Exciting Matchup Ahead: No. 25 Cincinnati Gears Up for Series Showdown at UNLV – University of Cincinnati Athletics

CINCINNATI – This weekend, No. 25 Cincinnati is gearing up to face UNLV in a four-game series, starting Friday at 9:05 p.m. ET. Games two and four will also begin at 9:05 p.m. ET, while game three on Sunday starts at 4:05 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action live on UNLV’s YouTube channel.

This series is particularly exciting as it’s the first time Cincinnati and UNLV will meet on the field. Cincinnati comes into the series ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in program history, following an impressive season-opening series against No. 11 Duke where they won two of three games, capped off with a commanding 19-5 victory.

The Bearcats’ gameplay was impressive: they recorded 12 walks, had four hit-by-pitches, and stole eight bases over the weekend.

UNLV, on the other hand, had a mixed performance last weekend, finishing 2-2 with two wins against Indiana. The Rebels are adjusting to a lot of new faces, with 23 newcomers this spring, including 20 transfers. JP Hefft and Dean Toigo were standouts for UNLV, combining for 13 RBIs.

After this series, Cincinnati will head to UC San Diego for another four-game series. Their home opener at UC Baseball Stadium is on March 5 against Toledo at 4:00 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT
Cincinnati began its 2025 season on a high note, winning 8-3 against No. 11 Duke, before a narrow 6-5 loss in 12 innings. They bounced back strong in the final game with a commanding 19-5 win. Seniors Kerrington Cross (.438, 2 HR, 6 RBI) and Donovan Ford (.455, .571 OBP, 4 RBI) were key offensive players, while the pitching staff posted 32 strikeouts across 29.1 innings.

NOTING OPENING WEEKEND

• Cincinnati’s ranking in the D1Baseball Top 25 marks a first for the program.
• The team’s opening day win was their first over a ranked non-conference opponent since March 2021.
• This series win against Duke was their first over a ranked opponent since April 2019.
• The 14-run victory on Sunday is their largest margin against a ranked team since 2000.
• An impressive 18 players made their debuts for Cincinnati last weekend.