HUSTLIN’ REBELS OPEN MW PLAY AT HOME THIS WEEKEND
@UNLVbaseball | Schedule | Season Tickets | Live Stats | Watch Live
The UNLV baseball team (4-4) will open up Mountain West play against the San Diego State Aztecs (2-5) with a three-game series at Earl E. Wilson Stadium beginning Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
The conference opening series will continue Saturday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. and conclude Sunday afternoon with first pitch slated for 12:05 p.m.
SDSU, which was predicted to finish third in the MW preseason poll, is coming off of a 2-2 week, falling to CSUN during a midweek contest (7-5) and closing out the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament with a 2-1 showing. The Aztecs fell to Washington State by a score of 14-1 Friday night, but won the contests against North Dakota State, 9-2, and Hawai’i, 3-2.
The Rebels come into this weekend’s series after a 1-4 showing last week against ASU and at the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament. The Sun Devils came out of the midweek affair victorious against the Rebels, winning by a score of 6-3. During the Tony Gwynn Tournament, UNLV fell to UC San Diego by a score of 15-1, before handing UC Irvine their first loss of the season, 10-4. USD got the better of the Scarlet & Gray, winning by a score of 6-5, followed by WSU which took the win by a score of 10-9 Monday afternoon.
PROMOTIONALLY SPEAKING
Friday:
– It’s $2 Dos Equis with Smoke’n’ Sams while supplies last.
Sunday:
– $5 mimosas and bloody mary’s with Smoke ‘n’ Sams while supplies last.
– Kids 12 and under will be able to run the bases after the conclusion of Sunday’s contest.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow this weekend’s contests through live stats and social media. The link to stats 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. Friday and Saturday’s game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network and the Silver State Sports Entertainment Network on Cox Channel 125.
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
UNLV and SDSU have played each other a total of 169 times, with the first ever meeting taking place in 1978. The Aztecs currently hold the all-time series record between the programs, notching 97 wins to UNLV’s 72. However, the Hustlin’ Rebels have won five of the last six games played between both programs, sweeping the Aztecs on the road last season (5-2, 4-3, 10-8) and winning the series played at home, 2-1, (12-5, 3-6, 5-1).
ON DECK
UNLV will hit the road for a two-game, midweek series against Oklahoma held at L. Dale Mitchell Park beginning Tuesday, March 7 at 4:30 p.m. (PT).
NOTES AND NEWS
– The 31 runs scored by the Hustlin’ Rebels on Sunday, February 19 marked the second-most runs scored in program history, the first being 37 runs scored against San Jose State in 1986.
– Santino Panaro has tallied at least two hits and one run scored in the last three games played.
– Alex Pimentel holds a three-game hitting streak with seven total hits in the last three games played.
– Braden Murphy currently holds a six-game hitting streak and has scored at least one run in the last three games played.
– Austin Kryszczuk is currently on a four-game hitting streak and has had at least one RBI in the last three games played.
HUSTLIN‘ REBELS CLAIM WEEKLY AWARDS
– Reese Lueck received the first weekly award for the Rebels, being named the MW Freshman of the Week following UNLV’s perfect opening weekend February 20.
LEADERS IN THE MW AND THE NATION
– UNLV currently sits third in the conference with a record of 4-4.
– The Hustlin’ Rebels currently rank second in the conference and 17th in the nation in batting average with a .334.
– The Scarlet & Gray leads the conference in runs scored (81), doubles (19), walks (42) and sit second in hits with 100 and in RBI with 70.
– Jacob Sharp leads the conference in batting average (.522) and in HBP (4), he sits second in on base percentage with 0.625 and is tied for fourth in hits (12).
– Pimentel leads the MW in on base percentage (0.639) and walks (7), sits fourth in batting average (.480) and RBI (11) and is tied for fourth in hits (12).
– Panaro sits second in the conference for runs scored with 12, ranks third in hits with 13 and at bats with 34, he sits fourth in walks (6) and is tied for first in sacrifice bunts with 1. He also ranks 49th in the nation in toughest to strikeout (17.0).
– Kryszczuk is tied for first in the MW in sacrifice flies with 2, sits third for RBI (13), is tied for third in runs scored with 9 and ranks sixth in slugging percentage (.680).
– Rylan Charles leads the MW in at bats with 41 and is tied for fourth in hits with 12.
– Edarian Williams ranks second in the conference in stolen bases with three and sits fourth overall in at bats (33).
