UNLV softball team hoping to find pitching depth to back potent offense

UNLV softball coach Pete Manarino is a subscriber to the philosophy that pitching wins championships.

As his team begins its fall practice schedule next week, the coach will be eyeing the pitcher's circle in an effort to determine whether the Rebels will have what it takes to win the 2012 Mountain West Conference title.

"It all comes down to pitching," said Manarino, whose squad went 27-18 overall and 9-5 in the conference last season to finish second to Brigham Young. "Our pitching is going to have to improve."

Amanda Oliveto went 21-10 with a 2.81 ERA as a freshman last season. She finished with the third-best ERA among Mountain West starters, but she was Manarino's only reliable pitcher. The remainder of the staff went 6-8.

"You can't just rely on one or two pitchers," Manarino said. "We've got to work hard in that area."

That means seniors Kylie Wagner (4-2, 6.40) and Jessica O'Connor (1-5, 8.79) will have to improve if the Rebels hope to reach the next level.

To complicate matters, O'Connor is sidelined with an injury and is expected to miss fall practices. Manarino has brought in promising freshman Caitlin Klepper to help bolster the staff, but he's uncertain how long it will take to get her accustomed to Division I play.

The Rebels should have no problem on offense. They led the MWC last season with a .321 batting average and a program-record 54 home runs. The majority of those contributors will be back.

"We'll have to wait and see," Manarino said. "Each year brings a new challenge, but we started five or six freshmen on a regular basis last year, and we finished strong."

The only offensive negative for Manarino will be the loss of all-conference second baseman Ashli Holland. She finished 2011 fifth-best in the conference with a .372 batting average. She had nine home runs, 14 doubles and 35 RBIs.

"The majority of the team is back," he said. "We lose one player, but she's a good one."

UNLV boasted four of the league's top 10 hitters last season, and three return.

Sierra Vista High School graduate Tayler Aleman led the MWC as a sophomore last season with a .436 average. She also had nine home runs, 11 doubles and 38 RBIs en route to all-conference honors.

Senior outfielder Paige Emerson also made the All-MWC team after batting .348 with seven doubles and 19 RBIs. Sophomore first baseman and fellow all-conference player Tayler Van Acker returns from a season in which she batted .349 with six doubles and 16 RBIs.

So Manarino sees reason for optimism as he looks forward to a six-game fall schedule that begins Oct. 28 against California's Cypress College.

"This will give us an opportunity to see every player and try people in different positions," he said. "That's more important than the actual games."