UNLV’s Gouldsmith a ‘Survivor’

Amid speculation he might lose his job because he has not won enough games, UNLV baseball coach Buddy Gouldsmith again proved he could be a contestant for the reality show "Survivor."

Gouldsmith, despite four consecutive losing seasons, was granted a one-year contract extension Thursday by athletic director Mike Hamrick. It will be Gouldsmith's third one-year extension, making this story the Rebels' version of Groundhog Day.

In Gouldsmith's first two years, UNLV won 72 games and two Mountain West Conference titles. The Rebels slipped to 29-30 in 2006, 24-36 in 2007, 22-37 in 2008 and 26-32 this season.

"I want to win so badly. I don't consider myself a loser. I hate it when losing is considered a trend," Gouldsmith said. "When I was a kid, I would fight you in ping-pong if I lost. I fought my dad over a game of ping-pong."

Hamrick, who has exercised patience with coach Mike Sanford's rebuilding of the football program, said Gouldsmith deserves a seventh season because he's doing a lot right. The baseball team's academic performance is superb, and there are no negative off-field issues.

"Buddy and I agreed on what we expect from the program next year. I have high expectations," said Hamrick, crediting Gouldsmith for his "early success" by reaching two NCAA regionals.

On the downside, UNLV lost nine of its last 10 games this season, and 19 of its wins came against Air Force, Butler, Maine, Northern Colorado and Saint Peter's College.

Gouldsmith said his focus remains on recruiting high school pitching talent. Freshmen right-handers Andrew Beresford and Tanner Peters were promising starters this season.

"There's no moral victories. You have to give people a reason to believe," said Gouldsmith, a tireless worker. "I'm excited because I'm here to do something, and I still have a great passion to accomplish it. I don't sleep at night, and I don't hunt, golf or fish."

* A-ROD NOT ACTING UP -- The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are tied atop the American League East at 32-22. The Yankees were 13-15 when third baseman Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup.

"The failed drug test is behind him, so is the book, so is the hip surgery, and since he's been back, the Yankees have been the best team in the American League," Peter Gammons wrote on his ESPN.com blog, explaining Rodriguez is more relaxed.

"This seems to be a different Alex, not the guy that the great Frank Deford once described as trying to play the role of Alex Rodriguez in a movie about Alex Rodriguez. It seems he better understands what he is, namely a great baseball player, not Brad Pitt."

* SORE LOSER? -- Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has had a bad week and surely wishes he was in the NBA Finals. He recently needed five hours of surgery to have a benign growth removed from his jaw.

Rumor has it that after losing the tissue from his parotid gland, James refused to shake hands with the surgeon and headed straight for the recovery room without commenting.

COMPILED BY MATT YOUMANS LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL