UNLV baseball rolls into road trip with offense humming

UNLV heads into its first road trip of 2026 playing like a lineup that never takes a breath. The Rebels are 7-2, riding a five-game winning streak, and they have piled up 70 runs during that stretch.

Even so, the bigger picture is just as loud. Through nine games, UNLV is hitting .344 with a .975 OPS and has scored 101 runs. That is pressure every inning, from the top to the bottom.

Barragan and Rosales are setting the tone

Drew Barragan has been the early catalyst. He is batting .469 with two homers and a team-best 17 RBI in eight games. Then, when pitchers try to pitch around him, he is still reaching base at a .538 clip.

Marcos Rosales has been the lineup’s spark plug. He is hitting .419 with a 1.377 OPS, and he already has six doubles and two homers. Notably, Rosales also leads the team with 19 runs scored, so rallies have a familiar first step.

Traffic on the bases, damage in the gaps

Ayden Garcia has helped keep innings alive. He is batting .423 with a .529 on-base percentage, plus seven walks and 11 RBI in seven games.

Next, Nin Burns II has supplied thump. He has two homers, 13 RBI, and a .606 slugging percentage while playing all nine games.

Jonny Rodriguez has delivered extra-base punch, too. He has four doubles, a triple, and 12 RBI in nine starts. Meanwhile, Jack Salmon has reached base at a .550 rate and scored 13 times, which fits the theme of constant traffic.

Even the “glue” at-bats matter here. Cooper Sheff has 13 hits and nine RBI, and he has also swiped three bases without being caught. As a result, pitchers have not gotten many quiet innings.

Swing-and-miss stuff is showing up early

On the mound, Yates Bland has been sharp at the front. He is 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA across 9.0 innings, and he has not walked a batter while striking out nine.

Then, the bullpen has flashed real strikeout traits. Tate Foxson has not allowed a run in 5.0 innings, and he has 11 strikeouts. Dylan Rogers has also posted 3.1 scoreless innings. Plus, Jacob Gomberg has a save and six strikeouts in 3.2 innings.

Carson Lane is still a name to watch, even with the early numbers being a work in progress. He was named to the Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team after an All-MW First Team 2025 season.