RENO, Nev. – The defending Mountain West regular-season champion Nevada baseball team reported back for its first practice of 2019 today. The Wolf Pack begins its season on Feb. 15, when it travels to San Marcos, Texas to face Missouri State on the opening day of the Texas State Tournament.
Season tickets are still available to watch the Pack at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park, available at NevadaWolfPack.com.
Since taking over the Nevada baseball program in 2016, head coach T.J. Bruce has accumulated the most Mountain West victories with the Wolf Pack of any school in the conference. Bruce and the Pack hold a 53-35 MW record over the past three seasons and have made the conference tournament all three seasons.
Following its second MW Championship in the past four years in 2018, Nevada took home three of the top conference honors. Bruce was awarded Coach of the Year, former Pack outfielder Grant Fennell was named the MW Tony Gwynn Player of the Year and sophomore Joshua Zamora earned Freshman of the Year honors. Fennell is now playing in the Chicago Cubs organization, and Zamora was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
Returning for the Pack is ace pitcher Jake Jackson, who was also named a Freshman All-American after leading the Mountain West with eight conference wins last season and being named second-team All-MW.
Along with Zamora, first baseman Dillan Shrum will return for the Pack in 2019 after ranking second on the team last season with seven home runs. Shrum was named the 62nd ranked draft-eligible hitter by DI Baseball heading into the season.
Nevada's 2019 squad includes 13 newcomers, with four junior college transfers and nine freshmen. Outfielder Julian Boyd was selected in the 26th round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs while pitcher Owen Sharts was taken by the Texas Rangers in the 32nd round.
The Pack will return to Don Weir Field at Peccole Park for the first time in 2019 on March 15, when it hosts conference foe New Mexico for a three-game series. Intrastate rival UNLV will come to Reno for a three-game series against the Wolf Pack April 18-20.
Following the UNLV series, Nevada will host defending College World Series champion Oregon State for a two-day weekday series from April 22-23. The MW Tournament will run through Reno this season, taking place May 23-26 at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park.
