Air Force Baseball Faces Dayton and Utah
3/13/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Games: Air Force (13-10, 0-3 MWC) plays five games in six days this week, hosting the University of Dayton and travelling to Salt Lake City for a three-game series with Utah.
Tues. Mar. 13 2 p.m. Dayton Falcon Field Wed. Mar. 14 1 p.m. Dayton Falcon Field Fri. Mar. 16 2 p.m. Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Sat. Mar. 17 1 p.m. Utah Salt Lake City, Utah Sun. Mar. 18 1 p.m. Utah Salt Lake City, Utah
Falcons Winless in First League Series: The Falcons went 0-3 last weekend at UNLV in the first Mountain West Conference series of the 2001 campaign. UNLV hammered the Falcons, 20-6, on Friday, won 6-3 on Saturday, and scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth on Sunday to claim a 10-9 victory. Air Force has now lost four consecutive games for the first time this season.
First Game With No E's: Saturday's game against UNLV marked the first errorless game for the Falcons this season. Air Force committed at least one error in the first 21 games.
Late-Game Power Outage: AFA hit the ball well at the beginning of all three games, but the bats fell silent once the sixth inning arrived. Combining the three games, Air Force was 3-38 (.079) at the plate from the sixth inning on with 10 strikeouts and five walks. One of the hits was a key two-run home run on Sunday by Gerremy Goldsberry in the sixth that put the Falcons ahead 8-5. Nelson Prouty added a double in the ninth on Sunday and Brian LaBasco hit a single in the ninth on Friday. LaBasco and Prouty were solid at the plate during the series, batting .556 (5-for-9) and .500 (5-for-10), respectively. The rest of the team batted .212 (18-for-85) as the Falcons hit .269 overall.
Preseason All-American: Senior outfielder Mike Thiessen, who became the sixth player in AFA history to earn All-American honors (third-team baseball writers in 2000), was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America preseason All-American second team for 2001.
Thiessen's Assault of the Record Book: Thiessen placed his name at the top of three AFA career records earlier this season at the Service Academies Classic, breaking the school records for hits (currently at 254), walks (126) and at-bats (674). Last season, he broke the school records for hitting streak (33), doubles in a season (28), doubles in a career (59), hits in a season (91) and at-bats in a season (220).
Scouting the Opponent: Dayton comes to Colorado Springs with a 2-7 record after splitting a pair of home games last week. The Flyers lost, 5-4, to Bowling Green and defeated Cincinnati, 14-5. Dayton lost its first six games of the season, including three at Tennessee in its season-opening series. Shawn Bolinger leads the Flyers with a .350 batting average, five doubles and 22 RBIs. Mark Wahl has a team-high four home runs and a .724 slugging percentage. Right-hander Mike Rolih has both wins this season and enters the series with a 2-2 record and a 4.24 ERA. Utah is 12-10 after taking two of three games at New Mexico last weekend in its league-opening series. Tommy Maestas tops the Utes with a .412 batting average. The Utes are hitting .311 as a team. Sam Swenson and Nate Weese each have six home runs as the Utes have out-homered their opponents 32-13 this season. Ryan Bailey leads the team with three wins, but sports a 9.21 ERA.
Series Records: Air Force and Dayton have never met on the baseball field. Utah holds a 61-32 advantage in the overall series with the Falcons dating back to 1979. Air Force was 3-4 against Utah last season, including a 10-5 victory at the MWC Tournament, advancing the Falcons to the title game. Utah won two of three games during each regular-season series last year.
About the Conference: Air Force embarks on its second season in the Mountain West Conference. The Falcons face Brigham Young, New Mexico, San Diego State, UNLV and Utah. The teams play a three-game series at each site for 30 conference games. Colorado State and Wyoming do not have baseball programs. New Mexico won the inaugural regular season championship last season while SDSU won the tournament championship. AFA placed sixth in the regular season and second in the tournament. The 2001 MWC Baseball Championship Tournament will be hosted by San Diego State University in San Diego, Calif. All six Mountain West Conference teams will compete in the double-elimination tournament May 16-19. Seedings will be decided by regular-season results in conference games.
Automatic Bid: Twenty-nine conferences receive an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. This is the first season the Mountain West Conference will receive an automatic bid. The winner of the MWC Championship Tournament will receive the automatic bid.
