REBELS BEGIN SIX-GAME MW ROADTRIP THIS WEEKEND
The UNLV baseball team will hit the road where they will face San Jose State for a three-game Mountain West series beginning on Friday, May 2 and concluding on Sunday, May 4.
SCHEDULE (PST)
Friday, May 2 at 6:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 3 at 2:05 p.m.
Sunday, May 4 at 12:05 p.m.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Overall vs. San Jose State: 52-40
Current streak against San Diego State: L3
Last Meeting: The Spartans won two out of three games at home April 26-28 of last season.
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.
THIS SEASON: The Hustlin’ Rebels have been able to produce a pair of batters with a batting average of .350 or higher; Dean Toigo (.394) and Cole Koniaraky (.372) represent the highest averages. The duo represents several of the top 15 spots in the Mountain West leaderboard for those marks, ranking third and fifth, respectively, in batting average, for the third straight week.
UNLV holds several other top marks within the conference, Dean Toigo ranking first in the Mountain West in hits (69) and RBI (63). Cooper Sheff is tied for the conference lead with five sacrifice flies. Additionally, Toigo is tied for first in home runs (13) and ranks second in total bases (119). Cole Koniarsky is tied for fourth in the MW with 61 hits and is tied for third in conference only games with 33 hits.
Sophomore starter Carson Lane leads the Rebels with 65 strikeouts, currently third in the Mountain West and sits first with a .215 opponent batting average and third in the MW with a 4.17 ERA.
The Hustlin’ Rebels have collected six Mountain West weekly honors so far this season, Sheff owning three Freshman honors, while Toigo collected his first Player of the Week nod on April 28. Additionally, Lane and Mercurius have picked up their first Pitcher awards within two weeks apart.
Toigo batted .500, going 9-for-18 with one home run, nine RBI, one double, two walks and six runs scored in UNLV’s four wins last week. The Yorba Linda, Calif., native notched a .722 slugging percentage and a .571 on-base percentage. In UNLV’s 7-6 victory against UC Riverside, Toigo recorded a ninth inning RBI single and scored a run to spark the Hustlin’ Rebel comeback. The first baseman delivered in game two of the series against SDSU going 4-for-5 with five RBI, one double, three singles and two runs scored in a 13-2 seven-inning run-rule win. The series finale saw him go 3-for-6, highlighted by a three-run home run, his team-high 12th of the season.
Sheff earned his third MW Freshman of the Week honor this season after tabbing a .583 batting average, going 7-for-12 with one home run, four RBI, five runs scored, two doubles, two walks and a stolen base against San Diego State. The Las Vegas native notched a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .643 on-base percentage. In the series finale, Sheff went 3-for-5 on one single and two extra-base hits, including a three-run home run, his fifth of the season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT: San Jose State enters the weekend after winning one of three games at New Mexico and a home victory against Cal. Alex Fernandes has paced the Spartans with a .361 batting average, a .943 OPS and a team-high 56 hits. Nonnan’s 41 runs scored ranks fifth in the Mountain Wes, while his .361 batting average sits seventh in the conference. Additionally, his 13 stolen bases ranks first overall and his .466 on-base percentage ranks fourth.
San Jose State’s pitching is led by Tyler Albanese’s 2.96 ERA and league tying-high five saves in MW games. The sophomore has made 15 appearances and ranks second on the team with 42 strikeouts.
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.