Nevada’s football times have a ‘daylight’ flavor

RENO (Nevada Athletics) — Kickoff times for the Nevada football team’s six-game home slate have been finalized, and the Wolf Pack will play five times in the daytime as the Mountain West announced the remaining games of its broadcast schedule today.

The Wolf Pack will open the season Sept. 3 against longtime foe UC Davis with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. at Chris Ault Field at Mackay Stadium. The remaining five games at Mackay will all be day games, the most since 2011 for Nevada.

“We are excited with how the home schedule shaped out with so many day games,” said Nevada coach Brian Polian. “I think it’s going to be a quality and challenging home schedule beginning with UC Davis and then with a nationally ranked Arizona team coming to Mackay. We get to play our rival at home as part of four great conference games. We’re looking forward to it.”

The game against the UC Davis, which is the 54th meeting all-time between the schools, is the only evening games on the home schedule this year for Nevada. Pac-12 foe Arizona, which is projected to be nationally ranked, visits Mackay Stadium for the first time ever on Sept. 12 for a 4 p.m. kickoff on national TV on CBS Sports. The game is being billed as a “Whiteout,” as Nevada will wear all-white uniforms and fans are encouraged to wear white.

Nevada will play host to UNLV on Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. in the annual Battle for the Fremont Cannon, which Nevada won last year, 49-27. The game is one of three that will be produced by Campus Insiders on the Mountain West Network, which is available exclusively online and on digital platforms.

The Wolf Pack remains at home to play host to New Mexico in another game on the Mountain West Network that will kick-off at 4 p.m.

The 2015 Homecoming game will be Oct. 24 against Hawaii and will feature a 1 p.m. kickoff at Mackay. The regular season home schedule comes to an end on Nov. 14 when San Jose State comes to Mackay Stadium for Senior Day at 1 p.m. Both of those games will also be available on the Mountain West Network.

Season tickets are on sale now with prices starting at just $99 for all six games. All 2015 season ticketholders receive priority for seating in 2016 at the renovated Mackay Stadium. Three-game mini-plans are also available now, and single-game tickets are slated to go on sale at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5. Call 775- 348-PACK or visit NevadaWolfPack.com to reserve your seats today

Final women’s basketball summer camp nears

The Nevada women’s basketball program will host its final summer camp of 2015 with an overnight camp from Aug. 1-4.

The camp will feature the Nevada coaching staff, along with new additions Tahnee Robinson and Kassidy Hardgrove.

An additional new feature for this particular camp is sessions being held at both Virginia Street Gym and Lawlor Events Center. The overnight camp is available to girls entering grades 4-12. Participants can choose a dorm option for $390, plus a $50 security deposit, or a commuter option for $290.

Robinson is no stranger to the Nevada women’s basketball program. In just two seasons with the Wolf Pack, she posted an impressive résumé of honors, averaging 19.5 points per game en route to becoming one of Nevada’s 12 1,000 point scorers. Her play on the court led the Pack to back-to-back appearances in the WNIT and to its first 20-win season in 2010-11.

For the past few summers, Hardgrove has worked at Point Guard College (PGC) as a basketball site coordinator and skill development instructor at multiple colleges and universities across the country.

For more information contact assistant coach Janet Butler at 775-682-6924 or by email at janetbutler@unr.edu.

Bruce names Bennett pitching coach

The University of Nevada baseball team has hired Steve Bennett as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, head coach T.J. Bruce has announced.

The first hire of Bruce’s inaugural staff, Bennett will coach Nevada’s pitching staff and manage all aspects of the program’s recruiting.

“Steve brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of not only great recruiting, but also developing top notch arms,” said head coach T.J. Bruce. “We welcome Steve and his family to the University of Nevada baseball program.”

Bennett arrives to Nevada after nine years at Gonzaga, where he served as the Bulldogs’ assistant coach and pitching coach from 2007-15. Bennett helped guide Gonzaga to 301 wins in his tenure, including six 30-win campaigns. He also helped five student-athletes earn West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year honors, 17 pitchers be named to the All-WCC team and had 14 pitchers get drafted in the annual Major League Baseball draft.

A native of Helena, Mont., Bennett was a four-year letter winner at Gonzaga, appearing in 54 games in his career. A three-time All-WCC selection, Bennett was drafted in the 28th round by the Mets and played for four years in their organization before beginning his coaching career with his alma mater.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Wolf Pack,” said Bennett. “This is a program that is trending in the right direction and has a great team coming back. On my visit, I really enjoyed the atmosphere around the team and campus, and I trust Coach Bruce and what he can accomplish here. I’m excited to get going.”

Bennett lifted Gonzaga to WCC regular season titles in 2009 and 2013, the only two WCC titles in program history, while his pitching staffs have set the record for lowest team ERA in program history twice. Bennett’s had 14 pitchers get drafted, including first rounders Marco Gonzales and Clayton Mortenson. Five of his former pitchers have played in the big leagues, while nine are currently still playing professionally.

Last season, Bennett’s Gonzaga pitching staff posted a cumulative 3.80 earned run average, which ranked second in the conference and 78th nationally. Bennett helped junior RHP Andrew Sopko earn All-WCC honors after posting seven wins and 3.55 ERA on the season.

Bennett and the Bulldogs posted a 17-10 record in the WCC in 2014, finishing third in the conference. Bennett helped lead RHP Brandon Bailey to a stellar freshman season. Bailey earned first team all-league honors, posting a 6-2 record with a 2.85 ERA in 66.1 innings.