LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Fresh off a home sweep of Cal Baptist on its conference bye week, the UNLV softball team will head into the final two weeks of the regular season with some momentum. First up is the annual Silver State Series presented by IBEW and Nevada Donor Network. This year's installment of the showdown will take place, May 3-5, at Hixson Field in Reno. Series first pitch is set for Friday, May 3 at 4 p.m.
UNLV captured last year's series at Eller Media Stadium, marking its first series victory over the Wolf Pack since 2015. This year the Rebels will be going for back-to-back series wins since they won three straight from 2013-15. Overall, the Scarlet and Gray lead the all-time series 23-12.
The Rebels are currently in fifth place in the Mountain West standings with a 9-8 league record, sitting a half-game behind Boise State and a half-game ahead of UNR. While Colorado State has all but secured the conference title at 17-4, UNLV is only two and a half games out of second place with both remaining conference series against teams below them in the standings. A second-place finish would boost the Rebels' tournament resume for a potential NCAA at-large bid and at the very least secure them a spot in the National Invitational Softball Championship (NISC) for the second consecutive season.
In Reno this weekend, UNLV will try to snap a string of three straight conference series losses coming at the hands of Fresno State, Colorado State and San Jose State. After the Silver State showdown, the Rebels will return home to wrap up league play, May 9-11, hosting New Mexico on senior weekend.
QUICK HITTERS
• UNLV has now reached the 30-win plateau in each of the first two seasons under head coach
Kristie Fox, marking the first back-to-back 30-win seasons since 2009 & 2010. This is the 15th 30-win season in the program's 35-year history
• With last weekend's sweep over Cal Baptist, UNLV finished its non-conference slate a 21-5 record - the best out of conference record in program history
• The 27-11 record through 38 games was the third-best start in program history and best since the 1995 squad went 29-9. The 1991 team went 30-8
• UNLV has three wins over ranked teams at the time the Rebels played them (in USAToday/NFCA and/or USA Softball Top 25 poll) this year marking the first time since 2005 the Rebels have beaten three ranked teams in the same season; Stanford was receiving votes in the two major polls when UNLV beat them twice and they have one win over a Colorado State team that was receiving votes in both polls and has been ranked in the NFCA poll
• The Rebels' wins over Stanford marked the first time since 1995 UNLV had beat the same Pac-12 twice in the same season
• The sweep over SDSU, March 29-31, was the first three-game sweep over the Aztecs in program history and first series win in San Diego since 2005. Ninth series win over the Aztecs overall and just fourth time they've gone unbeaten in the regular season against SDSU [1986 (4-0), 1994 (2-0) and 2005 (4-0)]
• UNLV is 1-1 in extra inning games in 2019 after dropping a 5-3 contest in 12 innings to San Jose State in game two on Friday, April 19; UNLV's 17-inning showdown at SDSU on Sunday, March 31 was the longest game in the country this year (innings-wise) and was the third-longest game in program history program behind an 18-inning 2-1 loss to #14 Long Beach State on April 13, 1991 and a 20-inning 1-0 loss at Fresno State on April 24, 1987
• The Rebels have lost three straight Mountain West series and six of its last 12 games, but have yet to lose three games in a row at any point this year
• UNLV has winning streaks of six games and three different four-game win streaks this season, while its longest losing streak of two has happened four times this year. The Rebels will head into the UNR series on a three-game winning streak
• During conference play, UNLV is 6-0 in series openers, but haven't fared as well in game twos as they are 1-5
• The Rebels need just two wins to match last year's total of 33 with six games still left to play
• Head coach
Kristie Fox needs just two wins to reach 200 in her head coaching career
• The offense has been strong in 2019, hitting .318 (ranks tied for 17th in the country) with 232 runs in 44 games, while UNLV has outscored its opponent 232-113 this season and have only been shut out four times
• UNLV has scored six or more runs in 22 of 44 games and are 22-0 in those games. The Rebels have been held to four hits or fewer just seven times this year
• UNLV has also been patient at the plate, drawing 135 walks in 44 games, and for the most part have been lights out with runners in scoring position as they hit .322 in those situations compared to .223 for their opponents
• Scoring first and early has been key in 2019 as the Rebels are 25-3 when they score first and 23-2 when they lead after four innings; On the flip side, when the opponents score first they are 6-10
• Four of UNLV's six series have come down to the rubber match game, with a fifth almost being decided on the third game before the finale at Utah State got canceled. The Rebels have lost two of those series in the seventh inning of game three, allowing a go-ahead home run in the seventh by Fresno State and four runs in the final frame last weekend to San Jose State. The three-run lead against SJSU was the largest blown lead for UNLV in 2019
• Pinch-hitting has been successful for Fox and the Rebels this year as they are hitting .329 (23-for-70) in those situations. Freshman
Statia Cermak has been deadly in the role as she is 8-for-13 (.615)
• The defense has also been outstanding, committing just 29 errors in 44 games with a .977 fielding percentage, which currently ranks eighth in the country. The Rebels have committed more than one error in a game only four times this year and are 16-6 when they don't commit an error
• Outside of a few hiccups as of late, the pitching staff has been outstanding this year. The trio of
Jenny Bressler,
Charlie Masterson and
Breana Burke have combined for a 2.28 ERA, which leads the MW and ranks 31st in the NCAA. They have 12 shutouts in 2019
