University of Nevada Athletics

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                       Nevada Probable Lineup

NEVADA HOSTS SACRAMENTO STATE IN FINAL HOME GAMES OF THE SEASON
 Nevada(28-19, 15-9 WAC) will host Sacramento State(20-27, 11-12 WAC) in the final four home games of season this weekend at Peccole Park.  Currently the Wolf Pack are second in the Western Athletic Conferenc standings with a 15-9 mark which leaves them one game back of Fresno State(16-8) with eight games remaining for both squads.  Sac State sits in fifth but are just 3.5 games back of Nevada with an 11-12 conference mark.
 The first game of the series is set for Friday night at 1:00 p.m.  Saturday’s doubleheader and Sunday’s final game get underway at 1:00 p.m.  Nevada leads the series with Sacramento State 62-29 but it’s 6-3 in WAC play since the Hornets rejoined conference in 2006.  Overall the Pack are 116-110 in WAC play since joining the conference in 2001. 
 The six team WAC Tournament field has been determined as the host  institituion, Louisiana Tech will not make the tournament but will play host at JC Love Field in Ruston, La., May 22-25.   The six teams are battling for seeding as just five games separate the six squads. 
  
ACHELPOHL HONORED BY WAC:
 DENVER - Nevada pitcher Derek Achelpohl have been named the Western Athletic Conference Baseball  Pitcher of the Week, For April 28-May 4.
 Achelpohl, a junior from Madera, Calif. (Madera HS/Fresno City College), pitched 8.2 shutout innings as the Pack defeated Louisiana Tech 2-0 in the final game of last week's series in Ruston. Achelpohl allowed just six hits, walked one and struck out five in the game. The 8.2 innings of work is a career-high for Achelpohl as a member of the Pack. All six hits allowed were singles and he faced just three hitters in an inning six times in the game. Defensively, Achelpohl was a part of two double plays. The win marks his second of the season against Louisiana Tech and in those two outings has combined to pitch 15 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts.

TEAM:  Nevada won its first road series of the year taking 3-for-4 games in Ruston, La. last weekend from Louisiana Tech to improve to 5-11 in road games...The Pack played its first extra inning game of the year last weekend at Louisiana Tech downing the Bulldogs 7-5 in 10 innings...After winning 3-of-4 games at La Tech last weekend Nevada improved 14-5 at JC Love Field in Ruston, La., which will be the site of the 2008 WAC Tournament...Nevada is the only team to win a WAC series from league leading Fresno State this season taking 3-of-4 games from the Bulldogs April 25-27 in Reno...The Pack turned 14 double plays in its four-game home series with Fresno State(4/25-27) and top the WAC with 58...nationally the Pack rank third in double plays and fifth in double plays per game...Nevada is second in the WAC with a .306 batting average, second with a .973 field percentage and fourth with a 5.52 ERA...nationally the team ranks 85th in hitting, 89th in runs, 54th in doubles per game, 47th in doubles, 57th in triples per game, 45th in triples, 62nd in slugging percentage, 71st in hit by pitch and 145th in ERA...in WAC play the Pack are tied for third in hitting(.293) and in fielding(.971) while they rank fifth in ERA(5.64)...playing 8 doubleheaders this season Nevada has swept six vs. CSUMB, vs. La Tech, vs. NMSU, vs. UVU, vs. Fresno State and at La Tech while spliting two at Fresno State and at Hawai`i...14 times this season the Pack have scored in double figures winning 13 of those contests, the only loss when scoring double digits was a 17-10 setback to #22 Oregon State...Nevada has made use of the WAC’s new 10-run rule after 7-innings twice defeating La Tech 14-3 and NMSU 11-1 but had it turned on them three times falling 11-1 and 13-3 at Fresno State and 13-3 at Hawai`i...Nevada went 11-3 during a season-high 14-game homestand that ended with a 4-game sweep of La Tech...Nevada has won six series this year taking 2-of-3 from UC Riverside(3/7-9), 3-of-4 from NMSU(4/4-6), 3-of-4 from Fresno State(4/25-27), 3-of-4 at La Tech(5/2-4) and all four from La Tech(3/20-22) and Utah Valley(4/11-13)...Nevada’s 9-4 loss to UNLV(3/25) snapped a season-high 5-game win streak and 8-game win streak vs. the Rebels...The Pack split its two games with the two-time College World Series Champion Oregon State Beavers winning 10-1, losing 17-10 and the third game was cancelled due to weather...Nevada had a season-high 26 hits and 24 runs in game 1 vs. CSUMB...Nevada was picked to finish third in the Preseason WAC Coaches’ Poll behind Fresno State and Louisiana Tech...Head coach Gary Powers is in his 26th season of directing the Wolf Pack baseball program in 2008 and is the longest tenured coach in the history of Nevada athletics.

