Air Force to take on Kansas in midweek series

Schedule
GAME ONE: vs. Kansas, April 26, 3:00 pm MT
GAME TWO: vs. Kansas, April 27, 1:00 pm MT

Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Mountain West Network (Jeffrey Orman)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball

Series History
-Since first meeting in 2009, Air Force is 2-6 all-time against Kansas.
-The two sides most recently met in 2021, with the Falcons dropping both games in Lawrence.
-The most recent series between Air Force and Kansas at Falcon Field was in 2019, when the Falcons and Jayhawks split the two games.

Pitching Probables

GAME ONE
RHP Sawyer Hawks (0-3, 8.47 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Adams (2-1, 8.57 ERA)

GAME TWO
TBD vs. LHP Sam Brady (0-3, 10.34 ERA)

Air Force Projected Batting Order
1. 1B, So. Sam Kulasingam (S) (.376/.456/.582/5 HR/37 RBI)
2. CF, Jr. Blake Covin (L) (.281/.374/.363/1 HR/21 RBI)
3. LF, Sr. Gabriel Garcia (R) (.323/.404/.553/6 HR/38 RBI)
4. RF, So. Jake Greiving (L) (.349/.417/.603/7 HR/32 RBI)
5. DH, So. Paul Skenes (R) (.322/.398/.667/9 HR/27 RBI)
6. 3B, So. Jay Thomason (L) (.354/.433/.687/13 HR/36 RBI)
7. C, Sr. Braydon Altorfer (R) (.269/.369/.455/6 HR/26 RBI)
8. 2B, Jr. Trayden Tamiya (R) (.230/.270/.351/3 HR/24 RBI)
9. SS, So. Aerik Joe (R) (.265/.339/.313/0 HR/17 RBI)

Last Series vs. Fresno State

GAME ONE
-Air Force bombarded Fresno State on Friday, pounding out 23 hits, 13 of which were extra-base hits, leading to a 21-5 series-opening win.
-Friday afternoon turned into a big one for Braydon Altorfer, as the senior finished 4-5 with 4 RBI, falling a triple short of the cycle.
-The Air Force catcher launched his sixth home run of the season in the 3rd, a two-run blast.
-Sam Kulasingam also had four hits in six at-bats with 2 RBI, extending his on-base streak to 24-consecutive games.
-Jake Greiving, Blake Covin, and Trayden Tamiya each homered as well, as the Falcons have now slugged 12 home runs over the last three games.
-Gabriel Garcia ended his afternoon 2-4 with 3 runs scored and a run batted in, as the senior now owns a 19-game hitting streak.
-Jay Thomason finished the day 3-5 with 4 RBI, including two doubles.
-Paul Skenes didn't have his usual command on the mound but was still a force.
-Skenes won his fifth-consecutive decision, pitching six innings while allowing three runs on four hits, four walks and three strikeouts.
-Spanning his last five starts, Skenes owns a 1.84 ERA with a 8.3 K/9.

GAME TWO
-A six-run Bulldogs 3rd catapulted the visitors in front, a lead that was never relinquished in Air Force's 14-12 loss on Saturday.
-Jay Thomason managed a team high four hits in five at-bats, driving in a run and scoring twice.
-Thomason's OPS now sits at 1.146 in 37 games, and has at least three hits over his last three games.
-Sam Kulasingam extended his on-base streak to 25-consecutive games after a 3-6 day.
-Kulasingam, who managed a double and a RBI as well, has now reached base in 36 of 38 games in 2022.
-Paul Skenes was 2-6 with a team-high 3 RBI, as the sophomore rocketed his 7th home run of the season as part of a five-run Falcons 2nd inning.
-Blake Covin, Jake Greiving, and Braydon Altorfer each recorded two hits as well.
-Gabriel Garcia was 0-4 with a pair of walks, snapping his 19-game hitting streak.
-Starter Jake Sansing was credited with the loss after exiting in the 3rd.
-Sansing lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing nine runs on nine hits, three walks, four strikeouts and a hit batter.
-Stevan Fairburn Jr. was the lone Air Force pitcher to now allow a run, as the senior entered in the 8th and tossed 1.2 perfect innings with two strikeouts.

