Friday, May 13
USAFA
1:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
San Jose State University
Photo by: Eric Strom
Falcons close home schedule against visiting Spartans
5/12/2022 4:33:00 PM | Baseball
Schedule
GAME ONE: vs. San Jose State, May 13, 1:00 pm MT
GAME TWO: vs. San Jose State, May 14, 12:00 pm MT
GAME THREE: vs. San Jose State, May 15, 12:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Mountain West Network (Jeffrey Orman)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-Having first played in 1959, Air Force is 26-19 all-time against San Jose State.
-In the two teams last 10 games, Air Force is 7-3, having won six-consecutive games.
-The Falcons swept the lone series in 2021, claiming all four games at Falcon Field.
Pitching Probables
GAME ONE
RHP Paul Skenes (7-2, 2.92 ERA) vs. RHP Jonathan Clark (1-3, 6.62 ERA)
GAME TWO
RHP Doyle Gehring (2-3, 4.53 ERA) vs. LHP Ethan Ross (0-3, 8.71 ERA)
GAME THREE
RHP Dylan Rogers (0-0, 5.27 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Eden (6-3, 6.38 ERA)
Air Force Projected Batting Order
1. 1B, So. Sam Kulasingam (S) (.399/.471/.635/7 HR/47 RBI)
2. CF, Jr. Blake Covin (L) (.282/.368/.373/2 HR/28 RBI)
3. LF, Sr. Gabriel Garcia (R) (.348/.432/.616/10 HR/54 RBI)
4. RF, So. Jake Greiving (L) (.335/.406/.574/8 HR/42 RBI)
5. DH, So. Paul Skenes (R) (.288/.377/.559/9 HR/30 RBI)
6. 3B, So. Jay Thomason (L) (.348/.426/.642/14 HR/46 RBI)
7. C, Sr. Braydon Altorfer (R) (.287/.381/.503/8 HR/35 RBI)
8. 2B, Jr. Trayden Tamiya (R) (.253/.322/.376/4 HR/32 RBI)
9. SS, So. Aerik Joe (R) (.272/.362/.339/1 HR/22 RBI)
Last Series vs. San Diego State
GAME ONE
-Air Force completed a six-run comeback, scoring eight runs over the final two innings before Zach Argo struck out the side in the 9th to lock down the 10-8 win.
-Sam Kulasingam finished 3-6 with a double and a RBI at the top of the order, while Jay Thomason finished 3-4 with 3 RBI a stolen base.
-Gabriel Garcia, Jake Greiving, and Braydon Altorfer each managed one hit as well, with Altorfer providing a double in the 8th to kickstart the four-run frame.
-Starter Paul Skenes didn't factor in the decision, but gave Air Force six solid innings. The sophomore allowed four runs on seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Nathan Price picked up his first win of the spring after entering in the 8th, scattering a hit over his scoreless inning.
-Zach Argo notched the first save of his senior campaign, inducing three swinging strikeouts in the 9th to close the ballgame.
GAME TWO
-The Falcons produced just four hits while committing three errors in Saturday's 12-0 loss to the Aztecs.
-Jay Thomason and Gabriel Garcia each managed doubles, while Sam Kulasingam and Braydon Altorfer knocked base-hits.
-Doyle Gehring lasted 4.2 innings in his second start of the spring, seeing three unearned runs cross the plate over his first two innings of work. Gehring's line included seven runs (four earned), nine hits, three strikeouts, and two hit batters.
-Seungmin Shim allowed three earned runs in his 1.1 innings out of the pen, while Chase Spencer saw two runs cross the plate in his lone inning on the mound. Stevan Fairburn Jr. notched two strikeouts as part of a perfect 8th inning.
-The Falcons were set down in order in five of their nine turns at the plate, unable to counter an Aztecs lineup that produced runs in six of eight innings.
GAME THREE
-The Falcons saw a two-run lead in the 9th inning evaporate before the Aztecs walked things off in the 12th on a wild pitch, as Air Force was on the wrong end of the 7-6 final score.
-Jake Greiving finished 1-2 with a game-high 3 RBI, as the sophomore clubbed his 8th home run of the spring in the 7th. Greiving also brought home a run with a sac fly in the 5th.
-Jay Thomason slugged his 14th home run of the season in the 6th, his first long ball since April 20. Paul Skenes finished 2-5 with a RBI double in the 1st, while Sam Kulasingam reached base three times in six plate appearances.
-Dylan Rogers lasted a career-high 7.1 IP, allowing just four runs on four hits with a career-best seven strikeouts and two walks. The freshman didn't factor into the decision.
-Zach Argo followed Rogers, allowing the tying run to cross in the 9th. Argo pitched 1.2 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits with a strikeout and two walks. Rob Martin was credited with the loss, allowing one run (none earned) on three hits to go with a walk and a strikeout.