AT THE PLATE:  3B-Jason Rodriguez leads the WAC in hitting(.392), on base percentage(.491) and in total ranks in the top 10 in 9 offensive categories in the conference...Rodriguez was named WAC Player of the Week for the second time this season after hitting .571(9-for-13) with 3 walks, 3 doubles, a home run and 9RBI vs. Fresno State(4/25-27)...Nevada boasts four of the top 15 hitters in the WAC: Rodriguez(.392,1st), 2B-David Ciarlo(.357,9th), CF-Jason Sadoian(.352,11th) and LF-Matt Bowman(.341,15th)...Rodriguez’ 23 multi hit games is tied for first in the WAC while Sadoian’s 20 is tied for 6th...C-Tyson Jaquez hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 8th of game 2 vs. Fresno State to give Nevada a 4-1 victory and C-Travis Simas hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the 8th of game 4 to give the Pack a 12-11 win...Jaquez’ 3-run homer in the first game of the doubleheader vs. FS(4/26) and RF-Mike Hale’s 3-for-3 performance in game two earned them CBS College Sports Network Player of the Game honors in the nationally televised doubleheader...Sadoian collected hits in 7 consecutive at bats vs. Fresno State(4/25-27), the final 3 at bats in game 3 and the first 4 in game 4 then scored 5 runs in those 7 hits...Sadoian vs. Fresno State(4/27) and Bowman vs. CSUMB(3/4) have hit 3 doubles in game this season which is the most by any player in the WAC this season...Ciarlo, 1B-Shaun Kort and Rodriguez were named the WAC Hitters of the Week three consecutive weeks from Feb. 25 to Mar. 16...Rodriguez hit .375(21-for-56) with 9 runs scored, 14RBI, 8 doubles and a home run during a team season and career-high 14-game hit streak that ended in the final game at Hawai`i(4/20)...Rodriguez’ 14-game hit streak is tied for the sixth longest in the WAC this season...Rodriguez ranks nationally in doubles(18th), doubles per game(33rd) and batting average(84th)...IF-Nick Leid started the final two games of the La Tech series last weekend in Ruston at second base for an injured Ciarlo and hit .500(4-for-8) with 3 runs scored, 2RBI and a home run...Ciarlo was hit in the face with a pitch in game 2 at La Tech and was taken to the hospital by ambulance but xrays were negative...Ciarlo injured his ankle trying to get out of the way of the pitch and is doubtful for the Sac State series...It is the second time Leid has filled in for Ciarlo this season vs. La Tech with the first being March 20-22 due to illness...Leid hit the first pitch he saw in game 3 last weekend vs. La Tech over the fence for his second home run of the season...Rodriguez’ .400 batting average in WAC play is third in the conference while RF-Mike Hale’s .372 average is 8th...Hale drove in a career-high 5 in the final game vs. NMSU(4/6) with 4 coming on his two, 2-run homers...Rodriguez, DH-Terry Walsh and Hale have hit 2 home runs in a game this season...Ciarlo had started 88 consecutive games at second base and played in 113 in a row until missing game 2 of the La Tech series due to illness...Kort(1B) and Rodriguez(3B) have started all 47 games at the same position...Jaquez(26) and Simas(20) have split most of catching duties for the Pack this season with freshman Matt Langenfeld starting the other game...Bowman hit an inside the park home run vs. Utah Valley in game 4 that scored 2 runs after the left fielder ran into the wall trying to make the catch...Bowman also supplied all the offense with his solo home run leading off the 4th inning in the Pack’s 1-0 victory over Utah Valley in the series opener...Kort leads the team with 13 multi RBI games which is tied for fifth in the WAC...Nevada pinch hitters are hitting .230(14-for-61) with 10 runs scored, a double, a home run and 10RBI...Leid drove in a team and WAC high 7 runs in game 1 vs. CSUMB...Bowman and Kort each had 5 hits in game 1 vs. CSUMB which is tied for the high by any player in the WAC this season and their career highs...six different Pack players, Kort, Bowman, Leid, Sadoian, and P-Dan Eastham hit home runs in Nevada’s doubleheader sweep of CSUMB...Kort drove in a career-high 5 runs in game 1 vs. CS Monterey Bay and Bowman had a career-high 4 RBI.

