Tuesday, April 5
Abilene, TX
5:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
Abilene Christian University
Photo by: Eric Strom
Air Force faces Abilene Christian in inaugural meeting
4/4/2022 3:08:00 PM | Baseball
Schedule
GAME ONE: at Abilene Christian, April 5, 5:00 pm MT
GAME TWO: at Abilene Christian, April 6, 2:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Game One-ESPN+/Game Two-WAC Digital Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-The upcoming two-game series will mark the first meeting between the two schools.
Pitching Probables
GAME ONE
RHP Jake Sansing (1-1, 6.35 ERA) vs. RHP Garrett Egli (0-0, 8.10 ERA)
GAME TWO
TBD vs. TBD
Air Force Projected Batting Order
1. CF, Jr. Blake Covin (L) (.286/.383/.357/0 HR/12 RBI)
2. 1B, So. Sam Kulasingam (S) (.337/.432/.459/2 HR/18 RBI)
3. LF, Sr. Gabriel Garcia (R) (.301/.376/.495/4 HR/19 RBI)
4. DH, So. Paul Skenes (R) (.244/.333/.400/2 HR/5 RBI)
5. RF, So. Jake Greiving (L) (.293/.341/.467/3 HR/13 RBI)
6. 3B, So. Jay Thomason (L) (.284/.366/.614/9 HR/17 RBI)
7. SS, So. Aerik Joe (R) (.225/.310/.270/0 HR/7 RBI)
8. 2B, Jr. Trayden Tamiya (R) (.189/.250/.311/2 HR/13 RBI)
9. C, Fr. Aaron Reyes (R) (0-5, 1 R)
Last Series vs. Fresno State
GAME ONE
-Starter Paul Skenes didn't allow a run over six innings, while a four-run 5th guided Air Force over Fresno State to a 6-2 series opening win.
-Skenes battled Fresno State's Ixan Henderson, as the two sophomores entered Friday night with the top two K/9 rates in the Mountain West. Skenes held up his end of the bargain, allowing just three hits over six innings, while striking out three and walking one.
-Braydon Altorfer led off the 5th inning with a walk, followed by a Jay Thomason single, as the Air Force third baseman was the only Falcons hitter with multiple hits.
-With runners on the corners, Chase Spencer, making his first start since March 19, laid down a bunt that was fielded by Henderson and abruptly thrown over the head of the second baseman covering the first base bag, allowing Altorfer to score.
-With Thomason at third and Spencer at second, Aerik Joe was hit by the first pitch he saw, loading the bases. Trayden Tamiya, in a 0-2 count, lined a sacrifice fly into center field to extend the Air Force lead to 2-0.
-Sam Kulasingam, who came into Friday hitting .409 with two outs, lined a opposite field double into the right-center gap to score both Spencer and Joe, as the Falcons exited their half of the 5th with a 4-0 lead.
-In the top of the 8th and one out, Gabriel Garcia and Jake Greiving launched back-to-back home runs to put the Falcons up 6-1.
GAME TWO
-A 6-run Fresno State 3rd vaulted the Bulldogs over the Falcons on Saturday, as Air Force was eventually beaten 8-6.
-Gabriel Garcia's three-run home run in the 1st was a prelude for the remainder of his evening. Along with a three-run homer in his first at-bat, Garcia collected a pair of singles on the way to a 3-4 night.
-Braydon Altorfer was 2-3 with a walk, while Trayden Tamiya finished 1-3 with a RBI single in the 6th. Blake Covin was 1-3 from the leadoff spot, scoring twice and stealing a base.
-Kyle Moats made his second start of the season, lasting 2.1 innings. Moats' final line included five hits, four runs (three earned), one walk and one strikeout.
-Air Force had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the 8th, with Altorfer grounding a single past the shortstop to leadoff the frame. After two wild pitches, Altorfer reached third with still none out.
-The Falcons did not capitalize on the opportunity, striking out twice and flying out to end the inning.
GAME THREE
-Gabriel Garcia broke a 3-3 tie in the 7th, while Doyle Gehring closed out the afternoon with a three-inning save to cement Air Force's 4-3 win over Fresno State.
