LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The Rebels will close out the regular season at home against San Diego State for three games beginning on Thursday, May 14 and concluding on Saturday, May 16. Games one and two are scheduled for a 6:05 pm start, while the series finale at 12:05 pm.

Last week, the Scarlet & Gray won two out of three games to Fresno State, as the series was highlighted by Jonny Rodriguez going 7-for-17 with a .412 batting average with five home runs, 13 RBI, one double, 23 total bases and three walks. The junior recorded a 1.353 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage. He became the first Rebel to hit three home runs in a game since Xavier Scruggs did so against San Diego State on April 19, 2008, as the Fullerton, California native did so in game two against the Bulldogs.

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS: Be among the first fans through the gates each day and receive a FREE Hustlin' Rebels T-shirt while supplies last. Kids in high school and younger (with valid NV ID) will receive free admission.

FOLLOW ALONG: Fans can follow this week's series against San Diego 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.

LOOKING BACK: UNLV won two out of three games last weekend on the road to Fresno State, winning 11-6 in game one, 17-1 in seven innings in game two and fell 14-13 in game three. In game one, Nin Burns II hit his seventh and eighth home runs of the season with his two home runs. Jonny Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with five RBI and hit his eighth home run of the season. Marcos Rosales recorded a double, single and drove in one run while scoring two runs Gunnar Myro now has an 11-game hitting streak with his 3-for-5 night as the third baseman scored three runs. Parker Dillhoff picked up his fourth win of the campaign as the senior lefty went 6.0 innings giving up eight hits, four earned runs with one walk and nine strikeouts. Jase Evangelista notched his third save of the season as he threw the final three innings where he gave up two hits, two earned runs with two walks and five strikeouts.

In game two, Rodriguez became the first Hustlin' Rebel to hit three home runs in a game since Xavier Scruggs did so against San Diego State on April 19, 2008. Burns II notched his second four-hit game of the season as the right fielder went 4-for-5 with a double, three singles, scored three runs and drove in four runs. 12 of Gavin Taylor's 17 hits this season have been extra-base hits, with the catcher hitting his seventh home run of the season. UNLV hit six total home runs in the game (Rodriguez - 3 home runs, Drew Barragan, Jack Salmon, Gavin Taylor). Carson Lane collected his second win of the season as the junior went 5.0 innings giving up six hits on one earned run with three walks and four strikeouts.

In game three, Drew Barragan went1-for-5, as the redshirt senior has now reached base in all 49 games he has played in this season and has an on-base streak of 50 games dating back to his time at Western Kentucky last season. Rodriguez, Jayden Hertel and Gunnar Myro recorded a pair of hits apiece, with Rodriguez hitting his fifth home run of the series. 13 of Gavin Taylor's 18 hits this season have been extra-base hits, with the catcher hitting his eighth home run of the season. Gunnar Myro now has a 13-game hitting streak with his 2-for-5 day Jack Salmon went 1-for-3 with his second home run in as many games.

NEWCOMERS MAKE AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT: The UNLV Rebels' 2026 roster features 26 newcomers with 25 transfers and one true freshman; however, three of the transfers will not play this year due to injury, (Drew Charney, Jaylen Jones, Kevin Smith). Seventeen of those newcomers made their Rebel debuts in the season-opening, nonconference series against the Austin Peay Governors. Delving deeper, three of those first-year Rebels (Barragan, Rosales, Rodriguez) have a minimum of 190 plate appearances, while seven more have pitched in at least 10 games. Marcos Rosales is the lone Rebel to have appeared in all 51 contests, as he has 50 games starting at second base. Additionally, Nin Burns II and Jonny Rodriguez have played in 50, while Drew Barragan has played in 49 games. Ayden Garcia has seen action in 43 games, Reggie Bussey has seen time in 34 games as well, starting 32 games in center field. Junior catcher Gavin Taylor has stepped into the catcher's role of late, with 20 starting behind the plate and has played in 33 total games. On the mound, the Scarlet & Gray has gotten starts from five newcomers - Parker Dillhoff, Felix Ong, Yates Bland, Ryan Marton and Josh Donegan.

REBELS PICKED SIXTH: UNLV was predicted to finish the 2026 conference season in sixth place (32 points) by the nine head coaches. The Rebels was slotted behind UNR (60 points/five first-place votes), Fresno State (55 points/three votes), conference newcomer Grand Canyon (47 points/one first-place votes), New Mexico (36 points) and San Jose State (33 points), who was picked to finish first through fifth, respectively. San Diego State (30 points), Washington State (17) and Air Force (14) were tabbed to conclude the year in seventh, eighth and ninth.

