REBELS, AZTECS SQUARE OFF AT EARL E. WILSON THIS WEEKEND
The UNLV baseball team is back home where they will host San Diego State for a three-game Mountain West series beginning on Friday, April 25 and concluding on Sunday, April 27.
SCHEDULE (PST)
Friday, April 25 at 6:05 p.m.
Saturday, April 26 at 6:05 p.m.
Sunday, April 27 at 12:05 p.m.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Overall vs. San Diego State: 76-103
Current streak against San Diego State: L3
Last Meeting: The Aztecs swept the Hustlin’ Rebels in San Diego March 28-30.
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 on Friday at 6:05 p.m. for a chance to receive a FREE UNLV baseball replica jersey, courtesy of Shook & Stone Injury Lawyers. Come back on Saturday at the same time for our ALS Awareness Game and Aviators Night! Then, wrap up the weekend with us on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. and catch all the action. Take advantage of our weekend concession deals and enjoy $2 beers through the second inning and $5 off ribbon fries on Friday, as well as $5 mimosas and Bloody Marys on Sunday, courtesy of Smoken Sam’s.
THIS SEASON: The Hustlin’ Rebels have been able to produce a pair of batters with a batting average of .350 or higher; Cole Koniaraky (.374) and Dean Toigo (.373) 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, for the second straight week.
UNLV holds several other top marks within the conference, Dean Toigo ranking first in the Mountain West in RBI (49) and second in hits (59). Cooper Sheff is tied for the conference lead with five sacrifice flies. Additionally, Toigo ranks second in hita (49) and total bases (101), and is tied for third in home runs (11). Cole Koniarsky is tied for third in conference with 55 hits and ranks third in conference only games with 30 hits.
Sophomore starter Carson Lane leads the Rebels with 58 strikeouts, currently tied for third in the Mountain West and sits at the top of the conference with a 3.96 ERA and a .222 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: San Diego State enters the weekend after sweeping San Jose State, outscoring the Spartans 16-5. The Aztecs split non-conference midweek games against San Diego (L, 8-6) and Cal State Fullerton (W, 13-3 – 8 inn.). Nevan Noonan has paced SDSU with a .333 batting average, a .877 OPS, a team-high 55 hits, 15 doubles, 31 RBI and 78 total bases.
Nonnan’s 55 hits is tied for third in the MW, while his 15 doubles sit third among conference foes. Omar Serrano was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week after tossing a complete-game shutout, giving SDSU a 2-0 victory over SJSU. He struck out six batters and limited opponents to four singles and a walk.
San Diego State’s pitching is led by Marko Sipila’s 5.23 ERA as the junior right hander has made nine appearances and ranks fifth in the MW with 54 strikeouts. Sipila is tied for seventh in the MW with a 5.23 ERA, while Garvey Rumary’s .260 opponent batting average sits second in the conference.
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.