UNLV baseball team gets fresh start at tourney

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2000 | 11:08 a.m.

UNLV baseball coach Rod Soesbe is approaching this weekend's 20th annual Coors Desert Classic as a new beginning for his young and struggling baseball squad.

"We need to start over in the tournament," said Soesbe, whose 3-10 team brings a seven-game losing streak into the tourney after getting swept at fourth-ranked Cal State Fullerton over last weekend. "We're not going to give up. We're going to use the tourney to regroup and try and make a run at it."

Seven teams will take part in the tournament, which runs Thursday through Sunday at UNLV's Earl E. Wilson Stadium and Burkholder Field in Henderson.

Besides the host Rebels, who last won the event in 1995, Cal State Northridge, Michigan State, in-state rival Nevada-Reno, Oregon State, Santa Clara and West Virginia will take part. Each team plays five games with the team with the best overall record claiming the title. If two teams are tied, several tiebreakers, topped by head-to-head competition, will be used to crown the champion.

The tourney kicks off at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning at Wilson Stadium with Oregon State facing West Virginia. UNLV opens play at 5 p.m. on Thursday night against Santa Clara.

UNLV faces Nevada-Reno at 5 p.m. Friday night.

"It certainly doesn't get any easier," Soesbe said. "We need to get some wins and get our confidence back."

The tournament features two players listed among Baseball America's top 100 college prospects: Nevada-Reno senior right-handed pitcher Chad Qualls (No. 59) and Michigan State junior right-handed pitcher Josh Axelson (No. 84).