The Boys are Mashing
-With a team .306 batting average, Air Force ranks 18th among 293 Division I programs, tied with top-ranked Tennessee.
-With 535 hits in 2022, the Falcons rank 7th nationally in the category.
-Air Force's 401 runs scored is 18th among Division I programs.
Kulasingam, Spencer pick up MW weekly honors
-On May 2, Sam Kulasingam was announced as the Mountain West Player of the Week, while Chase Spencer was recognized as the Freshman of the Week.
-Kulasingam batted .640 with 16 hits, including six doubles, two home runs and a triple, eight RBIs and 12 runs scored, resulting in a 1.200 slugging percentage and a .679 on-base percentage. The sophomore recorded a multi-hit effort in all five games.
-Spencer batted .556 with five hits, all extra base knocks, and 11 RBIs. The freshman hit two home runs and drove in a career-high six RBIs against UNLV on April 29.
Friday Night Might
-After transitioning from the bullpen to the Friday starting slot, Paul Skenes has stayed true to form.
-Skenes' owns a 9.78 K/9 to lead the Falcons.
-Skenes' 67 total strikeouts is 3rd in the MW.
-The sophomore's .2227 opponent BA is also 3rd in the MW.
-Skenes leads all Air Force pitchers with 61.2 IP.
-Righties are hitting only .210 off of Skenes, with lefties owning a .256 BA.
-Skenes' 1.41 GO/FO rate is second only to Dylan Rogers (1.77) among AF pitchers.
-Skenes' 50 hits allowed is 5th-lowest among starters in the MW.
-Skenes' 2.92 ERA is 2nd among MW starters.
-Air Force is 9-2 in game started by Skenes.
Oh...He Hits Too
-Skenes has managed a .327 BA (17-52) over his last 13 games.
-Of his 17 hits, eight are extra-base hits (5 HR's, 3 2B's).
-Has reached base in his last 13 of his last 14 games.
He Goes by "BOMB-ason" Now
-Jay Thomason enters Friday 2nd in the Mountain West in home runs (14).
-As a result, Thomason is 2nd on the team in OPS (1.068) and leads all Falcons in slugging (.642).
-Thomason's slugging percentage is 5th-highest in the MW.
-His 1.068 OPS is 6th-highest in the MW.
-With 46 RBI, Thomason is 3rd among Falcons in the category.
-Thomason is second behind Kulasingam for the team lead with 20 multi-hit games.
-Has reached base consecutively in his last 14 games.
Sammy K, Hitting Machine
-Kulasingam's .399 average leads qualifying hitters on Air Force, as do his 83 hits.
-His batting average ranks him 21st among all DI hitters.
-Kulasingam's 83 hits is 2nd nationally among DI hitters.
-With 22 doubles, Kulasingam is tied for 3rd in Division I in the category.
-The sophomore has reached base in 45 of 48 games in 2022.
-The switch-hitter ranks 5th in the MW with a .471 OBP.
-His .635 SLG% is 6th in the MW.
-Combining the two, Kulasingam's 1.106 OPS is 3rd in the MW.
-Kulasingam leads AF in total bases (132).
-Kulasingam is hitting .385 vs. righties and .433 vs. lefties.
-Kulasingam is hitting .429 with two outs, and .457 with runners on base.
-Kulasingam leads the Falcons with 23 multi-hit games.
-The sophomore leads Air Force with 14 multi-RBI games as well.
A Prototypical Three-Hole Guy
-In Gabe Garcia's first nine games, the senior hit just .167 (5-30) with one XBH.
-Over Garcia's last 39 games, he has exploded, hitting .387 (64-165) with 30 XBH's.
-That stretch includes 16 multi-hit games.
-Garcia is in the top ten among MW players in SLG (.616, 9th), hits (69, 9th), and RBI (54, 4th).
-Garcia has driven in 53 of his 54 RBI over the last 39 games, leading the team in RBI.
-Garcia is 2nd on AF in total bases (122).
-Garcia's 17 doubles are second behind Kulasingam among AF hitters.
He Makes Pitchers Greive
-Sophomore Jake Greiving has boosted the Air Force lineup in his 44 games..
-Greiving's .574 SLG% is 4th among Falcon hitters.
-His 89 total bases is 4th-most on the team.
-Greiving's .406 OBP is 4th among qualified AF hitters.
-His .335 BA is 4th among AF hitters.
Alt and Catch Fire
-After owning a .211 batting average as of April 14, Braydon Altorfer has found a jolt over the past 15 games.
-Altorfer's batting average has been elevated to .287, going 25-58 (.431) in the last 15 games.
-In his last 58 at-bats, Altorfer has managed nine doubles and four home runs with 17 RBI.
After San Jose State
-Following the Falcons weekend series vs. San Jose State, Air Force will close its regular season schedule at New Mexico, with the series beginning Thursday, May 19.
