Friday, February 18
Charleston, SC
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
vs
University of Iowa
Photo by: U.S. Air Force photo / Trevor Co
Air Force opens 2022 season in Charleston
2/17/2022 12:05:00 PM | Baseball
Swig & Swine Classic
SCHEDULE
vs. Iowa, Friday, Feb. 18 - 10 am MT
vs. Ball State, Saturday, Feb. 19 - 11:30 am MT
vs. Army, Saturday, Feb. 19 - 3 pm MT
vs. Richmond, Sunday, Feb. 20 - 11 am MT
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Live Stream: HiCastSports.com
Live Stats: GoAirForceFalcons.com
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Tis' The New Season
Air Force opens its 2022 season at the Swig & Swine Classic in Charleston, SC, with Air Force scheduled to open the new year against Iowa on Friday, February 18. The Falcons will then play Ball State and Army on Saturday, February 19 before closing opening weekend against Richmond on Sunday, February 20. Historically, the Falcons are 1-3 against the Hawkeyes, having not matched up with Iowa since 2016. Air Force has had the all-time edge over Army, compiling a 23-9 record versus the Black Knights since 1974.
For Air Force, this weekend will mark the first-ever meetings with Ball State and Richmond.
#SkOhtani Is Back
Following his standout freshman season, Paul Skenes was named a Preseason All-American by a variety of outlets including Baseball America and DIBaseball.com. The sophomore was also named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. A First Team Preseason All-Mountain West selection, Skenes will transition from the bullpen into the Friday slot of the starting rotation. A season ago, the dynamic freshman recorded a team-best 2.70 ERA to go with his 11 saves. Skenes will maintain his position in the heart of the batting order as well, coming off of a year in which he slashed .410/.489/.697. Skenes was one of only 13 Division I players to hit above .400 a season ago, and did so as a freshman.
Senior Studs
Veteran leadership is in abundance for head coach Mike Kazlausky, as Braydon Altorfer, Gabriel Garcia, and Cayden Zimmerman will reprise their starting roles in the field and in the lineup. Altorfer led the MW in doubles (23) to go with a 1.064 OPS last season. Garcia's .330 batting average was tied for third-highest among all Falcons a season ago, while Zimmerman's do-it-all style of play will aid the Falcons in a myriad of ways. On the mound, the Falcons will lean heavily on the experiences of seniors Rob Martin and Stevan Fairburn Jr. Martin was one of only three AF pitchers to post a sub-4.00 ERA in 2021, while Fairburn's 61.1 IP last season was the second-most among AF hurlers.
The bullpen is projected to be anchored by fellow C1C's Zach Argo and CJ Dornak. Argo has compiled a career 4.86 ERA in 83.1 career innings, and has shown the ability to work in short or long relief. Dornak recorded a career-high 26.2 innings in 2021 and his experience is expected to be heavily relied upon. Nathan Price can also be anticipated to be seen in high-leverage situations, as the senior owns a career 3.70 ERA in 87.2 career innings.
The Rest of the Lineup
Junior Blake Covin, who appeared in 45 games a season ago with 43 starts, will again slot into left field. Covin managed a .676 OPS as a sophomore after only appearing in 19 games as a freshman. Trayden Tamiya will see his role elevated as the regular at second base. Another junior, Tamiya managed a .690 OPS in his first 50 plate appearances as a Falcon a season ago.
The Air Force infield is set to feature three sophomores, including Jay Thomason, Sam Kulasingam, and Aerik Joe. Thomason was a difference-maker in a limited role as a freshman in 2021, posting a .881 OPS in 21 games as well as an impressive 1.8 K-BB rate. He is projected to be the starting third basemen for the Falcons in 2022. Kulasingam, like Thomason, provided immediate impact as a freshman a season ago. Set to man first base, the switch-hitter appeared in 31 games, recording a .784 OPS in 81 at-bats. Kulasingam also showed stellar awareness of the strike zone as a freshman, as he ended his debut season with a 1.5 K-BB rate. Joe saw only four plate appearances his freshman season, and is likely to work in tandem at shortstop with Tamiya up the middle at second base.
Big Shoes to Fill
Air Force will be looking to alleviate the losses of Cole Blatchford and John Byrnes, a pair of graduated seniors. Blatchford slashed .330/.385/.471 in his final season, starting all 48 games for the Falcons. Byrnes, a First Team All-Mountain West selection in his final season, was the model of consistency on the mound. He did not allow more than two earned runs in nine of his 14 appearances, all starts. He finished the year with a 3.86 ERA in his 14 starts, totaling 67.2 innings. He posted a 5-4 record with 59 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .247 batting average.
After Charleston
Following Air Force's opening weekend at the Swig & Swine Classic, the Falcons will return to the East Coast to play the Naval Academy at the Freedom Classic in Kinston, NC. The three-game series is scheduled to run from February 25-27.
