Courtesy of UNLV Athletics

SURPRISE, Ariz.  – The UNLV baseball Team (2-2) aimed to finish the Sanderson Ford Collegiate Baseball Classic on Monday morning, looking to win their second game against the Indiana Hoosiers (0-4) from the BigTen during the opening weekend. The two teams’ offenses exploded with power throughout the contest, the Rebels pulling out on top 13-12.

The Hoosiers jumped out with the lead to start, catching a quick three-run homer in the bottom of the second. Soon after the Rebels jumped on the board, Gunnar Myro’s single and advance to second was just enough to crash through home off the Chase Gallegos double. After a sacrifice bunt from Elijah Rodriguez placed runners on second and third, Cooper Sheff cooking up a two-run triple to right field that tied the game at three’s. With one out, JP Hefft was able to push the Scarlet & Gray ahead by a well-placed grounder to a stretched-out second baseman and sent Sheff home.

The Rebels would extend the lead in the top of the fourth inning, exploding with three runs to push the lead 7-3. With bases loaded, Hefft took a hit-by-pitch at the plate before Dean Toigo jammed a ball into right field to drive in Rodriguez and Paul Myro IV to score. Indiana soon responded with three runs of their own across the next three innings to tie the game at seven.

Tied in the top of the ninth, Hefft was able to claim a leadoff single but was stranded at first base with two consecutive fly outs. With two outs, the redshirt junior narrowly escaped a pick-off attempt from the catcher as he stole second base, putting him in scoring position. Cole Koniarsky laid down a dribble that moved just slow enough in front of the pitcher to put him at first and Hefft at third, Michael Cruz up to bat. On a 0-0 count, Cruz took a cut that perfectly placed the ball on the right side of the field, scoring Hefft from third base and Koniarsky from first to put the Rebel lead at 9-7.

Although IU would tie the game in the bottom of the ninth, UNLV was able to respond in the top of the 10th inning by getting the bases loaded before an out was even recorded in the half inning. With JP Hefft at the plate on a 1-2 count, he would chase a pitch at the upper-left corner of the plate, connecting on the ball and sending it past the left-field fence for a grand slam. The four-run long ball would push the lead to four runs, being enough of a distance from the Hoosiers to seal the win after the bottom of the 10th inning.

“Great hard-fought win. Mickey Cruz had a big pinch hit in the ninth and JP Hefft in the 10th. Indiana will win a lot of games this year” noted head coach Stan Stolte. “It won’t get easier with no. 25 Cincinnati coming into town, but this competition will only make us better. Proud of the way they answered the bell today after getting punched in the mouth by Oregon State Saturday night, then the after effects from that on Sunday against a very good Xavier team.”

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
– JP Hefft’s six RBI’s in the contest marks a career-high since joining the Rebels, now recording at least one RBI in the last two games this season.
– The Rebels’ have now recorded two home runs during the opening weekend of 2025, both of them being grand slams.
– Cole Koniarsky heads the lineup in batting average after the first four games of the season, noting a .429 average. The senior was 3-6 in the Monday game.
– The Sanderson Ford Collegiate Baseball Classic marks the first time since the 2018 season that the Rebels swept a BigTen opponent, taking down Iowa in all three games at Earl E. Wilson Stadium.

UP NEXT
UNLV will host no.25-ranked Cincinnati for another four-game series, those four games stretching from Friday, Feb. 21 through Monday, Feb. 24. To get updates on all things Hustlin’ Rebels, links to the season’s games can be found on the team’s schedule page. You can also get live updates on how the Scarlet & Gray are faring on the team’s X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram accounts.