LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV baseball team (14-7 overall, 9-6 MW) returns to play this weekend at home against the Air Force Falcons (16-16, 8-10) for the first time in nearly three weeks due to COVID-19 issues. The Rebels, who last played on April 10 - a 10-0 win over Pacific, will square off with the Falcons three times at Earl E. Wilson Stadium, playing twice Saturday and once Sunday. First pitch for both days of the Mountain West series is scheduled for 11:05 am.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow along with this weekend's Mountain West series between UNLV and Air Force through a live video stream through the Athletic Department's YouTube page as well as live stats. Links to both video and stats can be found online at UNLVRebels.com in the "schedule" section of the team's baseball page. Additionally, fans can follow the team's Twitter account – @UNLVbaseball – for links to video and stats as well as inning-by-inning updates.
 
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
UNLV and Air Force rekindle a series that dates back to 1969 with this weekend's matchup in Las Vegas at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The two teams have played a total of 141 times, with the Rebels leading the head-to-head series by 65 games - 103-38. The Falcons have won four of the last six and five of the last eight games in the series. Most recently, Air Force swept the three-game series played in late March in Colorado Springs, Colorado, claiming two games by only one run apiece.
 
ON DECK
Following the conclusion of this weekend's Air Force series, UNLV will play three more games in the Silver State next weekend (May 8-9); however, the Rebels will travel up north to face the UNR Wolf Pack at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park in Reno. UNLV and UNR will play a doubleheader May 8 and a single contest May 9. First pitch for both days of the Mountain West series is slated for 1:00 pm.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UNLV is coming off a three-game, nonconference sweep of the Pacific Tigers at Wilson Stadium. The Rebels rallied to win games one and two by scores of 8-4 and 3-2, respectively, before taking the finale with ease, 10-0.
 
In the series opener, the Rebels scored six runs in the seventh to turn a two-run deficit, 4-2, into a four-run edge, 8-4. Things turned around in the seventh off a combination of five hits and a pair of Tiger errors, the first of which gave the comeback bid a spark. A misplayed pop up put a runner on and then four straight RBI hits followed, capped by back-to-back home runs from Edarian Williams (two RBI) and Myles Denson (one).
 
In game two, UNLV took an early lead off an RBI single from Jack-Thomas Wold in the third; however, Pacific would counter with two runs in the fifth. The Rebels turned things around in the sixth and seventh, getting RBI singles from Jordan Andrade and Eric Bigani, respectively.
 
The finale was over nearly as quickly as it started, as Austin Kryszczuk smashed a solo homer to open the home half of the first and give UNLV a 1-0 lead. The Rebel offense erupted for five runs in the second, with James Gamble (RBI single), Kyrszczuk (two-run single) and Diego Alarcon (RBI groundout) producing four of the tallies and a wild pitch allowing the fifth to score.
 
The Rebels batted .368 as a team (39-for-106) and posted a .547 slugging percentage with help from 12 extra-base hits, with eight doubles, three home runs and one triple. The offense registered a .417 on-base percentage, with eight walks and one hit-by-pitch.
 
Seven players had at least three hits in the series and five of those hit .333 or better. Kryszczuk had his way with Tiger pitching, posting a .643 batting average with nine hits, four of which went for extra bases (three doubles and one homer) that helped him amass a 1.071 slugging percentage, three runs and two RBI. Denson (.583/seven hits), Wold (.455/five), Williams (.364/four) and Rylan Charles (.333/three) rounded out those at or above .333.
 
On the mound, the Rebels recorded a 2.00 ERA and held the Tigers to a .245 average after they allowed six earned runs (six total) and 24 hits in 27.0 innings. The pitching staff struck out 19 and walked three. Starters Bradley Spooner (7.0 IP, two runs, eight hits, six strikeouts) and Noah Beal (6.0 IP, no runs, four hits, four strikeouts) earned wins in games two and three, while Jimmy Gamboa (1.2 IP, no runs, one hit) picked up the victory in relief in game one.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING … TEAM
For the year, UNLV is hitting .325 as a team with 217 hits, 81 of which have gone for extra bases with 50 doubles, 24 home runs and seven triples, to go along with 156 runs and 145 RBI. Conversely, Rebel pitching owns a 4.61 ERA with 143 strikeouts against 95 earned runs (113 total), 210 hits and 48 walks in 185.2 innings.
 
In the NCAA rankings (through April 25 ), the Rebels are ranked within the top 100 of seven NCAA Division I offensive statistical categories. UNLV is fifth in batting average (.325), sixth in doubles per game (2.38), seventh in slugging percentage (.506), 14th in on-base percentage (.406), 21st in scoring (7.4), 31st in triples per game (0.33) and 54th in home runs per game (1.14).
 
UNLV's pitching staff is also ranked highly in numerous NCAA statistics, too; coming in third in walks allowed per 9.0 innings (2.33), 26th in strikeout-to walk ratio (2.98), 83rd in WHIP (1.39) and 85th in shutouts (two).
 
Additionally, the team ranks 40th in win-loss percentage (.667) and 70th in double plays per game (0.76).
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING … PLAYER
For the year, UNLV has seven players hitting .314 or better with a minimum of 20 hits. Brendan Brooks and Austin Kryszczuk are both hitting .400 or better with the former at .408 with 20 hits, while the latter is at .400 with 28 hits. Eric Bigani (.388/31 hits), Jack-Thomas Wold (.367/33) and Diego Alarcon (.360/32) are all above .360, while Myles Denson (.354/23), Edarian Williams (.314/22)
 
In the national rankings, five of those aforementioned Rebels are sit 166th or better, as Kryszczuk leads the quintet at No. 22. Bigani (No. 52), Wold (No. 109), Alarcon (No. 141) and Myles Denson (No. 166) round out the group, while Brooks does not meet minimum requirements.
 
Additionally, Bigani (No. 57/.662), Kryszczuk (No. 114/.614), Denson (No. 173/.585) and Alarcon (No. 203/.573) are also ranked in slugging percentage (250 ranked).
 
Kryszczuk is the lone Rebel to rank in the top 150 of on-base percentage, coming in No. 29 (.500).
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
>Air Force: The Falcons enter week sporting a 16-16 overall record and a 8-10 mark in the Mountain West ... The Falcons sat 6-8 before they rattled off a six-game win streak, which included three wins over UNLV (March 27-28) to move to four games above .500; however, the squad has only won four of its last 12 since April 3 ... The Falcons come to Las Vegas and Earl E. Wilson Stadium riding a two-game losing streak ... The Falcons return home to Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Falcon Field for their final four series - a total of 12 games - against New Mexico (May 8-9), San Jose State (May 15-16), San Diego State (May 22-23) and Fresno State (May 28-29) ... The Falcons are batting .272 with 298 hits, 92 of which have gone for extra bases (61 doubles, 23 home runs and eight triples) that have resulted in a .405 slugging percentage ... The Falcons have three batters hitting .303 or better with a minimum of 36 hits ... The Falcons are led offensively by Paul Skenes, who sits first on the team in average (.357), runs (25), hits (45), doubles (11), home runs (six), total bases (74), slugging percentage (.587) and on-base percentage (.423) ... The Falcons own a 5.83 ERA and have allowed 178 earned runs (215 total) off 318 hits in 275.0 innings of work ... The Falcons have struck out 226 batters and walked 132.