on-base percentage. He's also scored 20 runs and knocked in 16 RBI.
- In his last five games – all of which were multiple-hit efforts, Stott is hitting .591 (13-for-22) with four extra-base hits (three doubles and one homer) that has help produce a .864 slugging percentage. He owns a .625 on-base percentage and has scored eight runs and knocked in seven RBI.
 
PURCHASE TICKETS: 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.