-By taking the rubber game on Sunday, the Falcons earned their first series win in Fresno in program history.
-Paul Skenes, Jay Thomason, and Trayden Tamiya all finished 2-4, while Thomason's solo home run in the 3rd gave the Falcons an initial 1-0 lead. Thomason continues to lead Air Force in long balls, now with nine on the season.
-Garcia's RBI single in the 7th inning opened the door for Air Force closer Doyle Gehring, who limited the Bulldogs to just one hit over his three innings. Gehring struck out five of the 11 batters he faced, including two punch-outs in the 9th.
Skenes Named MW Pitcher of the Week
-On Monday, 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.
-Over his last three starts, Skenes has not allowed a run over his last 12.1 IP, as the Falcons ace now boasts a 2.87 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 31.1 IP.
Friday Night Might
-After transitioning from the bullpen to the Friday starting slot, Paul Skenes has stayed true to form.
-Skenes' 10.0 K/9 is second in the Mountain West behind Fresno State's Ixan Henderson (12.3 K/9).
-Skenes' 35 total strikeouts is 3rd in the MW.
-The sophomore's .209 opponent BA is 2nd in the MW as well.
-Skenes leads all Air Force pitchers with 31.1 IP.
-Righties are hitting only .178 off of Skenes.
-Skenes' 1.60 GO/FO rate also leads all Falcon pitchers.
He Goes by "BOMB-ason" Now
-Jay Thomason has slugged nine home runs over his last nine games, including three multi-homer games.
-All of Thomason's home runs this season and of his collegiate career have come in the span of the last nine games.
-As a result, Thomason leads Air Force in OPS (.980) and slugging (.614).
-Thomason's 54 total bases also leads all Falcons.
-Thomason's 9 home runs are tied for the most in the MW.
-In total, Thomason is 17-37 (.315) in his last nine games.
-Thomason has raised his BA .127 points (.157 to .284) over the last nine games.
-The sophomore leads the team in fly ball rate (1.9)
-Thomason is 5-6 in stolen base attempts, 5th-most in the MW.
-The Auburn native's 10 walks are third on the team.
Kul-Hand Sam
-Kulasingam's .337 average leads qualifying hitters on Air Force, as do his 33 hits.
-The switch-hitter's .432 OBP leads all Falcon hitters.
-The sophomore's 1.0 BB/K rate leads Air Force.
-Kulasingam is third on AF in total bases (45).
-The North Carolinian's .347 BA vs. righties is best on Air Force.
-Kulasingam is hitting .417 with two outs, and .457 with runners on base.
Garcia Heating Up
-In Gabe Garcia's first nine games, the senior hit just .167 (5-30) with one XBH.
-Over Garcia's last 16 games, he has exploded, hitting .357 (26-70) with 9 XBH's.
-That stretch includes eight multi-hit games.
-Garcia has driven in 18 of his 19 RBI over the last 16 games, as he leads the team in RBI.
-The senior's 51 total bases is second on Air Force.
-Garcia's six doubles are tied with Kulasingam for the team lead.
Doyle Rules
-Doyle Gehring has taken well to the closer role, picking up six saves in six tries for Air Force.
-Exclusively out of the pen, his 21.2 IP is fourth among Falcon arms and leads all AF relievers.
-Gehring's 2.49 ERA leads the team.
-Gehring's 1.02 WHIP leads all AF pitchers.
-The sophomore is one of only 32 pitchers in in Division I with at least six saves.
-Gehring's .213 opponent BA is second among AF pitchers.
-Righties are hitting just .163 off of Gehring.
-Gehring has been tough with runners on, with opponents hitting only .175 with ducks on the pond.
-The sopohomore's 25 strikeouts are second behind Skenes among AF pitchers.
Greiving is Achieving
-Sophomore Jake Greiving has boosted the Air Force lineup in his 21 games.
-Greiving's .467 SLG% is third among AF regulars.
-His 35 total bases is 5th on the team.
-Greiving's .342 OBP is 4th among qualfied AF hitters.
-His .293 BA is 3rd among AF hitters.
After Abilene Christian
-Following the Falcons two-game midweek series with the Wildcats, Air Force will return home for a non-conference matchup with California Baptist for a three-game weekend series. First-pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3:00 pm MT.