LANE TABBED TO MW'S PRESEASON TEAM: UNLV baseball's Carson Lane was named to the MW's Preseason All-Conference Team, which was voted on by the league's nine head coaches. The honor marks his first preseason All-Conference selection during his time with the Scarlet & Gray. Lane, a junior right-handed pitcher from Huntington Beach, California, was named to last season's All-MW First Team in his second season with the Hustlin' Rebels where he posted the second-most wins in MW action (5) and the third-most strikeouts in conference play (61). In MW action, Lane registered a 4.45 ERA in 56.2 innings after allowing 28 earned runs (30 total). He posted the fourth best opponent batting average at .230 and his season was highlighted by helping throw UNLV's first no-hitter since 2003 where he went eight innings striking out nine Fresno State batters on three walks en route to winning MW Pitcher of the Week and College Baseball Foundation (CBF) National Pitcher of the Week accolades. The junior led the Rebels with 85 strikeouts, third among MW pitchers and recorded the second-best ERA in the MW (4.23) with a 6-4 record.

REBEL RETURNERS: Including All-Mountain West First Team honoree in Carson Lane, the Scarlet & Gray will see veterans Cooper Sheff and Gunnar Myro make their returns to the starting lineup. Sheff, a redshirt sophomore infielder, played in 53 games and started 49 of them where he batted .281 (fifth on the team) with 54 hits (fourth on the team) including 12 doubles, a triple and six home runs. The Las Vegas native brought in 30 RBI, scored the third-most runs on the team (41) and was named the MW Freshman of the Week three times last season. Myro, a junior from Las Vegas, played in 43 games with 35 starts where he batted .260 with a career-high 32 hits including four doubles and three home runs.

NEW REBEL PITCHERS: The Rebels welcome 26 newcomers, including key starting pitchers in Parker Dillhoff and Felix Ong. Dillhoff, who transferred from Louisiana, made nine appearances with two starts, throwing 7.1 innings with 10 hits allowed along with 11 earned runs. He struck out seven batters and collected a season-high four strikeouts in his Rajun Cajun debut where he threw two innings in a start against San Jose State. Ong, a sophomore transfer out of Florida, pitched in three games out of the UF bullpen as a true freshman. He fanned six batters in 3 1/3 innings pitched.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT: Jabin Trosky (22) leads the team with multiple hits in 22 games, followed by Tyce Peterson (20), Jake Jackson (19) and Adam Magpoc (16). The Aztecs are 28-1 this season when leading after eight innings and are 27-3 when outhitting the opposition. SDSU also sports a 9-3 record this year in one-run games. Trosky leads the team in batting average (.318), at-bats (214), hits (68) and has struck out just 18 times this season. He also sits second in runs scored at 43 and is tied for second in doubles with 12. Peterson ranks first on the team in RBI at 43 and has recorded an OPS of 1.001. Additionally, Jackson is first on the squad with 13 home runs. Junior Rohan Lettow (5-1, 3.67 ERA) is expected to take the mound in Friday's series opener. The Arizona State transfer is second in the Mountain West in strikeouts (87) and is slotted second in strikeouts per nine innings (11.40), which ranks 65th in the nation. He also occupies the second spot in ERA (3.67) and tied for second in opponent batting average (.240) while ranking fourth in innings pitched (68.2).

2026 SEASON: UNLV baseball will play a total of 55 regular season games in 2026, with five of those against two teams that participated in last season's NCAA Tournament. In all, the Rebels will play 32 home contests in Las Vegas with 31 of those on campus at Earl E. Wilson Stadium and one more – a March 23 affair against Arizona State – at the Las Vegas Ballpark in Downtown Summerlin. 

In addition to the 24 Mountain West contests, the Scarlet & Gray's season slate is highlighted by 30 nonconference games against 15 squads that hail from 10 different leagues. Overall, these 15 teams compiled a .464 winning percentage, and five of those finished with winning records. Delving deeper, four – Austin Peay (ASUN), Cal State Fullerton (Big West), Milwaukee (Horizon) and Southern Illinois (Missouri Valley) finished in the top three of their respective conference standings. Moreover, six of 2026's foes had an end-of-year NCAA RPI that was 125th or better, with six of those in the top 90: Arizona State at No. 49, BYU at No. 62 and Austin Peay at No. 90.