Rebels’ rocky season continues in tourney

Steve Guiremand

Monday, Feb. 28, 2000 | 9:43 a.m.

The 20th annual Coors Desert Classic illustrated the up-and-down season Rod Soesbe's young UNLV baseball team is experiencing.

When the Rebels were on -- as they were when they pounded out 21 hits in a 12-6 opening-game rout of eventual tourney champion Santa Clara -- they were very good.

But when they were off -- as they were in their 15-6 loss to previously winless West Virginia (1-7) on Sunday afternoon in their tourney finale at Earl E. Wilson Stadium -- the Rebels (5-13) were very bad.

"We didn't play catch real well today," Soesbe said, alluding to his team's five errors. "And we ran completely out of pitching at the end."

Playing five games in four days can stretch most college teams' pitching to the limits.

UNLV finished 2-3 in its five tournament games. Besides defeating Santa Clara, the Rebels also won against Michigan State, 10-4, and lost to Nevada-Reno, 5-0, and Oregon State, 4-3.

"We just have to be more consistent," Soesbe said. "Other than (Sunday), I thought we played pretty well."

The Rebels have one more series to work out the bugs before beginning Mountain West Conference play at home against BYU on March 9. UNLV travels to Clemson this weekend for a three-game series with the 17th-ranked Tigers and national player of the year candidate Patrick Boyd.

Santa Clara, which knocked off Michigan State 8-5 in Sunday night's tournament finale, won the seven-team tournament with a 4-1 record. Oregon State also finished with a 4-1 mark, but the Broncos defeated the Beavers, 12-10 in 12 innings, in their head-to-head matchup to win the tiebreaker.

Nevada-Reno, which was limited to just four tourney games because of scheduling conflicts, took third place with a 3-1 mark while UNLV and Cal State Northridge tied for fourth with 2-3 records. Michigan State and West Virginia brought up the rear with 1-4 marks.