LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV baseball team is back home where they will host New Mexico for a three-game Mountain West series beginning on Thursday, April 17 and concluding on Saturday, April 19.

SCHEDULE (PST)
Thursday, April 17 at 6:05 p.m.
Friday, April 18 at 6:05 p.m.
Saturday, April 19 at 12:05 p.m.

MATCHUP HISTORY
Overall vs. New Mexico: 104-93
Current streak against New Mexico: UNLV, L3
Last Meeting: The Lobos swept the Hustlin' Rebels in Albuquerque March 14-16.

BROADCAST INFO: The official livestream for the weekend will be broadcasted on the Mountain West Network. Links to broadcasts as well as live stats are available here.

PROMOTION: Join us this weekend for an exciting lineup. On Thursday and Friday, first pitch is at 6:05 p.m., with Rebelmania Night kicking things off on Thursday — the perfect way to start the series with extra energy and fun. Then on Saturday, the action continues at 12:05 p.m. for our Annual Pink Game, supporting a great cause. Don't miss out on $2 beers and $5 off ribbon fries on Friday, available through the second inning while supplies last!

THIS SEASON: The Hustlin' Rebels have been able to produce a pair of batters with a batting average of .350 or higher; Cole Koniaraky (.378) and Dean Toigo (.377) represent the highest averages. The duo represents several of the top 15 spots in the Mountain West leaderboard for those marks, ranking third and fourth, respectively, in batting average.

UNLV holds several other top marks within the conference, Dean Toigo ranking second in the Mountain West in hits (52), while Cooper Sheff is tied for the conference lead with five sacrifice flies. Additionally, Toigo ranks second in RBI (42), hits (52), total bases (87), and is tied for second in home runs (9). Cole Koniarsky ranks third in conference only games with a .443 batting average.

Sophomore starter Carson Lane leads the Rebels with 56 strikeouts, currently tied for second in the Mountain West and sits at the top of the conference with a 3.28 ERA and a .214 opponent batting average.

The Hustlin' Rebels have collected four Mountain West weekly honors so far this season, Sheff owning two Freshman honors, while Lane and Mercurius have picked up their first Pitcher awards within two weeks apart. 

Mercurius earned the first MW Pitcher of the Week honor of his career after pitching a complete-game shutout with a career-high 12 strikeouts where he allowed just three hits and no walks in a 3-0 triumph over the Wolf Pack on April 5. The Las Vegas native is the first Hustlin' Rebel pitcher to go the distance this season in a nine inning game. Additionally, Mercurius became the first Rebel hurler to pitch a complete-game nine inning shutout since Kenny Oakley did so against UNR on March 7, 2015 in a 1-0 victory. Mercurius improved his ERA from 5.19 to 3.86 with his complete-game shutout.

Lane and Sheff dualed as Pitcher & Freshman of the Week. Lane pitched eight innings for UNLV's first combined no-hitter since 2003, with Sheff batting .467 in the four-game stretch with six runs against Fresno State. Lane's performance also netted him national honors, being selected as the College Baseball Foundations' National Pitcher of the Week on March 25.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT: New Mexico enters the weekend having won their series against Washington State, winning two out of three games. They scored a combined 49 runs in three games, including 24 runs in a run-rule triumph. Additionally, the Lobos beat in-state rival New Mexico State, 12-10, on Tuesday. Jordy Oriach leads the team with a .391 batting average and tops the team with 11 home runs, 43 RBI, a .754 slugging percentage, 43 runs and an on-base percentage of .488. Oriach leads the Mountain West in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits and RBI and total bases. Tye Wood was named the Mountain West Player of the Week where he batted .474 over four games, racking up team-highs of nine hits, four doubles and 16 total bases to go with a 1.407 OPS.

New Mexico's pitching is led by Ty Cunningham's 4.36 ERA as the junior right hander has made 14 appearances and leads the conference with eight saves. Daxton Purser ranks fifth in the MW with a .273 opponent batting average, while Dayne Pengelly's 10 starts sits first in the MW.

NEW FOR 2025: The Rebels feature 23 newcomers wearing the Scarlet & Gray heading into the new season, three of those student-athletes being marked as true freshmen on the roster and 20 transferring to Las Vegas.

Of those 20 transfers, the Scarlet & Gray have two pairs of student-athletes to the roster arriving from the same institution, including Nicky Garritano and Michael Cruz from CSN. The duo helped lead the Coyotes to become one of the premiere JUCO programs, Garritano earning the 2024 NJCAA DI Baseball Defensive Player of the Year honor. Also being a two-time NJCAA DI Baseball ABCA & Rawlings Gold Glove recipient, both he and Cruz hold multiple All-Region selections in Region 18.

A few of UNLV's fresh faces earned some time on the diamond during the Rebels' scrimmage, the team having plenty of options to utilize throughout the season. Senior outfielder Dean Toigo led Hope International to their first-ever win in the Avista NAIA World Series as Toigo drove in two runs during the contest. Dwight Allen II was part of the 2022 Georgia squad that advanced to the NCAA Regional after appearing in 42 games that season and Colton Sundloff owns postseason experience from his time at Oklahoma pitching in the NCAA Super Regional.

UNLV was voted tied for fourth in the Mountain West Preseason Poll prior to the start of the season, tied with New Mexico and San Diego State. The Rebels earned a first-place team vote during the poll, Paul Myro IV claiming All-Mountain West Preseason Team honors.