GAME ONE: at Abilene Christian, April 5, 5:00 pm MT
GAME TWO: at Abilene Christian, April 6, 2:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Game One-ESPN+/Game Two-WAC Digital Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-The upcoming two-game series will mark the first meeting between the two schools.
Pitching Probables
GAME ONE
RHP Jake Sansing (1-1, 6.35 ERA) vs. RHP Garrett Egli (0-0, 8.10 ERA)
GAME TWO
TBD vs. TBD
Air Force Projected Batting Order
1. CF, Jr. Blake Covin (L) (.286/.383/.357/0 HR/12 RBI)
2. 1B, So. Sam Kulasingam (S) (.337/.432/.459/2 HR/18 RBI)
3. LF, Sr. Gabriel Garcia (R) (.301/.376/.495/4 HR/19 RBI)
4. DH, So. Paul Skenes (R) (.244/.333/.400/2 HR/5 RBI)
5. RF, So. Jake Greiving (L) (.293/.341/.467/3 HR/13 RBI)
6. 3B, So. Jay Thomason (L) (.284/.366/.614/9 HR/17 RBI)
7. SS, So. Aerik Joe (R) (.225/.310/.270/0 HR/7 RBI)
8. 2B, Jr. Trayden Tamiya (R) (.189/.250/.311/2 HR/13 RBI)
9. C, Fr. Aaron Reyes (R) (0-5, 1 R)
Last Series vs. Fresno State
GAME ONE
-Starter Paul Skenes didn't allow a run over six innings, while a four-run 5th guided Air Force over Fresno State to a 6-2 series opening win.
-Skenes battled Fresno State's Ixan Henderson, as the two sophomores entered Friday night with the top two K/9 rates in the Mountain West. Skenes held up his end of the bargain, allowing just three hits over six innings, while striking out three and walking one.
-Braydon Altorfer led off the 5th inning with a walk, followed by a Jay Thomason single, as the Air Force third baseman was the only Falcons hitter with multiple hits.
-With runners on the corners, Chase Spencer, making his first start since March 19, laid down a bunt that was fielded by Henderson and abruptly thrown over the head of the second baseman covering the first base bag, allowing Altorfer to score.
-With Thomason at third and Spencer at second, Aerik Joe was hit by the first pitch he saw, loading the bases. Trayden Tamiya, in a 0-2 count, lined a sacrifice fly into center field to extend the Air Force lead to 2-0.
-Sam Kulasingam, who came into Friday hitting .409 with two outs, lined a opposite field double into the right-center gap to score both Spencer and Joe, as the Falcons exited their half of the 5th with a 4-0 lead.
-In the top of the 8th and one out, Gabriel Garcia and Jake Greiving launched back-to-back home runs to put the Falcons up 6-1.
GAME TWO
-A 6-run Fresno State 3rd vaulted the Bulldogs over the Falcons on Saturday, as Air Force was eventually beaten 8-6.
-Gabriel Garcia's three-run home run in the 1st was a prelude for the remainder of his evening. Along with a three-run homer in his first at-bat, Garcia collected a pair of singles on the way to a 3-4 night.
-Braydon Altorfer was 2-3 with a walk, while Trayden Tamiya finished 1-3 with a RBI single in the 6th. Blake Covin was 1-3 from the leadoff spot, scoring twice and stealing a base.
-Kyle Moats made his second start of the season, lasting 2.1 innings. Moats' final line included five hits, four runs (three earned), one walk and one strikeout.
-Air Force had a golden opportunity to tie the game in the 8th, with Altorfer grounding a single past the shortstop to leadoff the frame. After two wild pitches, Altorfer reached third with still none out.
-The Falcons did not capitalize on the opportunity, striking out twice and flying out to end the inning.
GAME THREE
-Gabriel Garcia broke a 3-3 tie in the 7th, while Doyle Gehring closed out the afternoon with a three-inning save to cement Air Force's 4-3 win over Fresno State.
-By taking the rubber game on Sunday, the Falcons earned their first series win in Fresno in program history.
