The Elevator

Sat, Apr 26, 2008 (2 a.m.)

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Who’s headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene — and who’s getting the shaft.

GOING UP

In a league of his own

Elliot Wronski, a 22-year-old junior on the UNLV men’s tennis team, earned All-Mountain West Conference singles and doubles honors this week for a second consecutive season. He hails from Cheltenham, England, a spa hotbed since mineral springs were discovered there in 1716.

Big return

Disgruntled with his playing time in Toronto, Las Vegas resident Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas has returned to Oakland, Calif., where he revived his career in 2006. Athletics GM Billy Beane is on the hook for only $337,000 of Thomas’s $8 million salary this season. Thanks, Blue Jays. Thomas turns 40 on May 27.

Mending well

A nagging hip injury forced Rancho High pitcher Justin Neubauer to miss almost all of his sophomore season. But the junior showed his strength this week in tossing a six-inning no-hitter, striking out seven and walking one, in a 10-0 victory over Eldorado. Neubauer leads the valley with 86 strikeouts.

Letting ’em play

ECHL referee Mike Battimo didn’t call one penalty Tuesday night in the Wranglers’ 4-1 playoff victory over Stockton at the Orleans Arena, the first time that has happened in the league’s 20-year history. Battimo played “Mikey Gonzalez” on the Disney Channel series “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” in 1988 but wasn’t picked up when NBC bought the show and changed its name to “Saved by the Bell.” Acting’s loss is hockey’s gain.

GOING DOWN

No coffee for Trevor

Because coffee is for closers, right, Alec Baldwin? San Diego reliever Trevor Hoffman cost longtime Las Vegas resident Greg Maddux a chance to win his 350th game this week by giving up a home run to Bengie Molina. It was Hoffman’s second blown save of the season. Remember the wild-card playoffs last season? At 40, he’s slipping.

Not making the grade

The NCAA publicly recognized 712 Division-I sports teams for performing high on its latest multiyear Academic Progress Rate scores. No UNLV squad made the cut, but it’s an elite group. In the Mountain West, only BYU’s men’s basketball and women’s volleyball teams made the list.