University of Nevada Athletics

Nevada Probable Lineup

2009 Nevada Baseball Outlook

The University of Nevada baseball team returns 15 letterwinners from last year's club that posted 34-26 record and went 18-14 in the Western Athletic Conference.  For the second year in a row the Wolf Pack finished second at the season-ending tournament.  The Pack tied for second in the final regular-season standings after taking second the year before.

Joining the returners are 14 newcomers who will battle for playing time this season.  Four starting position players along with two starting pitchers will give the Pack leadership on the field.

Despite an ever changing roster the coaching staff remains the same for 2009.  Head coach Gary Powers enters his 27th season as skipper of the Wolf Pack baseball program.  In 26 seasons Powers has posted a record of 795-621-4, leaving him five wins shy of 800 for his career.

His veteran staff includes associate head coach Stan Stolte, who enters his 13th year at Nevada in 2009.  Stolte handles the pitching staff and is the recruiting coordinator.  Former Pack shortstop Jay Uhlman, who is in charge of the defense and works with the infielders, enters his eighth season this year.  Volunteer assistant coach Gary McNamara will work with the outfielders again this season.  McNamara is in his fifth season and his second stint coaching the Pack.

Pitchers

Of the Pack's 15, returning letterwinners, seven are pitchers and will need to fill the roles of four departed seniors in Kyle Howe, Rod Scurry, Mario Rivera  and Dan Eastham who pitched numerous innings last spring.  Howe earned first-team All-WAC honors last season while Rivera was a second-team reliever.  The Pack returns five pitchers who made at least one start a year ago.

Sophomore Brock Stassi, junior Chris Garcia and senior Derek Achelpohl return after making appearances in the weekend rotation a year ago.

A left-hander Stassi made 17 appearances with nine being starts as a freshman in 2008, posting a 4-2 record with a save and a 4.85 ERA in 59.1 innings on the mound.  Stassi will again work in the weekend rotation in his second season in the program and could also see time at designated hitter or in the outfield.

Garcia, another left-hander, began last season in the rotation but moved to the bullpen after struggling early in the year.  He made seven starts and 16 appearances on the season, posting a 2-5 record with two saves and a 7.49 ERA tossing 51.2 innings.  He is expected to begin the 2009 season pitching in the weekend rotation.

Achelpohl made 14 appearances last spring with six being starts.  The right-hander posted a 2-2 record with a save and a 6.49 ERA.  He earned WAC Pitcher of the Week honors after pitching 8.2 shutout innings at Louisiana Tech and combined with Garcia to blank the Bulldogs 2-0.  In 2009 he is challenging for a starting spot, but could be used in a similar role as last season seeing time also out of the bullpen.

Seniors Sammy Miller and Stephen Bautista led the 2008 squad with 19 and 18 appearances, respectively.  Miller went 3-1 with a save and a 4.60 ERA in 29.1 innings on the mound.  Miller will work out of the bullpen and could even become the team's closer.
Bautista did make one start a year ago, and went 2-2 with a 8.49 ERA.  He will either work in the rotation this season or become the team’s closer.

Sophomore Bryan Suarez and junior Mat Keplinger saw limited action in 2008.  Suarez did make two Tuesday starts in his 11 appearances going 2-1 with a 6.53 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched. He should work out of the bullpen and possibly make midweek starts again this year.

Keplinger pitched 2.2 innings in his three appearances and did not record a decision.  His action will again be as a reliever in his third season.

The nine newcomers are comprised of six junior college transfers and three freshmen.  Three of the first-year players are battling for spots as starters while six are likely to come out of the bullpen.

Reno freshman left-hander Jacob Anderson, the 2008 Northern Nevada Pitcher of the Year, is battling for a starting spot.  The Galena High School product went 31-1 as prep athlete.  Last season he was 7-0 with a 3.57 ERA and struck out 72.

Right-hander Anthony Fagan comes to Nevada after pitching one season at Mesa Community College in Mesa, Ariz.  Fagan was 7-3 with a 1.85 ERA last season in 77.2 innings pitched.  As a prep athlete he played at Douglas High School in Minden, Nev.

Another right-hander looking to break into the starting rotation is Tyler Rogstad.  Rogstad pitched two season at Edmonds Community College in Edmonds, Wash. where he was combined 13-6 in his two season and helped ECCC to the 2008 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges title.

Seeking time out of the bullpen are six right-handed newcomers in junior college transfers Tyler Graham, Jesse Rasner, Daniel Tinlin and Beau Witsoe along with freshmen Branden Petrangelo and Jayson McClaren.

Graham pitched two seasons at Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif., earning all-conference honors his freshman year when he was 9-2 with a 3.12 ERA and struck out 49 in 80.2 innings.