Addition to Schedule: Air Force recently added Division II opponent Metro State College to this year's schedule. AFA will host the Roadrunners on Wednesday, Apr. 18, beginning at 2:30 p.m. New Triples Record: Air Force set a school record with six triples in the season opener against Hastings College, Jan. 26. Gerremy Goldsberry and Derck Kasel each had two while Bowie Frost and Nelson Prouty added one apiece. The six triples broke the record of five set against Colorado College in 1993. The Falcons had four three-baggers last weekend, including two by Josh Phifer, and have 12 this season compared to five all of last season.
Consecutive .400 Seasons: With a .414 batting average last season, Mike Thiessen became the first Falcon in 14 years and just the sixth in school history to have consecutive .400 seasons (among players averaging three or more at-bats per game). Thiessen led the conference in batting in 1999 and 2000, and is attempting to be the first player in the 44 years of Falcon baseball to have three straight .400 or better seasons. He would be the second player to have three .400 seasons in a career. Below is a list of the Falcons who had consecutive .400 seasons.
Mike Thiessen 1999 (.424) 2000 (.414) 2001 (.309 currently) Eric Pharris 1983 (.430) 1985 (.434) 1986 (.476) John Johnson 1981 (.407) 1982 (.491) Jeff Brown 1974 (.400) 1975 (.419) Dick Smithwick 1969 (.442) 1970 (.441) Bruce Huneke 1963 (.438) 1964 (.402)The Coach: Reed Peters (UNLV, 1992) is in his second season as the Falcons' head coach and his third season overall with Air Force. He came to the Academy as an assistant coach in the fall of 1998. His career and Air Force record is 36-44. His first career victory came against Iowa State, Feb. 6, 2000. Peters' coaching career began at his alma mater, UNLV, where he was an assistant coach from 1990-94. The Denver native was the head coach at Colby Community College (Kansas) from 1995-98. He led the Trojans to a 123-80 record for a .600 winning percentage. He led the team to a regional championship and two regional runner-up finishes. After serving as the acting head coach during the season, Peters was named the head coach May 17, 2000.
Double Trouble: Four Falcon baseball players are two-sport athletes at the Academy. Mike Thiessen and Brian LaBasco also play football while Brian Gornick plays hockey and Josh Wallace plays basketball. Thiessen is the most recognizable name on the list. The Falcons' starting centerfielder was also the starting quarterback for the football team this past fall. He was named the MWC co-offensive player of the year and was also named the offensive MVP in the Silicon Valley Classic bowl game. The senior from Modesto, Calif., broke school records for passing yards and touchdowns in the option era. He also led the team in rushing and rushing touchdowns. LaBasco was a wide receiver on the Falcon football team. The sophomore from Hollywood, Fla., was second on the team in receptions and third in yards. He led the Falcons in receiving yards at the bowl game. Gornick, who is a reserve outfielder with a lot of power at the plate, is one of the Air Force's top scorers on the ice. He was a preseason all-conference selection as a forward. A draft pick of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 1999, the St. Paul, Minn., native was a second-team all-conference choice last season. Wallace is a reserve center on the Falcon basketball team and is expected to pitch for the baseball team later in the season. The 6'9" Wallace opened eyes during fall practice with a live fastball. Wallace and Gornick will not join the baseball team until mid-March.