GAME THREE
-Paul Skenes launched two home runs and drove in seven runs, while Doyle Gehring provided 7.1 innings of solid relief to guide Air Force to a 15-9 win.
-Skenes finished the day 3-5 at the plate, with all three of his hits of the extra-base variety.
-The sophomore pulled a RBI double over the left fielder in the 3rd as part of a five-run inning for the Falcons.
-Skenes then lifted a grand slam in the 4th to retake the lead for Air Force.
-In his final plate appearance, Skenes punctuated his stellar day at the plate with a two-run home run to left-center field in the 8th.
-His seven RBI on Sunday is a career-high for Skenes, while the dual threat ends his week 9-20 with 5 HR's and 15 RBI in four games.
-Sunday becomes Skenes' first multi-homer game of 2022, and his first since May 15, 2021.
-Aerik Joe was 3-4 out of the nine-hole for the Falcons, with one of his three hits being a double.
-Gabriel Garcia snapped his 19-game hitting streak on Saturday, but started a new streak on Sunday, going 2-5 with 3 RBI.
-Sam Kulasingam was 2-3 with two walks and a RBI, as the Falcons first baseman has now reached base in 26-consecutive games.
-Jake Greiving continues to be a difficult out, as the lefty bat was 2-4 with a double and 2 RBI.
-The Falcons outfielder owns a 10-game hitting streak, a stretch that includes seven multi-hit games. -Braydon Altorfer was the designated hitter for Air Force on Sunday, notching two hits in five at-bats. -Altorfer drove in the fifth run of the Falcons half of the 3rd with a RBI single.
-Doyle Gehring, Air Force's usual closer, entered in the 2nd and gutted his way through 7.1 innings of tremendously valuable relief.
-Gehring allowed four runs in the 4th, but after picking up a strikeout looking to end the inning, the sophomore proceeded to retire 13-consecutive batters.
-Gehring held the Bulldogs scoreless from the 5th inning on and was crucial to the Sunday victory.
-Gehring earned his first win of the season in the process, as his 7.1 innings pitched becomes a new career-high for the right-hander.

Friday Night Might
-After transitioning from the bullpen to the Friday starting slot, Paul Skenes has stayed true to form.
-Skenes' owns a 9.8 K/9 to lead the Falcons.
-Skenes' 54 total strikeouts is 4th in the MW.
-The sophomore's .207 opponent BA is leads the MW as well.
-Skenes leads all Air Force pitchers with 49.2 IP.
-Righties are hitting only .195 off of Skenes, with lefties owning a .230 BA.
-Skenes' 1.42 GO/FO rate is second only to Dylan Rogers (1.57) among AF pitchers.
-Skenes' 32 hits allowed is the lowest among starters in the MW.
-Skenes' 2.90 ERA is tops among MW starters.
-Air Force is 7-2 in game started by Skenes.

Skenes Named MW Player of the Week
On April 25, Paul Skenes was named Mountain Player of the Week after his performance in five games the week before.
-Skenes was crucial to Air Force splitting a two-game road series at #10 Texas, as well as the Falcons series win over Fresno State at Falcon Field.
-Skenes finished the week 9-20 at the plate with 7 extra-base hits, 5 home runs and 15 RBI in four games. -Skenes homered in all four games at the plate, including two home runs and a career-high 7 RBI in Sunday's 15-9 win vs. Fresno State.
-The sophomore also picked up a win on the mound on Friday versus Fresno State, totaling 6.0 IP while allowing just three runs with eight strikeouts.
-As of April 25, Skenes leads the Mountain West in ERA (2.90) among starting pitchers, and owns a current six-game hitting streak, going 12-24 (.500) over that six-game span.

