Air Force travels to Utah
5/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 6, 2003
This Weekend: Air Force (13-32 overall and 1-22 in the MWC) travels to Salt Lake City for a four-game series against the University of Utah (19-27, 6-17 MWC), May 9-11. The schedule is below.
Fri. May 9 Noon Utah Franklin-Covey Field, Salt Lake City, Utah Sat. May 10 Noon Utah (DH) Franklin-Covey Field, Salt Lake City, Utah Sun. May 11 1 p.m. Utah Franklin-Covey Field, Salt Lake City, Utah
Radio/Television: No radio or television.
Series History: Air Force and Utah have played 107 times and the Utes hold a 72-35 lead in the series that began in 1979. Utah has won seven of the last eight meetings in the series. The Utes took two from Air Force earlier in the season and won five of six last season. In Salt Lake City, the Utes have won three straight and six of the last seven. The Utes swept in Utah last season by scores of 11-8, 10-3 and 15-4.
Earlier This Season Vs. the Utes: Utah took two games from Air Force at Falcon Field by scores of 9-7 and 12-4. The third game of the series was snowed out. In the first game, Utah scored seven runs in the middle innings and held off a late Air Force rally With the score tied at 1-1, Utah scored four in the fourth and three in the fifth on Mike Westfall's three-run homer. Air Force scored four in the sixth to make the score 8-7. Petro ripped a bases-loaded triple off the right-center field fence. Zach McAngus was a perfect 5-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base. Each team had 15 hits in the game, but Air Force left 12 runners on base while Utah stranded seven. In the second game, Utah scored six runs in the third inning on three home runs and rolled to a 12-4 win. The Utes added three more in the top of the fifth for a 10-2 lead. The Falcons stranded 10 runners on base in the game and 22 in the two-game series. Utah starter Doug Mackay went eight innings and threw 112 pitches in a solid outing by the sophomore right-hander. He gave up just two runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. McAngus hit safely in his first six plate appearances against the Utes and hit .700 (7-for-10) in the series with four runs scored and a stolen base. Tony Shockley hit .556 (5-for-9) with a double, an RBI and a stolen base. AFA hit .338 in the series while Utah hit .367. The Utes hit six home runs while Air Force did not leave the yard. AFA fielded .989 with just one error in 90 chances.
Scouting the Opponents: Utah (19-27 overall and 6-17 in the MWC) has lost seven straight and 11 of the last 14. The Utes are in fifth place in the conference, five games ahead of sixth-place Air Force. Utah was swept two weeks ago at New Mexico and then last week at BYU. The Utes have relied on their pitching and defense this season. As a team, the Utes are hitting .299, which ranks fifth in the league. The team's 6.03 ERA is third in the conference while the fielding percentage of .964 is second. Matt Ciaramella is the team's top hitter with a .371 average, seventh in the MWC. The outfielder also leads the team with 45 runs scored, 96 total bases and 37 RBI. Jake Jordison leads the team with 10 home runs. Doug Mackay and Clay Westmoreland are the team's top starters. Mackay has a 4-5 record with a 6.12 ERA. Westmoreland has a 4-5 record with a 7.06 ERA. Sophomore Brady Martinez has had a great year as the closer with seven saves, a 2.84 ERA, 44 strikeouts and just five walks in 31 innings.
A Rare Shutout at Falcon Field: An Air Force pitcher throwing a shutout at Falcon Field is about as rare as a day with no wind. It happened on April 26 when the Falcons blanked San Diego State, 3-0. Senior Josh Zumbrun's complete-game gem was the first shutout of a conference team since a 2-0 win over Utah, April 15, 1989. The last shutout by either team came in 2001 when BYU blanked the Falcons, 10-0. Since joining a conference in 1981 (WAC), the Falcons have shut out just three league teams with the other coming against Wyoming (11-0) in 1986.
Phifer - League Leader: Senior Josh Phifer leads the MWC in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage. He is one of two players in the league with a .400 or better average. His .422 average is 22 points higher than New Mexico's Sean Murray. Phifer's .795 slugging percentage is 28 points ahead of UNM's Chris Alexander. His .505 on-base percentage is 34 points ahead of Alexander's .471.
Kasel Among Conference Leaders: Derck Kasel's .398 batting average in conference games is the fourth best in the league. He also ranks seventh in slugging percentage (.639) and is tied for seventh in doubles (8). In conference games only, Kasel leads the team in batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, hits (33), home runs (4) and total bases (53).
Zum Getting it Done: Senior Josh Zumbrun has emerged as the team's top pitcher in the last three games. The right-hander from Baltimore, Md., was the MWC Pitcher of the Week for his complete-game shutout of San Diego State, April 26. His encore to that performance was a near-complete-game against an explosive New Mexico team, May 3. He threw eight and two-thirds and was a hard luck loser. Zumbrun took a 3-2 lead into the ninth before giving up three runs. He gave up five runs, four earned, on 10 hits with two strikeouts and no walks. In his last three appearances, including two starts, he has a 1-1 record with a 2.91 ERA. In 21.2 innings, he has 11 strikeouts and just three walks. For the season, he has a team-best 4.41 ERA and a 2-2 record. He has 24 strikeouts and just eight walks in 51 innings.
Couch Strong Recently: Freshman Clayton Couch has been solid in his last four outings, including three starts in conference games. He turned in the best performance of his young career against UNLV, April 20. Despite taking the loss, Couch threw a seven-inning complete game. The right-hander from Inola, Okla., allowed three runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks. Prior to that start, he threw two innings in relief against BYU and allowed just one unearned run on two hits. Two weeks ago, he started the third game against San Diego State and went six innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. Last weekend against New Mexico, he left the game with a 6-5 lead, but was saddled with the loss. He allowed seven runs in four and one-third innings. In his last four outings, he has a 7.20 ERA in 20 innings with nine strikeouts.
Last 11: In the last 11 games, the Falcons are hitting just .298 and have been out-scored 128-69. Derck Kasel is the team's top hitter with a .429 batting average and two home runs. Bowie Frost is hitting .387 while Dan Petro is hitting .324 with a team-best 11 RBI. In the last 11 games, Josh Phifer has a team-best three home runs and eight RBI but is batting just .281, 141 points below his season average of .422.
Streaks: Mike Rose and Josh Phifer each had 11-game hitting streaks earlier in the season which tie as the best on the team. Bowie Frost has the longest active streak on the team at five games. Frost is hitting .353 (6-for-17) during the streak.
Phifer on Watch List: Senior leftfielder Josh Phifer is on the ballot for numerous All-American honors, including the Watch List for the Rotary R.E. "Bob" Smith Award, given annually to the college baseball player of the year. The award will be presented June 26 in Houston, Texas.
Last Week: New Mexico swept a three-game series from Air Force by scores of 25-2, 5-4 and 19-6, May 2-4, at Falcon Field.
On Deck: Following the Utah series, Air Force closes out the regular season with a three-game home series against BYU, May 15-17, at Falcon Field. The first pitch is at 2 p.m. each day.
