Opening weekend provides UNLV softball coach plenty of optimism

UNLV softball coach Pete Manarino is not easily intimidated, and neither is his team.

Manarino's squad split four games in the Kick-Off Classic at Eller Media Stadium last weekend, but the coach emerged from the tournament believing he has a team capable of winning the Mountain West Conference.

Though the Rebels (2-2) opened the tourney Friday with losses to No. 5 Oklahoma and Weber State, they bounced back with victories over Minnesota and Cal State Bakersfield.

Manarino was pleased with the strong finish, but insisted the final scores were of minimal significance.

"To get a chance to play a team like Oklahoma this early gives us an opportunity to see where we're at," said Manarino, who noted that he's primarily trying to get his players ready for Mountain West competition. "We finished the tournament on a good note, and we got a little better each game."

Though the UNLV lineup generally remained consistent, Manarino had the chance to try numerous combinations on the field.

"We went with four different lineups in four games," said Manarino, whose team will host the four-day Desert Classic beginning today. "We were able to try different combinations, and we used 15 players in the last game."

Manarino said he'll continue to play with his lineup until he finds just the right group.

"I'm going to do these things," he said. "It's just a matter of learning to play together."

On the down side, the Rebels' anticipated potent offense batted just .224 on the weekend. But Manarino was encouraged by the fact that five of his hitters batted at least .300, and the pitching staff generally looked strong.

Right fielder Stefany Valentino, who started all four games, highlighted the weekend by batting .417 with five hits and two doubles.

"This is my second season. I'm feeling more confident this year, and I know I can get the job done when I'm called upon," said the sophomore from Oak Park, Calif.

Valentino said the team showed resolve in winning its last two games after opening the season with a 5-0 loss to Oklahoma and an 11-5 setback against Weber State.

"Everyone was a little disappointed after losing two games the first day," she said. "But we got a good night's rest and came out with a different attitude after that."

Senior outfielder Paige Emerson also got off to a strong start at the plate, going 5-for-12 on the weekend with a .462 on-base percentage. Though sophomore outfielder Pauline Monreal was held to two hits in 10 at-bats, the two hits were home runs and they drove in four runs in the Rebels' 6-2 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday.

In the circle, freshman pitcher Caitlin Klepper showed early promise by compiling a 1.59 ERA in two appearances, while sophomore Amanda Oliveto went 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 12 2/3 innings.

Manarino said he has assessed last week's weaknesses and set goals for this weekend's action.

"We'd like to get more hits in key situations," he said. "And we'd like to be more consistent. But it's early yet, and we're just going to continue to get better."

The Rebels open the Desert Classic against Memphis at 6:15 p.m. today at Eller Media Stadium. Games against DePaul, Idaho State, Ohio State and Hawaii will follow over the next three days.

Manarino said his team will enter each game with a consistent plan.

"We're going to continue to try different lineups to give the kids as much experience as we can," the coach said. "We're going to treat every game the same, and we want to win them all."

Jeff Wollard is a freelance reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at jwolly@aol.com.