-Paul Skenes, Jay Thomason, and Trayden Tamiya all finished 2-4, while Thomason's solo home run in the 3rd gave the Falcons an initial 1-0 lead. Thomason continues to lead Air Force in long balls, now with nine on the season.
-Garcia's RBI single in the 7th inning opened the door for Air Force closer Doyle Gehring, who limited the Bulldogs to just one hit over his three innings. Gehring struck out five of the 11 batters he faced, including two punch-outs in the 9th.
Skenes Named MW Pitcher of the Week
-On Monday, 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.
-Over his last three starts, Skenes has not allowed a run over his last 12.1 IP, as the Falcons ace now boasts a 2.87 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 31.1 IP.
Friday Night Might
-After transitioning from the bullpen to the Friday starting slot, Paul Skenes has stayed true to form.
-Skenes' 10.0 K/9 is second in the Mountain West behind Fresno State's Ixan Henderson (12.3 K/9).
-Skenes' 35 total strikeouts is 3rd in the MW.
-The sophomore's .209 opponent BA is 2nd in the MW as well.
-Skenes leads all Air Force pitchers with 31.1 IP.
-Righties are hitting only .178 off of Skenes.
-Skenes' 1.60 GO/FO rate also leads all Falcon pitchers.
He Goes by "BOMB-ason" Now
-Jay Thomason has slugged nine home runs over his last nine games, including three multi-homer games.
-All of Thomason's home runs this season and of his collegiate career have come in the span of the last nine games.
-As a result, Thomason leads Air Force in OPS (.980) and slugging (.614).
-Thomason's 54 total bases also leads all Falcons.
-Thomason's 9 home runs are tied for the most in the MW.
-In total, Thomason is 17-37 (.315) in his last nine games.
-Thomason has raised his BA .127 points (.157 to .284) over the last nine games.
-The sophomore leads the team in fly ball rate (1.9)
-Thomason is 5-6 in stolen base attempts, 5th-most in the MW.
-The Auburn native's 10 walks are third on the team.
Kul-Hand Sam
-Kulasingam's .337 average leads qualifying hitters on Air Force, as do his 33 hits.
-The switch-hitter's .432 OBP leads all Falcon hitters.
-The sophomore's 1.0 BB/K rate leads Air Force.
-Kulasingam is third on AF in total bases (45).
-The North Carolinian's .347 BA vs. righties is best on Air Force.
-Kulasingam is hitting .417 with two outs, and .457 with runners on base.
Garcia Heating Up
-In Gabe Garcia's first nine games, the senior hit just .167 (5-30) with one XBH.
-Over Garcia's last 16 games, he has exploded, hitting .357 (26-70) with 9 XBH's.
-That stretch includes eight multi-hit games.
-Garcia has driven in 18 of his 19 RBI over the last 16 games, as he leads the team in RBI.
-The senior's 51 total bases is second on Air Force.
-Garcia's six doubles are tied with Kulasingam for the team lead.
Doyle Rules
-Doyle Gehring has taken well to the closer role, picking up six saves in six tries for Air Force.
-Exclusively out of the pen, his 21.2 IP is fourth among Falcon arms and leads all AF relievers.
-Gehring's 2.49 ERA leads the team.
-Gehring's 1.02 WHIP leads all AF pitchers.
-The sophomore is one of only 32 pitchers in in Division I with at least six saves.
-Gehring's .213 opponent BA is second among AF pitchers.
-Righties are hitting just .163 off of Gehring.
-Gehring has been tough with runners on, with opponents hitting only .175 with ducks on the pond.
-The sopohomore's 25 strikeouts are second behind Skenes among AF pitchers.
Greiving is Achieving
-Sophomore Jake Greiving has boosted the Air Force lineup in his 21 games.
-Greiving's .467 SLG% is third among AF regulars.
-His 35 total bases is 5th on the team.
-Greiving's .342 OBP is 4th among qualfied AF hitters.
-His .293 BA is 3rd among AF hitters.
After Abilene Christian
-Following the Falcons two-game midweek series with the Wildcats, Air Force will return home for a non-conference matchup with California Baptist for a three-game weekend series. First-pitch on Friday is scheduled for 3:00 pm MT.
Players Mentioned
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