SCHEDULE
vs. Iowa, Friday, Feb. 18 - 10 am MT
vs. Ball State, Saturday, Feb. 19 - 11:30 am MT
vs. Army, Saturday, Feb. 19 - 3 pm MT
vs. Richmond, Sunday, Feb. 20 - 11 am MT
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Live Stream: HiCastSports.com
Live Stats: GoAirForceFalcons.com
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Tis' The New Season
Air Force opens its 2022 season at the Swig & Swine Classic in Charleston, SC, with Air Force scheduled to open the new year against Iowa on Friday, February 18. The Falcons will then play Ball State and Army on Saturday, February 19 before closing opening weekend against Richmond on Sunday, February 20. Historically, the Falcons are 1-3 against the Hawkeyes, having not matched up with Iowa since 2016. Air Force has had the all-time edge over Army, compiling a 23-9 record versus the Black Knights since 1974.
For Air Force, this weekend will mark the first-ever meetings with Ball State and Richmond.
#SkOhtani Is Back
Following his standout freshman season, Paul Skenes was named a Preseason All-American by a variety of outlets including Baseball America and DIBaseball.com. The sophomore was also named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. A First Team Preseason All-Mountain West selection, Skenes will transition from the bullpen into the Friday slot of the starting rotation. A season ago, the dynamic freshman recorded a team-best 2.70 ERA to go with his 11 saves. Skenes will maintain his position in the heart of the batting order as well, coming off of a year in which he slashed .410/.489/.697. Skenes was one of only 13 Division I players to hit above .400 a season ago, and did so as a freshman.
Senior Studs
Veteran leadership is in abundance for head coach Mike Kazlausky, as Braydon Altorfer, Gabriel Garcia, and Cayden Zimmerman will reprise their starting roles in the field and in the lineup. Altorfer led the MW in doubles (23) to go with a 1.064 OPS last season. Garcia's .330 batting average was tied for third-highest among all Falcons a season ago, while Zimmerman's do-it-all style of play will aid the Falcons in a myriad of ways. On the mound, the Falcons will lean heavily on the experiences of seniors Rob Martin and Stevan Fairburn Jr. Martin was one of only three AF pitchers to post a sub-4.00 ERA in 2021, while Fairburn's 61.1 IP last season was the second-most among AF hurlers.
The bullpen is projected to be anchored by fellow C1C's Zach Argo and CJ Dornak. Argo has compiled a career 4.86 ERA in 83.1 career innings, and has shown the ability to work in short or long relief. Dornak recorded a career-high 26.2 innings in 2021 and his experience is expected to be heavily relied upon. Nathan Price can also be anticipated to be seen in high-leverage situations, as the senior owns a career 3.70 ERA in 87.2 career innings.
The Rest of the Lineup
Junior Blake Covin, who appeared in 45 games a season ago with 43 starts, will again slot into left field. Covin managed a .676 OPS as a sophomore after only appearing in 19 games as a freshman. Trayden Tamiya will see his role elevated as the regular at second base. Another junior, Tamiya managed a .690 OPS in his first 50 plate appearances as a Falcon a season ago.
The Air Force infield is set to feature three sophomores, including Jay Thomason, Sam Kulasingam, and Aerik Joe. Thomason was a difference-maker in a limited role as a freshman in 2021, posting a .881 OPS in 21 games as well as an impressive 1.8 K-BB rate. He is projected to be the starting third basemen for the Falcons in 2022. Kulasingam, like Thomason, provided immediate impact as a freshman a season ago. Set to man first base, the switch-hitter appeared in 31 games, recording a .784 OPS in 81 at-bats. Kulasingam also showed stellar awareness of the strike zone as a freshman, as he ended his debut season with a 1.5 K-BB rate. Joe saw only four plate appearances his freshman season, and is likely to work in tandem at shortstop with Tamiya up the middle at second base.
Big Shoes to Fill
Air Force will be looking to alleviate the losses of Cole Blatchford and John Byrnes, a pair of graduated seniors. Blatchford slashed .330/.385/.471 in his final season, starting all 48 games for the Falcons. Byrnes, a First Team All-Mountain West selection in his final season, was the model of consistency on the mound. He did not allow more than two earned runs in nine of his 14 appearances, all starts. He finished the year with a 3.86 ERA in his 14 starts, totaling 67.2 innings. He posted a 5-4 record with 59 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .247 batting average.
After Charleston
Following Air Force's opening weekend at the Swig & Swine Classic, the Falcons will return to the East Coast to play the Naval Academy at the Freedom Classic in Kinston, NC. The three-game series is scheduled to run from February 25-27.
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C/RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ BaseballFalcons win on senior day over New Mexico
Sunday, May 11
Lobos top Falcons to even series
Saturday, May 10
Falcons big 8th inning leads to win over Lobos
Friday, May 09
Falcons fall in series finale to Nevada
Sunday, April 27
