Squeezed season to test Rebels

By Brian Hilderbrand

Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2008 | 2 a.m.

There isn’t a player on UNLV’s baseball team who hasn’t fantasized about what it would be like to play professional ball. This season, they’re going to get a feel for what it’s like.

Because of the NCAA’s new uniform starting date, Feb. 22, for Division I college baseball, teams this year are going to be playing more games in less time, and pitchers are going to be required to throw more innings than in the past. In addition, all players are going to have to learn how to better manage their time: They’ll be missing more class because of more midweek games.

Welcome to the NCAA’s attempt to bring a semblance of fairness to a sport in which teams in the South and the West have been able to play games in late January while teams in the North and the East were lucky to get in an outdoor practice before the end of February.

Beginning this season, no Division I team is allowed to play a game before Feb. 22. The Rebels will open their season Friday night at Earl E. Wilson Stadium with the first of three games against Central Michigan. Last season, the Rebels had played 13 games by Feb. 22.

Buddy Gouldsmith, in his fifth season as the Rebels’ head coach, said the new uniform starting date will require adjustments on several levels. Because teams now have 13 weeks to play 56 regular-season games, the Rebels have had to squeeze in more weekday games than in the past.

“We’re going to play 17 midweek games in about 13 weeks,” he said. “There are going to be seven weeks where we’ll play five games in a week, and that’s obviously going to put a lot of stress on your pitching. It’ll also impact (players) academically, obviously, because (they are) going to miss more class.”

Gouldsmith said he and his staff will address the latter by adding study hall sessions when the team is on the road — something that wasn’t always necessary when the Rebels played primarily weekend games.

“It’ll be challenging,” he said. “It’ll really try you, but I think that’s good. Everybody out here wants to play professional baseball, and they’ll get a great feel for what it’s like to try and manage their time.”

Pitching depth has always been the key to success in college baseball, but it will be even more important now. As a result, UNLV added three transfers in an attempt to beef up its pitching staff.

Gouldsmith said the uniform starting date’s goal of bringing parity to college baseball could cause the quality of baseball to suffer in the short term as teams get accustomed to the additional games.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of times where on a Tuesday or a Wednesday — or maybe a Sunday — you’ll see two freshmen (pitchers) going at it who, traditionally, wouldn’t get as much time as they’re going to have to get to be able to offset (the new schedule),” he said.

“Everybody will be in the same boat ... but I think you’ll see some games in the middle of the week where the scoring is above what you’d like to see.”

Even with all the adjustments he will be forced to make this season, Gouldsmith said he is comfortable with the team he is fielding. UNLV is coming off a season in which the Rebels struggled to a 24-36 record and finished sixth in the seven-team Mountain West Conference with a 10-14 record.

“Across the board, at every position, we have plenty of talent to be a good team,” Gouldsmith said. “Of course, the difference between a good team and a great team is how you come together and if everybody is committed to what you’re trying to do.

“It’s a different atmosphere around here right now and I’m excited. I’m ready to go.”