Last Week
Friday vs. UNLV: The Rebels pounded 23 hits, including four apiece by Jason Reuss and Brad Beasley, as they defeated Air Force, 20-6, in the MWC opener for both teams. Reuss was 4-for-5 at the plate with four RBIs and four runs scored while Beasley was also 4-for-5, had three RBIs and scored three times. Both players had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning when UNLV ripped the game wide open with eight runs as the Rebels took a 14-6 lead and never looked back. Jared Bonnell earned his second victory of the season after relieving Rebel starter Robbie Van, who gave up four runs to the Falcons in the top of the fifth to tie the score at six. Bonnell and Ben Scheinbaum combined for 4 2/3 perfect innings as Air Force did not have a batter reach base after a single by Nelson Prouty in the fifth. Air Force starter Mike Tufte fell to 4-2 this season after allowing 10 runs on 11 hits in four innings. Relievers Justin Alford and Matt Werner gave up 10 runs between them in four innings of work. Brian LaBasco was the only Air Force player with more than one hit, a single in the second inning and an RBI double in the fourth. Gerremy Goldsberry had two RBIs without the benefit of a hit when he got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to open the scoring in the first inning and reached on an error in the fifth with a runner on third. UNLV tied the score at one in the bottom of the second when Reuss hit his second home run of the season, a solo shot over the center field fence. The Falcons went up 2-1 in the fourth on LaBasco's double, scoring Daniel Petro from first base, but allowed UNLV to score five in the bottom of the fourth thanks to an RBI single by Reuss and a double by Brad Hertel that scored two runs. Air Force responded with four runs in the top of the fifth. In addition to Goldsberry's RBI, Josh Phifer and Prouty had RBIs with a double and single, respectively. The Rebels then blew the game open with their eight-run fifth and added two runs in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Saturday vs. UNLV: UNLV right-hander Courtney Hall won his fourth game of the season and the Rebels scored five runs in the fifth inning to beat the Falcons, 6-3. Hall scattered seven hits and allowed three runs in seven innings to improve to 4-2 this season. Chad Harris threw a perfect eighth inning and Joe Marrufi allowed just one hit in the ninth to earn his first save of the season. Air Force scored all three of its runs in the third inning as Gerremy Goldsberry drove in two with a single and Mike Thiessen scored on the front end of a double steal. For the second day in a row, UNLV put the game away in the fifth inning, scoring five runs. Brent Johnson and Brad Hertel each drove in two runs with a single and Garett Shitanishi stole home as part of a double steal. The Rebels added a run in the sixth when Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to score Tony Schuler. UNLV knocked Falcon starter Erik Fisher out of the game in the fifth after gaining nine hits and six runs off the junior from Riverside, Calif. Fisher is now 1-3 this season and winless since the first game of the campaign, a 21-3 victory over Hastings College on Jan. 26. The Falcons suffered a late-game power outage for the second consecutive game, collecting only one hit, a Brian LaBasco single in the ninth, after a lead-off single in the fourth inning by Nelson Prouty. LaBasco had a solid day at the plate, going 3-for-5. Josh Phifer added two hits for the Falcons.
Sunday vs. UNLV: UNLV scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Falcons, 10-9. The Rebels improved to 11-11 on the season, while AFA fell to 13-10 overall. The Rebels were down two runs, 9-7, heading into the bottom of the ninth. Jason Reuss led off the inning with a walk. John Cruz pinch-ran for Reuss and advanced to third on a Joe Jacobitz single to right field. Brad Hertel flew out to right field followed by a George Fletcher strikeout to put UNLV down two outs with two men on. Ryan Ruiz reached base on a throwing error by Falcon shortstop Nelson Prouty, scoring both Jacobitz and Cruz to tie the game. Garett Shitanishi followed with the game-winning single to score Ruiz from second. Doug Thornton, who came in to pitch the final out in the top of the ninth, picked up his first win of the season. He faced only one batter, a strikeout. Air Force's Kiwedin Cornell entered the game looking for his third save of the season, but ended up losing his first of the campaign. He pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and three unearned runs. His ERA is still at 0.00 for the season. Ryan Olson, the MWC Pitcher oif the Year in 2000, made his first appearance on the mound for the Rebels since breaking his foot the first day of practice. He pitched three innings and gave up five runs on seven hits. Once again, the Falcons came out hitting, putting five runs on the board in the first three innings. Daniel Petro broke a 5-all tie in the fifth with an RBI single that scored Derck Kasel, and Goldsberry put AFA ahead 8-5 with a two-run home run in the sixth. UNLV responded with two runs in its half of the sixth inning to cut the Falcons' lead to 8-7. Prouty, who went 3-for-5 for the day, scored a run in the top of the ninth after doubling and getting to third on a wild pitch while UNLV hurler Ben Scheinbaum was attempting to intentionally walk LaBasco. Prouty scored on Ryan Fitzgerald's sacrifice fly.
On Deck: Following the three-game series against Utah, Air Force takes on Brigham Young University in Provo. The three-game series begins on Thursday, Mar. 22 at 3 p.m.
Player Notes
Erik Fisher -- C2C (Jr.), P, Riverside, Calif.
Currently 1-3 with a 4.33 ERA and 42 strikeouts... Went five innings and gave up just one unearned run on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks in season opener against Hastings... Followed with a strong seven-inning performance against Iowa State, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out eight, but did not figure in the decision... Threw eight innings in the first game against VMI, allowing six hits and striking out seven, but did not get the win... Suffered his first loss of the season against Wichita State, but still struck out eight batters in seven innings... Pitched eight innings against Navy at the Service Academies Classic, allowing five hits and two unearned runs, and did not figure in the decision... Pitched only 3 1/3 innings against Northern Iowa, allowing 11 hits and seven runs... Has allowed only 17 walks this year... No. 7 on school's career list with 169 strikeouts.
