UNLV Hustlin' Rebels In The Middle Of The Preseason Mountain West Power Rankings

The UNLV Hustlin' Rebels baseball team will play their first game of the season on Friday night against the Austin Peay Governors on their home field of Earl E Wilson Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. They had a strong campaign last season, but lost plenty of key pieces in the offseason. This will not be an easy first series against the Governors, who feature a star infielder, Ray Velazquez.

The Rebels are projected to be a middle-of-the-pack team this season in the Mountain West Conference, and that has been reflected in the power rankings. These most recent Mountain West Power Rankings come from Dominic Gutierrez and Derek Raridon of Mountain West Connection. This is what they have to say about the Hustlin' Rebels before the start of baseball season.

Mountain West Connection On Their No. 5 Ranked UNLV Hustlin' Rebels

"The offseason brought notable roster turnover, particularly on the mound, with pitchers Alex Overbay and LJ Mercurius transferring to Arizona State and Oklahoma, respectively. The Rebels also lost key offensive pieces, as DH Cole Koniarsky departed for Georgia and OF Dean Toigo transferred to Arizona State. Despite those losses, UNLV retained Carson Lane, who appears poised for a breakout year after a strong sophomore campaign that saw him log 78 innings with a 4.23 ERA and 85 strikeouts.

UNLV will have several options to round out the rotation, with Reese Lueck and Cody Albright emerging as early contenders for starting roles. Offensively, there are significant gaps to fill, but the additions of OF Reggie Bussey from Ohio State and Drew Barragan from Western Kentucky should help offset some of the lost production. With proven pitching depth and new bats stepping into larger roles, the Rebels look capable of remaining a factor in the Mountain West and will have an opportunity to showcase their resilience in 2026."

Preseason power rankings are the toughest to judge. Especially when a team has so much turnover and change in the offseason. They lost Dean Toigo to the transfer portal, who came out of nowhere last season to become the best hitter in the Mountain West. That goes to show you all you need to know about the potential volatility of Mountain West baseball.

We won't be covering Mountain West baseball power rankings all season, but we thought it would be good to get a look at where this team stands before the season starts. However, we will revisit this at some point in a month or so.

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