UNLV turns page from ex-coach Chambers, opens season at Texas

Coming off a year in which former UNLV baseball coach Tim Chambers fell from grace and the team tumbled in the standings, the Rebels are determined to rise again this season.

UNLV, which went 25-31 last year and 10-20 in the Mountain West after winning the league's regular-season title and advancing to the NCAA Regionals in 2014, will get a chance to prove itself in its first six games.

The Rebels open the season today with a three-game series at No. 23 Texas, then return home Feb. 26 for a three-game series against West Virginia at Wilson Stadium.

"When I got the job, I was going to fire the guy who scheduled that. But that was me, so I didn't want to do that," UNLV coach Stan Stolte said jokingly. "Those first six games, we're going to have our hands full. But we welcome it. We want to play the best. We'll see where we're at."

When Chambers missed most of last season following back surgery, Stolte — the team's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator from 2011 to 2014 — served as acting head coach. When Chambers resigned his position Dec. 18, more than two months after he was arrested on allegations of driving under the influence, Stolte was promoted to head coach for the 2016 season.

"It's unfortunate what happened to Chambers, but Stolte's doing a great job of keeping us all together and keeping our heads focused on baseball," senior pitcher Cody Roper said.

Pitching should be the strength of the squad. The Rebels, picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, return their top three starters from last year in Kenny Oakley (4-5, 3.18 ERA), Blaze Bohall (6-3, 3.66) and D.J. Myers (2-4, 4.50 ERA). The staff also features returnees Roper and Ben Wright and newcomer Dean Kremer, a junior college transfer who was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 38th round of June's Major League Baseball Draft.

"We've had six guys fighting for the three starting jobs, and they've all done well. All six of those guys could start for a lot of schools," Stolte said. "Knock on wood, I think we're going to be solid from the pitching standpoint. And there's guys behind them that have pitched well."

Myers, a Coronado High School and College of Southern Nevada product who led UNLV in strikeouts (68) and innings (80) last season, is scheduled to start the opener against the Longhorns. Oakley, a Coronado product who was the only Rebel named to the preseason all-conference team, is slated to start Saturday. Wright is Sunday's scheduled starter.

The bullpen is a question mark. UNLV lost both closers from last season in Zack Hartman, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels, and Brayden Torres, who is redshirting this season after offseason shoulder surgery.

Offense is another concern after the Rebels lost five of their top six hitters. The good news is that Stolte expects Payton Squier, the team's top returning hitter, to take a big step forward this season after batting .287 as a freshman with a team-leading 36 runs and 11 steals.

"He's a lot better than he was last year, and he's turning into the hitter we thought he'd be when he got here," Stolte said. "We've just got to see him do it in the regular season."

Squier, who will hit third and start in left field after playing mostly second base last season, is eager to erase the bitter taste of last year.

"It just sucked losing. We're really looking forward to having a bounce-back year," said Squier, who is especially excited to play at Texas. "I can't wait. It's going to be in front of 10,000 people. It's going to be unbelievable."

The Rebels also should be buoyed by the return of second baseman Justin Jones, their leadoff hitter and team captain who missed most of last season with a torn labrum.

"He's kind of the heart and soul of our team from an offensive standpoint," Stolte said. "He was really missed last year."

Andrew Yazdanbaksh, one of three players vying for the starting catcher spot, hit .410 (16-for-39) in limited action last season.

UNLV features 20 underclassmen, including 6-foot-3-inch, 245-pound freshman first baseman Nick Ames, who will bat in the middle of the order, and freshman pitcher Chase Maddux, the 140-pound son of Baseball Hall of Famer Greg Maddux.

"Chase has been a surprise all fall and all spring," Stolte said. "He's going to help us at some point, whether it's two weeks from now or a year from now."

Adding to the excitement of opening day is UNLV's soon-to-be-unveiled $2.75 million Anthony and Lyndy Marnell III Baseball Clubhouse.

"This clubhouse is definitely going to do some damage, as far as recruiting," said Jones, a Bishop Gorman graduate. "It's going to be hard to walk in that thing and pass up a scholarship to UNLV.

"We're all itching at the bit to get in there. It's beautiful inside."

Chambers' departure didn't cost the Rebels any recruits, and dealing with the turmoil appears to have helped bring the team closer.

"I'd say chemistry is probably our biggest strength," Squier said. "Our team is jelling really well, and I think it's going to show on the field."

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354. Follow him on Twitter: @tdewey33