GAME ONE: vs. San Jose State, May 13, 1:00 pm MT
GAME TWO: vs. San Jose State, May 14, 12:00 pm MT
GAME THREE: vs. San Jose State, May 15, 12:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Mountain West Network (Jeffrey Orman)
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-Having first played in 1959, Air Force is 26-19 all-time against San Jose State.
-In the two teams last 10 games, Air Force is 7-3, having won six-consecutive games.
-The Falcons swept the lone series in 2021, claiming all four games at Falcon Field.
Pitching Probables
GAME ONE
RHP Paul Skenes (7-2, 2.92 ERA) vs. RHP Jonathan Clark (1-3, 6.62 ERA)
GAME TWO
RHP Doyle Gehring (2-3, 4.53 ERA) vs. LHP Ethan Ross (0-3, 8.71 ERA)
GAME THREE
RHP Dylan Rogers (0-0, 5.27 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Eden (6-3, 6.38 ERA)
Air Force Projected Batting Order
1. 1B, So. Sam Kulasingam (S) (.399/.471/.635/7 HR/47 RBI)
2. CF, Jr. Blake Covin (L) (.282/.368/.373/2 HR/28 RBI)
3. LF, Sr. Gabriel Garcia (R) (.348/.432/.616/10 HR/54 RBI)
4. RF, So. Jake Greiving (L) (.335/.406/.574/8 HR/42 RBI)
5. DH, So. Paul Skenes (R) (.288/.377/.559/9 HR/30 RBI)
6. 3B, So. Jay Thomason (L) (.348/.426/.642/14 HR/46 RBI)
7. C, Sr. Braydon Altorfer (R) (.287/.381/.503/8 HR/35 RBI)
8. 2B, Jr. Trayden Tamiya (R) (.253/.322/.376/4 HR/32 RBI)
9. SS, So. Aerik Joe (R) (.272/.362/.339/1 HR/22 RBI)
Last Series vs. San Diego State
GAME ONE
-Air Force completed a six-run comeback, scoring eight runs over the final two innings before Zach Argo struck out the side in the 9th to lock down the 10-8 win.
-Sam Kulasingam finished 3-6 with a double and a RBI at the top of the order, while Jay Thomason finished 3-4 with 3 RBI a stolen base.
-Gabriel Garcia, Jake Greiving, and Braydon Altorfer each managed one hit as well, with Altorfer providing a double in the 8th to kickstart the four-run frame.
-Starter Paul Skenes didn't factor in the decision, but gave Air Force six solid innings. The sophomore allowed four runs on seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Nathan Price picked up his first win of the spring after entering in the 8th, scattering a hit over his scoreless inning.
-Zach Argo notched the first save of his senior campaign, inducing three swinging strikeouts in the 9th to close the ballgame.
GAME TWO
-The Falcons produced just four hits while committing three errors in Saturday's 12-0 loss to the Aztecs.
-Jay Thomason and Gabriel Garcia each managed doubles, while Sam Kulasingam and Braydon Altorfer knocked base-hits.
-Doyle Gehring lasted 4.2 innings in his second start of the spring, seeing three unearned runs cross the plate over his first two innings of work. Gehring's line included seven runs (four earned), nine hits, three strikeouts, and two hit batters.
-Seungmin Shim allowed three earned runs in his 1.1 innings out of the pen, while Chase Spencer saw two runs cross the plate in his lone inning on the mound. Stevan Fairburn Jr. notched two strikeouts as part of a perfect 8th inning.
-The Falcons were set down in order in five of their nine turns at the plate, unable to counter an Aztecs lineup that produced runs in six of eight innings.
GAME THREE
-The Falcons saw a two-run lead in the 9th inning evaporate before the Aztecs walked things off in the 12th on a wild pitch, as Air Force was on the wrong end of the 7-6 final score.
-Jake Greiving finished 1-2 with a game-high 3 RBI, as the sophomore clubbed his 8th home run of the spring in the 7th. Greiving also brought home a run with a sac fly in the 5th.
-Jay Thomason slugged his 14th home run of the season in the 6th, his first long ball since April 20. Paul Skenes finished 2-5 with a RBI double in the 1st, while Sam Kulasingam reached base three times in six plate appearances.
-Dylan Rogers lasted a career-high 7.1 IP, allowing just four runs on four hits with a career-best seven strikeouts and two walks. The freshman didn't factor into the decision.
-Zach Argo followed Rogers, allowing the tying run to cross in the 9th. Argo pitched 1.2 innings, surrendering two runs on three hits with a strikeout and two walks. Rob Martin was credited with the loss, allowing one run (none earned) on three hits to go with a walk and a strikeout.