Skenes Named MW Pitcher of the Week
-On April 4, Paul Skenes was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week after his performance over the weekend at Fresno State.
-The sophomore went six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out three and walking just one.
-The California native out-dueled Fresno State starter Ixan Henderson, who entered the weekend leading the conference in ERA (1.05 ERA) and K/9 (12.3).
-Skenes didn't see a baserunner cross second base over his six innings.
-Picking up his third win of the season on Friday, Skenes set the tone for a weekend in which Air Force claimed its first-ever series win at Fresno State in program history.

He Goes by "BOMB-ason" Now
-Jay Thomason enters Tuesday tied for the Mountain West lead in home runs (13).
-His 13 home runs are tied for the 7th-most among Division I players.
-All of Thomason's home runs this season and of his collegiate career have come this season.
-As a result, Thomason leads Air Force in OPS (1.120) and slugging (.687).
-Thomason's slugging percentage is tied for the 4th-highest in the MW.
-His 1.120 OPS is 5th-highest in the MW.
-Thomason's 101 total bases also leads all Falcons.
-With 36 RBI, Thomason is 3rd among Falcons in the category.
-In total, Thomason is 44-96 (.458) in his last 23 games.
-Thomason is 8-10 in stolen base attempts, 4th-most in the MW.
-Thomason is second behind Kulasingam for the team with 16 multi-hit games.

Kul-Hand Sam
-Kulasingam's .376 average leads qualifying hitters on Air Force, as do his 62 hits.
-The sophomore has reached base in his last 26 games, and in 37 of 39 games in 2022.
-Kulasingam currently owns a 14-game hitting streak.
-The switch-hitter's .456 OBP leads all Falcon hitters.
-Kulasingam is 2nd on AF in total bases (96).
-The North Carolinian's .382 BA vs. righties is best on Air Force.
-Kulasingam is hitting .436 with two outs, and .461 with runners on base.
-Kulasingam leads the Falcons with 17 multi-hit games.
-The sophomore leads Air Force with 11 multi-RBI games as well.

Garcia Is HOT
-In Gabe Garcia's first nine games, the senior hit just .167 (5-30) with one XBH.
-Over Garcia's last 30 games, he has exploded, hitting .367 (47-128) with 21 XBH's.
-That stretch includes 12 multi-hit games.
-Garcia has driven in 37 of his 38 RBI over the last 30 games, leading the team in RBI.
-Garcia is 3rd on AF in total bases (89).
-Garcia's 15 doubles are tied for the lead with Kulasingam among AF hitters.
-The C1C snapped his 19-game hitting streak on April 23, but still owns a 21-game on-base streak.

Greiving is Achieving
-Sophomore Jake Greiving has boosted the Air Force lineup in his 35 games.
-Greiving owns a current 18-game on-base streak, as well as a 10-game hitting streak.
-Has clubbed four of his seven home runs over the last six games.
-Greiving's .603 SLG% is 3rd among Falcon hitters.
-His 76 total bases is 4th-most on the team.
-Greiving's .417 OBP is 3rd among qualified AF hitters.
-His .349 BA is 3rd among AF hitters.

The Middle Infield is Finding a Groove
-Shortstop Aerik Joe has settled in at the plate, recording at least one hit in 13 of his last 15 games, including six-consecutive games.
-Joe has driven in 11 of his 17 RBI over his last 15 games.
-Second baseman Trayden Tamiya has managed at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games.
-Tamiya has raised his batting average .91 points over his last 19 games (.139-.230).

After Kansas
-Following the Falcons midweek series with the Jayhawks, Air Force will host Mountain West leader UNLV starting Friday, April 29.

Air Force to take on Kansas in midweek series

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Players Mentioned

Braydon Altorfer

Blake Covin

Stevan Fairburn Jr.

Gabriel Garcia

Doyle Gehring

Jake Greiving

Sawyer Hawks

Aerik Joe

Sam Kulasingam

Dylan Rogers

Jake Sansing

Paul Skenes

Trayden Tamiya

Jay Thomason

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