After two seasons at Lassen Community College in Susanville, Calif. Rasner comes to Nevada and adds depth to the pitching corps.
Tinlin played the last two seasons at Chabot Community College in Hayward, Calif., where he earned honorable mention all-conference honors last season.  He was 1-0 with two saves and a 4.12 ERA a year ago.

A second-team all-conference selection at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo, Calif. Witsoe posted a 5-2 record with a 5.36 ERA in 11 appearances, with nine being starts, his sophomore year.

Petrangelo earned first-team all-league honors at Freedom High School in Oakley, Calif. as a senior.   McClaren was a four-year letterwinner at Durango High School in Las Vegas.

Infielders

The strength of the team should be in the infield where two starters return and a fifth-year senior moves from the outfield to second base.  Junior first baseman Shaun Kort and sophomore shortstop Kevin Rodland will be back at their regular spots while senior Matt Bowman moves from left field to second base.  The toughest task will be finding a replacement for All-WAC third baseman Jason Rodriguez.

A 2009 WAC Preseason Coaches’ Team selection, Kort saw his average dip from .392 in 2007, when he won the conference batting title and earned freshman all-America honors, to .324 in 2008.  However the run production for the two-time second-team All-WAC performer increased from 50 RBI to 60 last season while his home run numbers stayed the same with six.  The left-handed hitter will again supply the Pack with offense hitting in the middle of the lineup and solid defense at first base.

An excellent defensive shortstop, Rodland started 54 games in his first season, at Nevada in 2008.  Despite struggling with the bat during the season his defense remained strong and he turned it around at the plate hitting .256 by season's end with 25 RBI and team-leading 10 stolen bases.  He carries an 11-game hitting streak into the season in which he is hitting .444.

Bowman earned second-team All-WAC honors last season playing left field but will move to second base for his senior season.  Infield is no stranger to the fifth-year senior as he started 38 games at third base his sophomore season.  The conference coaches recognized his ability to make the transition selecting him to the 2009 WAC Preseason Coaches’ Team at second base.  Last spring, he hit .355 with 55 runs scored, 20 doubles, four home runs and drove in 36.  He carries a .347 career batting average into the season.

Senior Tyson Jaquez and freshman Joe Kohan are battling to earn the starting spot at third base this season.  Jaquez caught a team-high 35 games for the Pack last season but as a sophomore started 10 games at third base. 

A year ago, Jaquez hit .292 and drove in 26 runs while delivering a team-high nine home runs, which included three in the 11-0 victory over San Jose State in the first game of the WAC tournament.  He should split time between catching and playing third base this season but could also see at-bats at designated hitter.  He was chosen to the 2009 WAC Preseason Coaches’ Team as a utility player.
Kohan, the 2008 Alaska Gatorade and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year, will get time at third base and serve as the backup at shortstop in his first year in the program.  He helped Juneau-Douglas High School to the 2008 state title.

Sophomores Nick Leid and Joe Wallace are slated to serve backup roles in their second seasons.  Leid hit .282 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 33 games as a freshman a year ago.  He made 15 starts, primarily at second base, but did start two games in left field, a spot where he could see time again this season.

Wallace is working at both first and third base this year.  In nine games last season he hit .222 and drove in one run.

Outfielders

The 2009 Nevada outfield will have an entirely new look this season due to graduation and the move of Bowman to second base.  Two letterwinners return in senior Aaron Henry and sophomore Waylen Sing Chow. Joining the returners are junior college transfers Brett Hart and Westley Moss, along with freshman Nick Melino to battle for time in the outfield.

Henry has the ability to play all three outfield positions but should see most of his time in left and right field.  In 15 games off the bench last year the speedy outfielder hit .250 playing primarily as a defensive replacement.

A left-handed hitter Sing Chow may be used in a platoon situation in center field.  Last season he hit .219 in 37 games with three starts.  His action a year ago was mostly as a defensive replacement, pinch-runner or left-handed pinch hitter.

Melino, a switch-hitter, is the early favorite to start in left field when the season gets underway.  An all-conference and second-team all-state selection at Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nev., he hit .463 as a prep senior.

An excellent defensive center fielder, the right-handed hitting Moss could platoon with Sing Chow.   He played two seasons at Santa Rosa (Calif.) Junior College  prior to transferring to Nevada.

Hart is seeking to earn the starting job in right field in his first year in the silver & blue.  A two-time first-team All-Coast Conference selection at the College of San Mateo (Calif.). he hit .343 with 32 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 32 RBI last season.

Catchers

A year ago Nevada had little to no experience at the catching position but this season return two seniors who started 59-of-60 games at the position.  Returning along with Jaquez is senior Travis Simas.  Sophomore Matt Lagenfeld and freshman Michael Turay round out the four-man catching staff.

