Rebels are eager for MWC tournament

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 | 7:35 a.m.

Today

11 a.m. - SDSU vs. Utah, Game 1

3 p.m. - BYU vs. Air Force, G2

7 p.m. - UNLV vs. New Mexico, G3

Wednesday

11 a.m. - Loser G1 vs. Loser G2-G4

3 p.m. - Winner G1 vs. Winner G2-G5

7 p.m. - TCU vs. Winner G3-G6 Thursday

11 a.m. - Loser G3 vs. Loser G5-G7

3 p.m. - Loser G6 vs. Winner G4-G8

7 p.m. - Winner G6 vs. Winner G5-G9 Friday

3 p.m. - Winner G7 vs. Winner G8-G10

7 p.m. - Loser G9 vs. Winner G10-G11

Saturday

Championship

3 p.m. - Winner G9 vs. Winner G11-G12

7 p.m. - G 12 teams (if necessary)

A former Mountain West Conference baseball tournament MVP issued a warning about what might transpire this week at Wilson Stadium on the UNLV campus.

"We're playing some of our best baseball right now," UNLV senior pitcher Matt Luca said. "(We've) put it in the back of everyone's mind that, here come the Rebels. The conference tournament is in our house, and we'll hunt you down."

Luca won that MVP honor at Wilson in 2004, so he knows something about how the Rebels rally in their own home.

Here's a rundown on the teams and players who will play for an automatic spot in the NCAA Regionals next week.

Pitching

Hot hurler

Danny Ray Herrera, New Mexico

The 5-foot-7 junior is 9-0 with a 2.30 earned-run average. The crafty lefty from football-crazed Odessa (Texas) Permian High, who relies on off-speed stuff, is also a workhorse, having logged a league-high 121 1/3 innings on the hill.

14-3

UNLV's record in the conference tournament when Buddy Gouldsmith, 8-1 as a head coach and 6-2 as an assistant, wears a uniform

4-0

TCU coach and former UNLV boss Jim Schlossnagle's record against UNLV this season. Should the Rebels beat the Lobos tonight, the Rebels will play TCU on Wednesday night in Schlossnagle's return to Wilson

Watch out for ...

Jake Arrieta, TCU

The 6-4 sophomore is 11-4, with a 2.07 ERA. He's whiffed 97 batters, including a Mountain West-best 36 looking.

Batting

Hot hitter

Ryan Khoury, Utah

A 5-11 senior shortstop, he leads the conference in average (.432), slugging (.714) and on-base percentage (.541). He's also 16-for-20 in stolen bases.

Watch out for ...

C.J. Lang, UNLV

The 5-8 senior has struck out only 20 times, fewest of any league regular.

The inside pitch

Opponents should have a field day running against BYU senior catcher Casey Nelson, who has allowed a league-worst 57 stolen bases.

Speedy

SDSU junior leadoff hitter Quintin Berry, who last season became the first Aztec to hit .400 in 14 seasons, tops the conference with 29 stolen bases.

Streaky

UNLV has scored 121 runs in winning its last eight games, including a sweep of New Mexico - the Rebels' first-round foe tonight - at Wilson two weekends ago.

Air Force has lost its last 20 games, allowing 36 runs to San Diego State in one of them.

Advice to visitors

Wilson is Shea Stadium West. One corridor for planes landing at McCarran International Airport takes them directly over Wilson, from left-center field to home plate. Unless it's two F-16 Fighting Falcons, who did a fly-by two weeks ago , don't look up.

Also, never, ever take a hit when the dealer has a 5 showing. And if you split 10s, you'll be on the next bus to Tucumcari.