The Boys are Mashing
-With a team .306 batting average, Air Force ranks 18th among 293 Division I programs, tied with top-ranked Tennessee.
-With 535 hits in 2022, the Falcons rank 7th nationally in the category.
-Air Force's 401 runs scored is 18th among Division I programs.
Kulasingam, Spencer pick up MW weekly honors
-On May 2, Sam Kulasingam was announced as the Mountain West Player of the Week, while Chase Spencer was recognized as the Freshman of the Week.
-Kulasingam batted .640 with 16 hits, including six doubles, two home runs and a triple, eight RBIs and 12 runs scored, resulting in a 1.200 slugging percentage and a .679 on-base percentage. The sophomore recorded a multi-hit effort in all five games.
-Spencer batted .556 with five hits, all extra base knocks, and 11 RBIs. The freshman hit two home runs and drove in a career-high six RBIs against UNLV on April 29.
Friday Night Might
-After transitioning from the bullpen to the Friday starting slot, Paul Skenes has stayed true to form.
-Skenes' owns a 9.78 K/9 to lead the Falcons.
-Skenes' 67 total strikeouts is 3rd in the MW.
-The sophomore's .2227 opponent BA is also 3rd in the MW.
-Skenes leads all Air Force pitchers with 61.2 IP.
-Righties are hitting only .210 off of Skenes, with lefties owning a .256 BA.
-Skenes' 1.41 GO/FO rate is second only to Dylan Rogers (1.77) among AF pitchers.
-Skenes' 50 hits allowed is 5th-lowest among starters in the MW.
-Skenes' 2.92 ERA is 2nd among MW starters.
-Air Force is 9-2 in game started by Skenes.
Oh...He Hits Too
-Skenes has managed a .327 BA (17-52) over his last 13 games.
-Of his 17 hits, eight are extra-base hits (5 HR's, 3 2B's).
-Has reached base in his last 13 of his last 14 games.
He Goes by "BOMB-ason" Now
-Jay Thomason enters Friday 2nd in the Mountain West in home runs (14).
-As a result, Thomason is 2nd on the team in OPS (1.068) and leads all Falcons in slugging (.642).
-Thomason's slugging percentage is 5th-highest in the MW.
-His 1.068 OPS is 6th-highest in the MW.
-With 46 RBI, Thomason is 3rd among Falcons in the category.
-Thomason is second behind Kulasingam for the team lead with 20 multi-hit games.
-Has reached base consecutively in his last 14 games.
Sammy K, Hitting Machine
-Kulasingam's .399 average leads qualifying hitters on Air Force, as do his 83 hits.
-His batting average ranks him 21st among all DI hitters.
-Kulasingam's 83 hits is 2nd nationally among DI hitters.
-With 22 doubles, Kulasingam is tied for 3rd in Division I in the category.
-The sophomore has reached base in 45 of 48 games in 2022.
-The switch-hitter ranks 5th in the MW with a .471 OBP.
-His .635 SLG% is 6th in the MW.
-Combining the two, Kulasingam's 1.106 OPS is 3rd in the MW.
-Kulasingam leads AF in total bases (132).
-Kulasingam is hitting .385 vs. righties and .433 vs. lefties.
-Kulasingam is hitting .429 with two outs, and .457 with runners on base.
-Kulasingam leads the Falcons with 23 multi-hit games.
-The sophomore leads Air Force with 14 multi-RBI games as well.
A Prototypical Three-Hole Guy
-In Gabe Garcia's first nine games, the senior hit just .167 (5-30) with one XBH.
-Over Garcia's last 39 games, he has exploded, hitting .387 (64-165) with 30 XBH's.
-That stretch includes 16 multi-hit games.
-Garcia is in the top ten among MW players in SLG (.616, 9th), hits (69, 9th), and RBI (54, 4th).
-Garcia has driven in 53 of his 54 RBI over the last 39 games, leading the team in RBI.
-Garcia is 2nd on AF in total bases (122).
-Garcia's 17 doubles are second behind Kulasingam among AF hitters.
He Makes Pitchers Greive
-Sophomore Jake Greiving has boosted the Air Force lineup in his 44 games..
-Greiving's .574 SLG% is 4th among Falcon hitters.
-His 89 total bases is 4th-most on the team.
-Greiving's .406 OBP is 4th among qualified AF hitters.
-His .335 BA is 4th among AF hitters.
Alt and Catch Fire
-After owning a .211 batting average as of April 14, Braydon Altorfer has found a jolt over the past 15 games.
-Altorfer's batting average has been elevated to .287, going 25-58 (.431) in the last 15 games.
-In his last 58 at-bats, Altorfer has managed nine doubles and four home runs with 17 RBI.
After San Jose State
-Following the Falcons weekend series vs. San Jose State, Air Force will close its regular season schedule at New Mexico, with the series beginning Thursday, May 19.
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/ 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
