Nevada 1B Austin Byler has lived up to his Preseason All-American honors so far. (Shotgun Spratling)

Byler, Howell Give Nevada Lethal Power Combo

SACRAMENTO — Head coach Jay Johnson was sitting at his desk last July in Nevada’s state-of-the-art Legacy Hall where the athletic offices are housed. Repeatedly, he clicked the refresh button on his browser, popping to various baseball news sites, looking for the latest information. Major League Baseball’s deadline for amateur draft picks to sign had come and gone, but it took a phone call to confirm that first baseman Austin Byler was returning to Reno for his senior season.

Johnson let out an excited yell that likely scared some of his Wolf Pack coaching counterparts in the building.

“He was so happy. It[…]