LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV baseball program opens the 2022 season at home this weekend with a three-day, four-game, nonconference series against the Michigan State Spartans at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. The Rebels and Spartans kick things off with a Friday evening game, first pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. The series will continue Saturday with a doubleheader, first pitch will be 1:05 p.m., followed by a single contest Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 12:05 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow this weekend's four-game, nonconference series between UNLV and Michigan State through live stats, live video and social media. Links to stats and live video 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. In-game updates will be provided through @UNLVbaseball, the team's official Twitter account. 

HISTORICALLY SPEAKING 
With this week's four-game series, UNLV and MSU will meet up for the first time since 2004. The two teams have played a total of nine games, with the Rebels leading the head-to-head series by six games - 6-3. The first meeting between the Rebels and Spartans dates back to 1995, when UNLV took the win 10-9 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. Although the teams have met up eight more times since that first game, all games between the two have been played at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

ON DECK
UNLV will hit the road Tuesday for a single competition at Dixie State with the first pitch slated for 4:05 p.m. (MT). The Rebels will then head to the Golden State for a tournament featuring the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and the San Diego Toreros. The three-day contest will be held at Fowler Park & Cunningham Field in San Diego. 

REBELS PICKED SECOND IN MW PRESEASON POLL 
The UNLV baseball team was picked to finish second place in the 2022 Mountain West Preseason Poll, which was voted on by the Conference's seven head coaches. Additionally, the coaches tabbed senior catcher Eric Bigani, junior second baseman Edarian Williams and senior third baseman Diego Alarcon to the MW's Preseason Team.

UNR's Wolf Pack secured six first-place votes and accumulated a total of 36 points to finish atop the preseason rankings. The Rebels claimed the seventh first-place vote and amassed 29 points for second place. The San Diego State Aztecs took third this season with 25 points, Fresno State (23 points), Air Force (16 points), New Mexico (11 points) and San Jose State (nine) rounded out fourth through seventh, respectively. 

-UNLV-