ON THE MOUND:  RHP-Derek Achelpohl pitched 8.2 shutout innings allowing 6 hits and struck out 5 in the final game last weekend at La Tech as the Pack won 2-0 which earned him WAC Pitcher of the Week honors...In two appearances vs. La Tech this season Achelpohl is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 13 strikeouts and just 2 walks in 15 innings...LHP-Chris Garcia earned his first two saves of the season last weekend pitching 1.2 shutout innings in game 2 and struck out the only batter he faced to end game 4...Garcia and RHP-Mario Rivera are tied for the team lead with 2 saves...RHP-Kyle Howe was the first Pack hurler to earn WAC Pitcher of the Week honors after allowing 1 run on 7 hits with 5 strikeouts tossing a complete game gem in a 4-1 win over WAC leading Fresno State(4/26)...Howe’s seven wins on the season is tied for second in the WAC while his 3.65ERA is fourth and .243 opponent batting average is fifth...Howe has pitched a WAC high 3 complete games this season twice in 4-1 wins over Fresno State and the other was a 3-1 victory vs. Utah Valley...RHP-Rod Scurry(4-6) made his first career relief appearance in the final game of the Fresno State series and retired the side in the 9th to earn the save after suffering the loss as the Friday night starter...Scurry pitched the first complete game of his career and first 1-0 shutout in Peccole Park history as the Pack defeated Utah Valley(4/11) in the first game of the series allowing 4 hits and struck out 6...Scurry ranks in the top 10 in six pitching categories in the WAC...Scurry and Howe tossed back-to-back complete games in the first two games of the UVU series...RHP-Sammy Miller(2-0) pitched 6.1 innings of 2 hit shutout relief with a career-high 4 strikeouts in game 3 vs. Fresno State to earn his second win of the season...LHP-Brock Stassi(3-0) is 3-0 on the season and the Pack are 6-0 when he starts a game...Rivera(2-1) retired all six hitters he faced in game 3 at Hawai`i(4/19) striking out three to earn his second save of the season...Rivera’s 7 career saves is tied for 9th most in Pack history...Stassi won his first two career starts in the same week vs. UNLV and NMSU...RHP-Dan Eastman had been in the weekend rotation 3 weekends but has been moved to the bullpen...Achelpohl pitched 6.1 innings of 6 hit, 8 strikeout relief vs. La Tech(3/22) to earn his first win at Nevada...Achelpohl pitched 3 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts vs. Utah Valley to earn his first save at Nevada and has split time between the rotation and bullpen...8 Pack pitchers RHP-Bryan Suarez(2ip), Miller(1ip), LHP-Jacob Kaup(1ip), Achelpohl(1ip), Stassi(1ip), Eastham(1ip), RHP-Ryan Iodence(1ip) and RHP-Ben Colton(1ip) combined to allow just 5 hits in a 10-0 shutout of Pacific(3/18)... Eastham(4ip), Iodence(1ip), Miller(1ip) and Stassi(1ip) combined earlier in the season to shutout CSUMB 16-0 in the second game of a doubleheader back on Mar. 4...Scurry, Stassi, Achelpohl and Miller each have one save on the season...Miller leads the team with 16 appearances...after making 6 starts to begin the season Garcia has been moved to the bullpen where he has earned 2 wins and 2 saves...Eastham got the first win of his career tossing 4 shutout innings in his start vs. CSUMB and was the first starter to earn a win this season.