LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels continue their season-long, seven-game road trip with three nonconference contests against the Houston Cougars in Southeast Texas. The matchup between the Mountain West and American Athletic Conference squads starts Friday evening and runs through Sunday afternoon at Schroeder Park. First pitch for games one and two is slated for 6:30 pm CT (4:30 pm PT), while Sunday's series final is at 1:00 pm CT (11:00 am PT).
This weekend's series represents the final three games that UNLV will play outside of Mountain West competition. To date, the Rebels are 13-9 in nonconference action against squads from the Big West, Missouri Valley, Pac-12 and Western Athletic Conferences. This will be the first time UNLV has squared off against a current member of the AAC since it played a series against Tulane, which at the time was in Conference USA, in New Orleans in 2010.
The Rebels (25-21 overall, 12-12 MW) and Cougars (27-18, 9-9 AAC) enter the weekend splitting their last four games. UNLV went 2-1 in its conference series at home against San Diego State, but lost Tuesday's road tilt to UCR 11-7. UH began this stretch with a 1-2 showing in AAC play against USF in Tampa, Florida, but rebounded with an 8-2 win – scoring six runs with two outs in the 10th inning – over crosstown rival Rice Wednesday night.
Historically speaking, UNLV and UH have only faced each other once, a 17-8 win by the Rebels on April 5, 1988 in Houston. Overall, the Scarlet & Gray has played a total of 11 collegiate squads from the Lone Star State to the tune of a 48-71 overall record.
FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow this weekend's nonconference series between UNLV and UH through live stats, video, radio and Twitter (@UNLVbaseball). Links to the streams as well as statistics will be made available at UNLVRebels.com.
ON DECK: UNLV jumps back into Mountain West play, May 10-12 (Friday-Saturday-Sunday), against the New Mexico Lobos in Albuquerque, N.M.
BACK AT EARL E.: UNLV will return to Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium for its final three games of the regular season on May 16-18 – a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series – against the Fresno State Bulldogs.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING – TEAM: UNLV is ranked in the top 100 of 11 different NCAA categories.
- UNLV ranks second overall in double plays (49) and "turns two" 1.07 times per game, which puts them fifth overall in the nation.
- UNLV ranks ninth in hits (486) and 22nd in doubles (94), and sits outside the top 100 in home runs (131st: 30) and triples (138th: nine).
- UNLV ranks 34th in batting average (.295), 89th in slugging percentage (.418) and 98th in on-base percentage (.374).
- UNLV ranks 81st in runs (279).
- UNLV ranks 105th in base on balls (194).
- UNLV ranks 58th in fielding percentage (.975).
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING – INDIVIDUAL: UNLV has multiple players ranked in the top 150 of numerous NCAA statistical categories – top-150 statistics listed below.
-
Bryson Stott is ranked in the top 100 of 10 categories, most notably: sixth in walks (46), 18th in runs (53), 19th in total bases (116), 22nd in doubles (17), 26th in on-base percentage (.498), 35th in hits (65), 46th in slugging percentage (.652), 83rd in home runs (10) and 87th in batting average (.365).
-
Max Smith is ranked 101st in RBI (42), 116th in home runs (42), 118th in total bases (95) and 135th in doubles (13).
-
Dillon Johnson is ranked 91st in hits (60).
-
Edarian Williams is ranked 48th in hits (63).
-
Jackson Cofer is 12th in saves (10).
-
Ryan Hare is 18th in victories (seven), 22nd in WHIP (0.90) and 44th in hits allowed per 9.0 IP (6.02), and is also 120th in walks allowed per 9.0 IP (2.05).
-
Cameron Jabara is 28th in games started (11) and 66th in complete games (one) and 137th in walks allowed per 9.0 IP (2.17).
-
Chase Maddux is 28th in games started (11) and 69th in walks allowed per 9.0 IP (1.72).
-
Donavon McCrystal is 23rd in pitching appearances (24).
-
Conner Woods is 39th in pitching appearances (23).
QUICK HITS:
- UNLV is 19-9 at home and 6-12 on the road.
- UNLV is 13-9 in nonconference and 12-12 in conference games.
- UNLV is 11-8 in games decided by one or two runs: 10-7 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 18-5 when scoring six or more runs in a game, but 7-16 when limited to five or fewer runs.
- More impressively, UNLV is 12-1 when scoring eight or more runs in a game.
- UNLV is 17-4 when it limits an opponent to five or fewer runs, but 8-17 when it allows six or more runs.
- UNLV is 13-8 when it scores first and 8-6 when it scores in the first inning.
- UNLV is 12-13 when an opponent scores first and 6-10 when an opponent scores in the first inning.
- UNLV owns impressive figures when leading after six (19-2), seven (17-2) and eight (18-3) innings.
- UNLV is 18-3 when it outhits and opponent, 4-13 when it is outhit and 3-5 when hits are tied in a game.
-
Bryson Stott: In his last 17 games, which included a 14-game hit streak, he has produced a .464 batting average (32-for-69) with 14 extra-base hits (nine doubles and five homers) that has helped amass a .812 slugging percentage. With the combination of hits and 13 walks, Stott has a .549 on-base percentage. He's also scored 24 runs and knocked in 21.
-
Edarian Williams: In his last 20 games, he has produced a .381 batting average (32-for-84) with six extra-base hits (all doubles) that has produced a .452 slugging percentage. Williams also has a .430 on-base percentage with help from eight walks. He has also knocked in 13 RBI and scored six times.
-
James Gamble: In his last 17 games, he is hitting .350 (21-for-60) with seven multiple-hit games. Gamble has .450 and .394 on-base percentages, with 15 runs scored and seven RBI.
- UNLV's
Ryan Hare, a three-time Mountain West Pitcher of the Week, is 7-2 on the year with a 3.08 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 12 appearances and a total 61.1 innings of work. Delving deeper, Hare is 5-1 since he became the Saturday starter in the weekend rotation on March 16. In a total of seven starts, he owns a 2.79 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 48.1 innings.
COFER CLOSING IN: UNLV senior
Jackson Cofer recorded his 10th save of the season in Saturday's 5-4 victory over San Diego State and, subsequently, became only the third Rebel to notch double-digit saves in a single season in program history. With the one inning of successful relief work, Cofer joined the select group of
Bryan Menendez (2018: 12) and Ben Wright (2016: 11).
The Coronado High School graduate and Utah Valley transfer needs five more saves to move into a tie with Brayden Torres (2013-15) for fifth place in the career chart.
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.
RANKED OPPONENTS: To date, UNLV has played three teams – a total of six times – that are currently ranked in the top-25 polls, with the trio listed No. 3 (Stanford), No. 8 (UC Santa Barbara) and No. 12 (Arizona State) in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll. Stanford comes in as high as No. 2 in the Baseball America, D1Baseball.com and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association weekly surveys, while UCSB best mark is No. 13 in Baseball America, NCBWA and USA Today. ASU, on the other hand, is ranked the highest in the CBN poll.
Five of those contests came against Stanford (Feb. 23-24) and Arizona State which 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 2-3 against the Pac-12 squads: 1-2 at Stanford and 1-1 against ASU.
Additionally, the Scarlet & Gray split a two-game, midweek series against UCSB (Feb. 19-20) in Las Vegas. The Gauchos were not ranked when they played at Earl E. Wilson Stadium prior to the Stanford series.
Houston was receiving votes in the CBN, NCBWA (40th) and USA Today preseason polls, but never cracked the top 25. The Cougars received votes, once more, in the NCBWA poll in week 11.
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.
