UNLV released its 2026 baseball schedule Wednesday, a 55-game slate built for Las Vegas fans and built for March urgency.
The Rebels will play 32 games in the valley, including 31 at Earl E. Wilson Stadium. They will also return to Las Vegas Ballpark for a March 23 neutral-site game against Arizona State. Before that, UNLV hosts Cal State Fullerton on March 17 and Utah Tech for a two-game set March 21-22, a stretch that sets up the Ballpark showcase in Downtown Summerlin.
UNLV enters the new season after a 31-23 finish in 2025, including a 16-14 mark in the Mountain West. The year ended with a thud, an 8-0 loss to San Diego State in the opening round of the Mountain West Championship on May 21 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz.
A Vegas-heavy start, then a roofed-road twist
The 2026 opener comes fast. UNLV begins Feb. 13-15 with a four-game series against Austin Peay, then keeps the early calendar stacked at home. In all, the Rebels play 11 of their first 15 games at Earl E., a runway that should matter in a league race decided by small margins.
After a Feb. 17 trip to UC Riverside, UNLV returns for a weekend series with Bradley (Feb. 20-22) and two games against Western Michigan (Feb. 24-25). A road weekend at Santa Clara follows, then Northern Colorado comes to Las Vegas on March 3-4.
Next, UNLV leaves the desert for something rare. The Rebels travel to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis for three neutral games against Minnesota (March 6), Southern Illinois (March 7) and Northwestern (March 8).
Then the attention shifts back to the Mountain West. Before league play, UNLV comes home to host UC Riverside on March 10. Then conference play opens March 13-15 at Air Force. With Grand Canyon now in the conference, UNLV will play eight three-game series, four at home and four on the road. San Jose State, New Mexico, Washington State and San Diego State visit Las Vegas, while UNLV travels to Grand Canyon, Nevada, Fresno State and Air Force.
Familiar bats, new names and a Ballpark rematch
UNLV should not need to reinvent its identity. Last season, the Rebels hit .292 with 55 home runs. Cooper Sheff returns after hitting six homers, and Las Vegas native Gunnar Myro also comes back after starting 35 games. Nicky Garritano, another Las Vegas product, hit .393 in limited action, while Jayden Hertel hit .333 in his first college sample.
On the mound, right-hander Carson Lane gives UNLV a proven starter after a 6-4 season with 85 strikeouts. Reese Lueck and Cody Albright also return in a staff that punched out 430 hitters last spring.
The March 23 Ballpark game brings extra bite, too. UNLV beat Arizona State 11-6 in that building March 25, 2025. This time, the Rebels also get a second meeting in Tempe on April 8.
If last season taught UNLV anything, it is that spring arrives fast. The schedule makes sure the Rebels do, too.
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