Paul Skenes Selected to 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
6/21/2021 2:02:00 PM | Baseball
He will be the fifth Falcon to play for the USA Collegiate National Team
DURHAM, N.C. -- Air Force Academy baseball freshman utility player Paul Skenes accepted an invitation to play for the 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, Monday, June 21. Skenes will be one of 48 amateur baseball players to participate on the team in competition this summer.
Skenes is the fifth Falcon all-time to play for the USA Collegiate National Team, and the first since 1980. The other four include Rich Haynie (1974), Jeff Brown (1976), Steve Saleck (1980), and Deacon Winters (1980).
The Collegiate team will be split into two teams, the Stars and Stripes, and will go head-to-head in 11 games beginning on July 2. Ten of the team's 11 games will be played in the cities of the Appalachian League, which is in its first season as a summer collegiate league as part of MLB and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline.
The Collegiate National Team will also play a game at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, on July 4, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be streamed on USABaseball.com and on USA Baseball's Facebook and YouTube channels.
For a complete schedule, visit USABaseball.com. Fans are encouraged to follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for all the latest news and information on the Collegiate National Team this summer.
The Lake Forest, Calif. product put together one of the greatest freshman seasons in program history, while ranking near the top of numerous categories nationally most of the season as a two-way threat. He started all 48 games, 28 at DH, 18 at catcher, and twice at first base. He also made 18 relief appearances on the mound, all coming in games in which he started in the batting lineup.
Overall on the season on offense, Skenes slashed .410/.486/.697 with 77 hits, 21 doubles, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs and 49 runs scored. He led the team with 21 multi-hit games, including two five-hit games, while also notching 12 multi-RBI games. He finished the season on a 35-game reached base streak, while also recording a hit in all but eight games on the season. The .410 batting average is tied for the highest in a single-season for AF since 2003.
On the mound, Skenes tossed 26.2 innings, and accumulated a 2.70 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over that span with 30 strikeouts to just nine walks. He went a perfect 11-for-11 in save attempts, while holding his opponents to a .208 batting average. In his 18 appearances, Skenes allowed an earned run in just seven of them, and more than one only once, while recording at least one strikeout in all but two.
Nationally, Skenes finished the regular season ranked ninth in saves, 10th in doubles, 12th in doubles per game (0.44), 14th in batting average, 17th in hits per game (1.60), 27th in slugging, 28th in total hits, 38th in total bases (131), 44th in OBP, 87th in runs scored per game (1.02), 113th in total runs scored, and 143rd in home runs. He was the only player in NCAA Division I baseball to have double-digit home runs and saves.
Skenes also found his way near or at the top in numerous single-season Air Force records. His 11 saves is tied for the most all-time in a single season, while his ranks in the top-five for a freshman in a single-season in hits (T-1st), doubles (T-1st), HRs (2nd), total bases (2nd), batting average (3rd), slugging (3rd), runs (T-3rd), and RBIs (4th).
The freshman had a huge hand in guiding Air Force to one of its best seasons in program history. The 26-22 overall record in the best for the program since 1993, while the 18-16 Mountain West record in the best conference record in program history. AF knocked off two top-15 teams for the first time since 2010 (#7 LSU & #13 Arizona), and was ranked in the top-50 of the NCAA RPI for a majority of the season. Finally, AF went 10-7 against teams who made the 2021 NCAA Tournament, while picking up four wins against teams in a Super Regional (LSU, Arizona, Dallas Baptist).
Skenes is the fifth Falcon all-time to play for the USA Collegiate National Team, and the first since 1980. The other four include Rich Haynie (1974), Jeff Brown (1976), Steve Saleck (1980), and Deacon Winters (1980).
The Collegiate team will be split into two teams, the Stars and Stripes, and will go head-to-head in 11 games beginning on July 2. Ten of the team's 11 games will be played in the cities of the Appalachian League, which is in its first season as a summer collegiate league as part of MLB and USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline.
The Collegiate National Team will also play a game at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, on July 4, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be streamed on USABaseball.com and on USA Baseball's Facebook and YouTube channels.
For a complete schedule, visit USABaseball.com. Fans are encouraged to follow @USABaseball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as @USABaseballCNT on Twitter for all the latest news and information on the Collegiate National Team this summer.
The Lake Forest, Calif. product put together one of the greatest freshman seasons in program history, while ranking near the top of numerous categories nationally most of the season as a two-way threat. He started all 48 games, 28 at DH, 18 at catcher, and twice at first base. He also made 18 relief appearances on the mound, all coming in games in which he started in the batting lineup.
Overall on the season on offense, Skenes slashed .410/.486/.697 with 77 hits, 21 doubles, 11 home runs, 43 RBIs and 49 runs scored. He led the team with 21 multi-hit games, including two five-hit games, while also notching 12 multi-RBI games. He finished the season on a 35-game reached base streak, while also recording a hit in all but eight games on the season. The .410 batting average is tied for the highest in a single-season for AF since 2003.
On the mound, Skenes tossed 26.2 innings, and accumulated a 2.70 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over that span with 30 strikeouts to just nine walks. He went a perfect 11-for-11 in save attempts, while holding his opponents to a .208 batting average. In his 18 appearances, Skenes allowed an earned run in just seven of them, and more than one only once, while recording at least one strikeout in all but two.
Nationally, Skenes finished the regular season ranked ninth in saves, 10th in doubles, 12th in doubles per game (0.44), 14th in batting average, 17th in hits per game (1.60), 27th in slugging, 28th in total hits, 38th in total bases (131), 44th in OBP, 87th in runs scored per game (1.02), 113th in total runs scored, and 143rd in home runs. He was the only player in NCAA Division I baseball to have double-digit home runs and saves.
Skenes also found his way near or at the top in numerous single-season Air Force records. His 11 saves is tied for the most all-time in a single season, while his ranks in the top-five for a freshman in a single-season in hits (T-1st), doubles (T-1st), HRs (2nd), total bases (2nd), batting average (3rd), slugging (3rd), runs (T-3rd), and RBIs (4th).
The freshman had a huge hand in guiding Air Force to one of its best seasons in program history. The 26-22 overall record in the best for the program since 1993, while the 18-16 Mountain West record in the best conference record in program history. AF knocked off two top-15 teams for the first time since 2010 (#7 LSU & #13 Arizona), and was ranked in the top-50 of the NCAA RPI for a majority of the season. Finally, AF went 10-7 against teams who made the 2021 NCAA Tournament, while picking up four wins against teams in a Super Regional (LSU, Arizona, Dallas Baptist).
Players Mentioned
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