After starting a team-high 35 games at catcher last season, Jaquez will also play third base this season.
Simas missed the beginning of last season after breaking the middle finger on his left hand but returned to start 24 games behind the plate.  The excellent receiver hit .167 and drove in 17.  His biggest hit of last season was a two-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the Pack on top of Fresno State 12-11 as Nevada rallied for the victory.

A highly touted freshman, Turay should get plenty of time at catcher this season.  The two-time All-Delta Valley League selection and 2008 league MVP played his prep baseball at Davis High School in Davis, Calif.  His senior year, he hit .432 with eight doubles, three triples, six home runs and 33 RBI.

Langenfeld saw action in seven games as a freshman a year ago earning two starts, one at catcher and the other designated hitter.  In limited duty, he hit .231 and drove in six.  Three of the RBI cam on a home run versus Cal State Monterey Bay.

Designated Hitters

Stassi should get plenty of at-bats when not on the mound.  He spent this past summer playing the outfield for the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox and earned first-team Horizon Air Summer Baseball Series honors after hitting .359 with 29 runs scored, nine doubles, a home run and 25 RBI.  The coaching staff could use any of a number of position players at designated hitter to fill the spot when Stassi is on the mound.

Schedule

Never afraid of playing tough competition, the 2009 schedule is much the same as the Pack will play one of the toughest schedules in the country according to baseball website boydsworld.com.  The website ranked Nevada's nonconference schedule 12th toughest in NCAA Division I baseball and the overall schedule ranks 34th. 

The Pack will play 13 games versus five teams that qualified for the NCAA Division I Tournament last season including four at the home of the 2008 College World Series champion Fresno State Bulldogs.  In 2008, the Pack hosted the 2006 and 2007 CWS Champion Oregon State Beavers.  Missouri, San Diego, UC Davis, UC Irvine and FS  qualified for the 2008 NCAA Division I tournament.
According the Baseball America preseason poll, Nevada will take on three top 11 teams in the nonconference portion of the schedule with five of the seven games being road contests.  The Pack play three games at ninth-ranked UC Irvine, two with 10th-ranked Missouri and two at 11th-ranked San Diego.

The Pack opens the season Feb. 20-22, playing two games against Gonzaga and two with 10th-ranked Missouri in the Phoenix Tournament.  The following weekend, Nevada plays four games in the San Diego Tournament taking on San Diego State, Kansas State and the final two games are at 11th-ranked San Diego.

After a Tuesday game at Pacific, the Wolf Pack's home opener is set for March 6-8 with a three-game series versus Pacific-10 Conference member Washington.  Another Tuesday game at NCAA Division I qualifier UC Davis and the Pack returns home to host another Pacific-10 conference foe in Oregon for a four-game series.  Oregon will be playing its first season after reinstating the program and is coached by George Horton, who led Cal State Fullerton to the 2004 CWS title.

Nevada plays its next five games on the road starting with a Wednesday contest at UNLV.  The Pack has won nine of the last 10 meetings with the Rebels which included a stretch of eight in a row that was snapped last season.

A three-game series at ninth-ranked UC Irvine is followed by a single Tuesday game at Saint Mary's College. 

The Pack returns home for a five-game home stand which is comprised of a four-game series with Utah Valley University and a Tuesday game with Saint Mary's before conference play begins.

The WAC

Once again the format of WAC play has changed but the seven teams remain the same as Fresno State, Hawai`i, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State, New Mexico State, Sacramento State and the Pack will battle for the conference title.  In 2008, each team played a 32 game schedule but in 2009 the number of games will be 24.  Each team will play one four-game series with the six schools either at home or on the road.  In five-of-six WAC series the Pack will play a doubleheader.

Nevada was picked to finish third in the Preseason WAC Coaches' poll behind Fresno State and San Jose State.  Hawai`i, New Mexico State, Louisiana Tech and Sacramento State were picked in spots four through seven, respectively.

The Pack begin WAC play at Louisiana Tech the first weekend in April, then return home for a season-long 13-game home stand.  Nevada will host Hawai`i and New Mexico State on back-to-back home weekends before stepping out of WAC play the next five games.
A Tuesday home game versus Pacific game is followed by another first-year program as Cal State Bakersfield comes to Peccole Park for three games.  UC Davis will be the final midweek game for the Wolf Pack on April 28 before the squad closes out the season with 12 conference games.

Nevada travels to Fresno State for four games with the defending CWS champions.  The final home stand of the season follows with Sacramento State coming to Reno.  The Pack close-out the WAC schedule at San Jose State May 15-17.

The top six teams bases on the 24-games played during the conference regular season will qualify for the season ending WAC Tournament, being hosted by the University of Hawai`i, May 21-24.  All games will be played at the 4,312-seat Les Murakami Stadium, located on the UH campus.