• After a bit of a rough patch in conference play, Cal Baptist was just what the doctor ordered for freshman
Jenny Bressler. The 2018 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year picked up all three wins against CBU in two starts and a relief appearance, allowing just four runs (three earned) in 16.1 innings pitched with 15 strikeouts. Her first collegiate campaign has been outstanding as the right hander is now 20-5 with a 1.99 ERA and 129 strikeouts
• Burke, a junior, is also having a career year as she is now 7-6 with an ERA 2.00, which is third in the MW. Burke was unable to play against CBU last weekend due to an undisclosed issue, and it remains to be seem if she will be available in Reno
• UNLV has allowed three runs or fewer in 27 of 44 games this year
• UNLV went 20-for-20 on stolen base attempts to start the season and is currently 54-60, almost doubling their season total of 31 a year ago and marking the most since swiping 68 in 2016. Juniors
Lauren Tycksen and
Reina Bondi have combined for 40 of the 44 stolen bases in 2019
• Against the Lancers last weekend the Rebels saw home runs from
Justine Federe and
Samantha Diaz to give them 30 for the season after hitting just 20 in 53 games a season ago. Federe's six home runs and Diaz's five are both new career highs
• Sophomore first baseman
Mia Trejo has had another stellar season, especially during Mountain West play, as she's hitting .404 with 23 RBI, two doubles, a triple, five home runs, 12 runs scored and 15 walks. For the season, she's drawn a team-high 32 walks, 17 more than the next closest Rebel. She has been intentionally walked three times, while she has a home run in five of six Mountain West series this year. Her eight total home runs are a new career high for the sophomore
• Federe owns the Rebels' longest hitting streak of the season at 15 games while Trejo, Harrison and junior
Lauren Tycksen each have a nine-gamer under their belts. Tycksen enters the weekedn at Reno on a six-game hitting streak
• In her first season, Tycksen continues to be a consistent force at the plate. Her .407 (min. 50 at-bats) average and 61 hits lead the team
• The Rebels have nine players hitting over .300 (Armendariz, Harrison, Bueno, Diaz, Trejo, Bondi, Federe, Cermak and Tycksen) including over .400 (Tycksen)
• Tycksen and fellow junior
Reina Bondi have been a lethal 1-2 punch at the top of lineup, combining to go 102-for-274 (.366) with 80 runs scored and 41 RBI. Tycksen went 1-2 on stolen bases over the weekend to give her a team-best 22 this year, while the two have also combined to go 40-for-44 on stolen bases
• Returners
Justine Federe,
Mia Trejo,
Myranda Bueno &
Samantha Diaz have also been productive at the plate, going 179-for-522 (.343) with 92 runs scored, 21 home runs and 119 RBI
• Tycksen leads the way with 21 multi-hit games this season, while Federe is second with 14. Trejo has a team-best 11 multi-RBI games
• Freshman have contributed in a big way in 2019 with six freshman combining to make 131 starts in 2019
• Trejo earned her first career Mountain West Player of the Week award on April 2 after hitting .400 with five RBI, a three-run home run, four runs scored and five walks
• Bressler earned back-to-back Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honors on March 12 & March 19, becoming the first Rebel to win the award in back-to-back weeks since Amanda Oliveto in 2013
• Junior transfer Tycksen, who was an NFCA Junior College All-American at Salt Lake City Community College last spring, earned her first Mountain West Player of the Week award on Feb. 12 after hitting .625 with 10 runs scored, two triples, five RBI and five stolen bases. She was also named College Sports Madness' Mountain West Player of the Week and was recognized as a Top Performer by the NFCA
RANKING THE REBELS
• Top 25 DI Polls:
- On April 23 & April 30, the Rebels received one vote in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll
- On April 2, the Rebels received a vote in the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 Poll for the second straight week and returned to the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll after receiving a vote in that one as well.
- On. March 19, UNLV received 15 votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 Poll Tuesday, marking the first time since April 1, 2009 they had received votes in that poll
• RPI: UNLV debuted in the season's first RPI at No. 36 on Monday, March 18. This week, they currently sit at No. 41
• NCAA: The Rebels rank eighth in fielding percentage (.977); tied for 17th in the country in batting average (.318); eighth in double plays per game (0.55), tied for 37th in win-loss percentage (.705) and 31st in ERA (2.28). Sophomore
Mia Trejo is tied for 36th in walks per game (0.73); junior
Justine Federe is tied for 30th in sacrifice flies (4); and freshman
Jenny Bressler is tied for 21st in wins (20).
• Mountain West: Rebels rank at the top or near the top in most major offensive, pitching and defensive statistical categories. They rank second in hits (386), third in batting average (.318), fourth in on-base percentage (.388), RBI (214) and runs (232). UNLV ranks first in ERA (2.28), runs allowed (113) and walks allowed (87). The Rebels rank third in batters struck out (221) and batters struck out looking (73) and fourth in opposing batting average (.261). Defensively, UNLV's .977 fielding percentage and 29 errors each rank first in the conference.
Lauren Tycksen ranks tied for second in hits (61), third in batting average (.407), runs scored (43) and in stolen bases (22).
Mia Trejo is fourth in on-base percentage (.472) and tied for sixth in RBI (41) and home run s(8). Freshman
Jenny Bressler is second in the MW in ERA at 1.99 and junior
Breana Burke is third at 2.00, while Bressler leads in innings pitched (158.0), strikeouts (129), batters struck out looking (47) and wins (20).
LIVE STATS/UPDATES
Live stats links and video links are available at
www.UNLVRebels.com. Live updates can also be found by following @UNLVSoftball on twitter.
