Schlossnagle’s hopes riding high for 2003

Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003 | 9:31 a.m.

UNLV baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle did not flinch when Baseball America tabbed the Rebels as a Mountain West Conference team bound for the NCAA Tournament.

With the return of outstanding pitcher Robbie Van and freshman All-America outfielder Joe Wickman, and a host of new players who were wooed by some of the top programs in the country, Schlossnagle expected such recognition.

UNLV finished 30-30 (13-17 in the MWC) in Schlossnagle's debut season as a head coach in 2002, and it can begin to earn its newfound respect this weekend with a three-game, season-opening series against California in Berkeley.

The Rebels' home opener is next weekend against College of Charleston, and the conference slate starts March 14 vs. Air Force at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

"When you have good players, that tends to happen. They pick you that way," Schlossnagle said. "It also speaks to the untapped potential of UNLV baseball, in terms of this is the kind of place that should be first or second in the league every year.

"It doesn't mean we're going to be (good) ... just because you say you're good, or someone else says you're good, doesn't mean you're going to be good. But if we stick together as a club and play the game, we'll be fine."

Schlossnagle made a name for himself as Tulane's pitching coach, an eight-year run in which the Green Wave played in the NCAAs six times. He is most determined to have a better pitching staff this season.

"A whole heckuva lot better," said Schlossnagle, who hopes junior lefty Robbie Van will set the pace. As a sophomore, Van was 7-5 with a 5.29 earned-run average. Those figures are deceiving, because he won six of his last seven starts.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Silverado High product turned plenty of heads, and hitters' wrists, with what Baseball America considers the nastiest breaking ball in the conference.

Other than anyone from San Diego State, BA picked Van as the best prospect in the Mountain West. He played summer-league ball in Cape Cod to hone his concentration skills, which he accomplished by working out of the bullpen.

That also meant minimal wear and tear on Van's valuable left arm, and it boosted his confidence with runners on base.

"That really helped in critical situations, when I need to pitch out of the stretch," Van said. "That has to be my strong point instead of my weak point. But pitching short, for an inning or two, allowed me to concentrate on each pitch instead of thinking about the overall seven innings.

"I'll carry that over to the starter's role. As a starter, I will think more about each pitch as I'm throwing it, pitching rather than throwing."

Finishing those starts might be a key, too, because the Rebels lost their top three relievers. David Seccombe, another starter, polished his mechanics in the Alaskan summer league, and Jake Vose (8-3) and Adam Lesko (7-1) fared well last season in junior college.

First baseman Fernando Valenzuela, son of the famous Dodger by the same name, rocked seven home runs and hit .571 during three weeks of fall practice. Patrick Dobson, a 6-3 third baseman, was the Southern California JC player of the year in '02.

"We have awesome team chemistry," Van said. "We all get along and we all hang out together, one big family. It's a lot different than last year. It's a whole new team and, hopefully, we can carry that on to the future."