The Nevada baseball program reached historic heights near the end of the 20th century, earning four NCAA Regional berths from 1994-2000 while emerging as one of the West Coast’s most talent-rich programs. The start of the 21st century included a move from the Big West to the WAC, which impacted Nevada’s ability to recruit elite players from Southern California, with the Wolf Pack going more than a decade without a conference title. But Nevada baseball has once again asserted itself as a proud program, winning five league championships from 2012-25 and snapping a two-decade-long NCAA Regional drought by making the 2021 tournament. At the same time, Nevada has flooded the big leagues with alums. As we did with Nevada football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball, today we’ll look at the Wolf Pack’s best baseball players from the past 25 years to build the ultimate Quarter Century Team. Accomplishments during players’ college careers were only considered for this list with no weight placed on pro accomplishments.

Head coach TJ Bruce: The Wolf Pack has had four coaches during the 21st century, including Gary Powers, Jay Johnson, Bruce and Jake McKinley. Most of Powers’ success came in the 20th century while Johnson and McKinley coached Nevada for only two seasons each. Bruce, meanwhile, led the Wolf Pack to two Mountain West titles (2018-2021) and an NCAA Regional (2021) while going 171-168 overall (against difficult non-league schedules) and 110-72 in the league.

Catcher Brett Hayes: A three-year starter for Nevada, Hayes was a freshman All-American in 2003 when he also was named WAC freshman of the year. He earned first-team all-conference honors each season of his Wolf Pack career, hitting .339 with a .501 slugging mark, whacking 22 homers with 37 doubles. He scored 132 runs and drove in 156 more in 167 games. A second-round MLB draft pick, Hayes played seven seasons in the big leagues, appearing in 189 games.

First base Austin Byler: The preeminent slugger in Nevada’s 21st century, Byler played both corner positions on the infield. He was a two-time first-team All-MW honoree who was named an All-American as a senior when Nevada won 41 games and the school’s first MW championship. In 211 games, Byler slashed .321/.441/.572 with a career OPS of 1.013. His 40 homers are tied for fourth in school history while he added 161 RBIs (10th) and 183 runs scored (ninth).

Second base Joshua Zamora: Mostly a third baseman at Nevada, Zamora also played second base, so we’ll put him there. He was a four-time All-MW honoree who was the conference’s freshman of the year in 2018 when he was also voted a freshman All-American. He finished his five-year Wolf Pack career (an extra year due to COVID) ranking third in Nevada history in homers (45), fifth in hits (274), eighth in runs scored (186) and ninth in RBIs (168).

Shortstop Michael Ball: After one season at Everett Community College, Ball transferred to Nevada where he played for four seasons, hitting .306/.358/.516 with 21 homers and 39 doubles, providing rare pop from the shortstop position. In 130 career games, Ball drove in 108 runs and scored 102 more. Ball made the All-MW second team in 2024 and was a key player on Nevada’s 2025 conference championship squad.

Third base Kevin Kouzmanoff: The only one-year player on the list, Kouzmanoff makes the cut because of how prolific that season was. A transfer from Arkansas-Little Rock, Kouzmanoff had a dynamite senior season in 2003, hitting. 361 with 17 homers en route to WAC player of the year and All-American honors. A sixth-round draft pick, Kouzmanoff played seven big-league seasons, hitting .257 and hitting 87 homers over 685 games.

Outfield Trenton Brooks: A two-way star at Nevada, Brooks is one of three MW player of the year award winners in Nevada baseball history (Grant Fennell and Dillan Shrum are the others). Brooks was a freshman All-American in 2014 before winning MW player of the year a year later. Overall, the two-time All-MW pick hit .322/.418/.462 with 60 extra-bae hits, driving in 129 runs and scoring 113. He also pitched for the Pack, going 13-7 with a 4.73 ERA in 44 games (26 starts).

Outfield Kewby Meyer: A sweet-swinging lefthander on Nevada’s historic 2015 team, Meyer was a three-time All-MW honoree who played first base and the outfield, earning freshman All-American honors in 2012. A four-year standout, Meyer didn’t have elite power but was a contact maven who hit .326 with an .841 OPS thanks to 70 doubles, the second most in program history. His 276 career hits are the fourth most for a Nevada player.

Outfield Jacob Butler: This last outfield spot was a difficult call between Butler, Fennell (our toughest omission) and Brian Barnett, with each deserving. Butler was a three-time All-WAC honoree from 2003-05 over his four-year career, hitting .340 with a 1.046 OPS. Butler clubbed 39 homers and drove in 156 runs. He had 215 hits and scored 148 runs and is one of the best all-around hitters in program history, mixing power with patience and contact.

Designated hitter Shaun Kort: A stout first baseman, Kort is one of three four-time all-conference honorees in program history, joining Zamora and Rob Richie. Kort was a freshman All-American and the WAC freshman of the year in 2007. He was a three-time All-WAC second-team honoree before adding a first-team honor as a senior. His 235 games played lead all Nevada players, and he’s first in doubles (73), third in hits (306), third in RBIs (227) and seventh in runs (188).

Utility Tyler Bosetti: Bosetti made waves in 2021 by becoming the first college baseball player to hit home runs in 10 straight games, whacking 11 overall during that stretch. Bosetti only hit eight homers in his other 176 games with the Wolf Pack, making that stat even crazier. But the versatile defender who played 64 games at shortstop, 47 at third base and 28 at second base hit .289 in his career with an .832 OPS and 200 total hits, earning All-American honors in 2021.

Right-handed starting pitcher Braden Shipley: Shipley earned All-WAC honors as a shortstop during his freshman season before moving full-time to pitching as a sophomore, winning WAC pitcher of the year honors in 2012 before doing the same in the MW in 2013. Over three seasons, he went 16-7 with a 2.78 ERA (second best in school history) with 203 strikeouts in 216.2 innings. Shipley was the No. 15 pick of the 2013 draft, the highest selection in program history.

Left-handed starting pitcher Brock Stassi: Stassi was a two-way player for three of his four seasons at Nevada, a difficult task. He was the 2010 WAC pitcher of the year who went 7-4 with a 3.43 ERA that season. His 243.2 career innings rank 10th in school history. Stassi also was a two-time All-WAC honoree as a position player, hitting .340 with a .994 OPS. Stassi reached the big leagues in 2017, doing so as a first baseman.

Relief pitcher Adam Whitt: A walk-on from Carson High, Whitt was a side-arming wonder for the Wolf Pack and ranks fourth in program history in appearances (81) with second with 22 saves. He made the All-MW team in 2015 after recording a Nevada-record 14 saves. Whitt posted a 3.43 ERA in 81 appearances, striking out 122 batters in 118 innings.

Columnist Chris Murray provides insight on Northern Nevada sports. Contact him at crmurray@sbgtv.com or follow him on Twitter @ByChrisMurray.