Gerremy Goldsberry -- C1C (Sr.), OF, Omaha, Neb.
Hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season against UNLV... Started the 2001 season with a bang... Hit .667 (4-for-6) with five runs scored, two triples and an RBI in two games against Hastings College... Then hit .636 (7-for-11) in three games against ISU with three home runs, nine RBIs and five runs scored... Currently hitting .273 with a .574 slugging percentage... MWC Player of the Week after the Iowa State series... Leads the team with 26 RBIs, 23 runs scored and 46 total bases... Had five home runs entering the 2001 campaign.
Matt Kaercher -- C2C (Jr.), P, Billings, Mont.
Pitched a gem in the first game against Iowa State, allowing two runs on three hits with nine strikeouts in a complete game, seven inning effort... Also pitched well in his first start of the season against Hastings but did not receive a decision... Threw four innings against the Broncos and gave up four runs, one earned, on four hits with five strikeouts... Won his second game of the season against VMI, allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out four in five innings... He has a 5.66 ERA in 35 innings pitched this season with a 2-3 record.
Johnny Koegel -- C3C (So.), P, West Hills, Calif.
Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week, Feb. 27... Threw his first complete game with a career-high 10 strikeouts against Memphis in the championship game of the Service Academies Classic... Named to the Classic's All-Tournament team... Improved to 3-1 after allowing five hits and four runs in six innings against Northern Iowa... Pitched 2 2/3 innings against UNLV, allowing just one hit... Has an outstanding 3.22 ERA with 19 strikeouts and only 10 walks... Opponents are batting just .233 against him.
Price Paramore -- C4C (Fr.), 3B, Allen, Tex.
Hit a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in 8-6 win over Nebraska-Omaha... Currently batting .337 (28-for-83)... Named to the All-Tournament team after batting .438 (7-16) at the Service Academies Classic... Tied for the team lead with 28 hits and is third with five doubles... Had his seven-game hitting streak snapped against Northern Iowa... Has a hit in 18 of the Falcons' 23 games this season.
Mike Thiessen -- C1C (Sr.), CF, Modesto, Calif.
Preseason second-team All-American... MVP of this season's Service Academies Classic... Hit two homers and batted .333 in the four games... Became the school's career leader in hits, walks and at-bats during the tournament... Hit his fourth homer of the season in the first inning of AFA's 14-6 victory over Northern Iowa... Went 3-for-8 at the plate with four runs scored and eight walks against the Keydets... Leads the team and second in the MWC with a .494 on-base percentage... Fourth in the conference with a .644 slugging percentage... Second on team with four homers this year... Third-team All-American as a junior in center field... Just the sixth Falcon to ever earn All-American honors... First-team all-MWC selection... Also named to the MWC all-tournament team... Broke school records for hitting streak (33), doubles in a season (28), doubles in a career (59), hits (91) and at-bats in a season (220)... Broke a 19-year-old school record with a 33-game hitting streak that ended early last season... Led the team and the MWC with a .414 batting average... Hit .398 in conference games, the best average on the team, and fifth best in the MWC... Air Force's starting quarterback in every game this past fall... Broke school records for passing yards and touchdowns in the option era... Also led the team in rushing and touchdowns... Mountain West Conference co-offensive player of the year... First-team all-MWC... Named the Offensive MVP in Air Force's win over Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Classic bowl game... Nearly became the first player in school history to rush for 100 yards and pass for 200 yards... Finished the game with 204 yards passing and 99 yards rushing... Threw for two TDs and ran for two (all in the first half).
Mike Tufte -- C1C (Sr.), RHP, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Currently 4-2 with a 5.82 ERA... Threw eight strong innings in AFA's 5-0 win over Army at Service Academies Classic... Named to the Classic's All-Tournament team... Pitched a great game against VMI in the series finale, allowing four hits and striking out five in seven innings... Has 41 strikeouts after fanning a career-high 12 against Nebraska-Omaha... Pitched five innings giving up five earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and no walks against Iowa State... Earned his first win of the season in the second game against Hastings College... Came out of the bullpen to get the Falcons out of a jam in the fifth inning... Allowed one earned run in two and two-thirds innings with three strikeouts and no walks... No. 5 on AFA's career strikeout list with 172.
