LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV Rebels hit the road for the first time this season for a Tuesday tilt in Riverside, California, against the UC Riverside Highlanders. First pitch between the Rebels and host Highlanders is scheduled for 3:00 pm at the Riverside Sports Complex.
 
Tuesday's meeting is the first of two between UNLV and UCR this season, with the Highlanders making a trip to Las Vegas and to face the Rebels at Earl E. Wilson Stadium on May 5 (2:05pm).
 
FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow Tuesday's nonconference game between UNLV and UC Riverside through live stats and social media. A stats link can be found online at UNLVRebels.com in the "schedule" section of the team's baseball page as well as on the team's official social media channels.
 
Inning-by-inning updates will be provided through @UNLVbaseball, the team's official Twitter account.
 
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING: UNLV and UC Riverside rekindle a series that dates back to 1967 and has been played continuously since 2008. The Highlanders hold a four-game edge, 25-21, over the Rebels; however, the Scarlet & Gray has closed the gap since the 2013 campaign, winning 10 of the past 14 meetings.
 
UNLV won both contests played in Las Vegas on March 26, 11-7, and March 27, 12-7, while UCR claimed the season finale, 11-7, on April 30 in Riverside.
 
ON DECK: UNLV returns to Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium this weekend for a three-game, nonconference series against the Big East's Creighton Bluejays. The Rebels and Bluejays begin play Friday evening at 6:05 pm. Games two and three are afternoon contests, with first pitch slated for 2:05 pm Saturday and 1:05 pm Sunday.
 
SCOUTING THE REBELS: UNLV (1-6) will be playing their first road game of the season with Tuesday's midweek affair in Riverside. Four of UNLV's six games have been decided from the seventh inning on, with three of those occurring during the season-opening series against Central Michigan. UNLV is 1-3 in these four, tightly contested affairs, picking up the victory over CMU – snappy an 8-all tie in the eighth – on Feb. 16.
 
The Rebels are paced offensively by Eric Bigani and Alex Sardina who are hitting .367 (11-for-30) and .353 (6-for-17), respectively. Besides leading the team in average and hits, Bigani is also first in RBI (seven), total bases (16) and slugging percentage (.533), while scattering four extra-base hits (three doubles and one triple). James Gamble is hitting .333 (10-for-30) with two doubles and one triple, and has added five runs and one RBI. Jack-Thomas Wold is hitting .320 (8-for-25) with four doubles, five runs and two RBI.  
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS: The UC Riverside Highlanders (1-5) hosts crosstown rival the California Baptist Lancers Monday evening to wrap up their three-game, nonconference series. UCR and CBU have split the first two games of the series with the former taking game one, 7-4 Friday, while the latter won game two, 3-1, Sunday. The Highlanders opened the year losing three straight games to the UCLA Bruins and one more to Seattle.
 
UCR is hitting .174 as a team, but is paced by Dylan Orick and his .304 average (7-for-23) with one homer and one double to go along with five RBI and two runs. Cole Pofek is hitting .190; however, he has four hits (one homer and one double), and has scored four runs and knocked in three RBI.
 
LOOKING BACK: UNLV was swept last weekend in a three-game, nonconference series by the SEC's Alabama Crimson Tide at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The teams wound up playing a doubleheader Friday and a single contest Sunday after inclement weather was forecast for the Las Vegas Valley Saturday.
 
Alabama won game one, 8-0, behind a pair of solo home runs from Sam Praytor and a dominant pitching performance from starter Connor Prielipp, who threw 6.0 scoreless innings and only allowed one walk.
 
Game two was decided late in the affair, as the Crimson Tide knotted the score at 4-all in the eighth and pushed ahead in the ninth off a solo homer from Jackson Tate. Alabama took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first only to see UNLV answer with an RBI single from Jack-Thomas Wold. The Crimson Tide pulled back ahead with help from RBI doubles in both the second and third innings; however, the Rebels turned things in their favor with a game-tying, two-run single by Eric Bigani and a go-ahead RBI double by Grant Robbins.
 
Alabama used the long ball to get past UNLV, 5-1, Sunday afternoon, getting a pair of two-run homers from Tyler Gentry and a solo shot from Praytor. The Rebels' lone run was a result of back-to-back doubles from James Gamble and Wold.
 
Offensively, UNLV had five players hit .300 or better against Alabama. Gamble paced the team with a .417 average (5-for-12) with two doubles and two runs scored. Wold and Bigani had four hits and two RBI apiece with identical .333 performances (4-for-12). Alex Sardina (.333/3-for-9) and Grant Robbins (.300/3-for-9) rounded out those that hit .300 or better.
 
On the mound, all three Rebel starters threw at least 5.0 innings and struck out five batters. Josh Sharman, who started Sunday's game, tossed 6.2 innings and allowed four runs off of five hits and three walks. Chase Maddux threw 5.0 innings in Friday's second game and gave up three runs off of six hits and one walk. Ryan Hare went 6.0 innings in Friday's series opener and allowed five runs (four earned) off six hits.