Friday, March 10
Albuquerque, NM
6:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
University of New Mexico
Photo by: Hozana Arceri
Falcons open MW Play against Lobos
3/9/2023 1:37:00 PM | Baseball
Schedule
Fri: at New Mexico, March 4, 6:00 pm MT
Sat: at New Mexico, March 5, 2:00 pm MT
Sun: at New Mexico, March 6, 12:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-Air Force and New Mexico have met 204 times since 1957, with Air Force garnering a 55-149 record against the Lobos.
-A season ago, the Falcons and Lobos split six appearances with both teams managing a 3-3 record.
-On May 19, 2022, Air Force defeated New Mexico 25-6, setting multiple records in the process.
-The victory is the largest winning margin (19 runs) in a conference game for Air Force since joining the Mountain West.
-The Falcons 29 hits were also a single game Mountain West program record, as were Air Force's 51 total bases, extra-base hits (12) and 25 RBIs.
Pitching Probables
Fri: RHP Jr. Doyle Gehring (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP Sr. Riley Egloff (3-0, 2.65 ERA)
Sat: RHP So. Dylan Rogers (0-2, 7.07 ERA) vs. RHP Sr. Tristan Lively (2-1, 4.50 ERA)
Sun: LHP Jr. Seungmin Shim (2-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. RHP Jr. Isaac Gallegos (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
Projected Lineup
1. R/R, Matt Thompson, LF (.341/.386/.512)
2. S/R, Sam Kulasingam, 1B (.472/.548/.679)
3. L/R, Jake Greiving, DH (.211/.237/.333)
4. R/R, Chase Spencer, RF (.250/.407/.545)
5. L/R, Jay Thomason, 3B (.250/.357/.646)
6. R/R, Trayden Tamiya, 2B (.320/.70/.440)
7. R/R, Aerik Joe, SS (.245/.315/.347)
8. S/R, Landon Boyd, C (.125/.243/.219)
9. L/R, Blake Covin, CF (.103/.161/.103)
The Previous Series (Charleston Round Robin)
Game One
-March 3 could be marked as the Falcons best team performance of the young season, as Air Force slugged five home runs on its way to a 12-4 win at Charleston Southern.
-Jake Greiving had his best day at the plate thus far, going 3-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs. Greiving's solo home run in the 5th stands as his first long ball of the spring. Friday marks a season-high in hits for Greiving, while also becoming his first three-hit game since Air Force's win over Louisiana Tech in the NCAA Regionals on June 5, 2022.
-Like Greiving, Sam Kulasingam connected on his first home run this season too, a solo shot to lead off the 5th. Kulasingam finished 2-5 with a double and two runs scored as well.
-Jay Thomason launched his fifth dinger of 2023, capping a three-homer 5th inning for Air Force. After Kulasingam and Greiving went back-to-back to start the inning, Thomason punctuated the frame with a solo blast of his own. Thomason's five home runs lead all players in the Mountain West Conference.
-Landon Boyd's first-career home run pushed the Air Force lead to 11-4 in the 7th, as the sophomore sent a three-run blast deep into the Charleston night.
-Chris Stallings' lone hit of the night was a big one, as the junior deposited his third home run of the season over the left field fence in the 4th.
Eight of Air Force's nine starters managed at least one hit, while the Falcons 12 runs become a season-best.
-Doyle Gehring was rock-solid in his third start of the spring, as the junior picked up his first win of the season. Gehring allowed a two-out, three-run home run in the 4th, but otherwise handled the Buccaneers. Gehring lasted 5.0 innings, surrendering just four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
-Sawyer Hawks took over in the 6th and dominated in his two innings of work. The sophomore struck out five of the eight batters he faced.
Game Two
-The Falcons fell victim to a powerful Cougars lineup, as Air Force was on the wrong end of a 14-6 score on March 4.
-Matt Thompson added three hits out of the leadoff spot, as the top position in the order is quickly becoming his home. The senior was 3-5, including a two-run triple in the 3rd.
-Sam Kulasingam and Trayden Tamiya each had a pair of hits, while Jake Greiving and Aaron Reyes managed RBI singles.
-Seungmin Shim was solid yet again, allowing just one earned run over his 5.0 innings of work. The junior forced Charleston Southern into a lot of soft contact, as 12 of his 15 outs were ground ball outs.
Game Three
-Air Force managed to come back from two runs down in the 9th inning, as well as take the lead in extra-innings, but the Falcons were unable to keep the Buccaneers at bay in Sunday's 7-6 loss.
-Jay Thomason was the lone Falcon with multiple hits, including a game-tying, two-run double with two outs in the 9th. Thomason reached base in four of six plate appearances after getting plunked in his first two trips to the plate.
-Freshmen T.J. Oster and Jack Bello provided clutch RBI hits in their only at-bats. Oster drove home Thomason in the 9th to give Air Force a 5-4 lead, while Bello came off the bench in the 10th, sending a run-scoring base-hit to send the Falcons in front 6-5 in the 10th.
-Aerik Joe was 1-3 with two walks, as his RBI single in the 6th tied the game at 2-2.
Game Four
-The Falcons built an early lead and rode it all the way through the finish, as Air Force bested Michigan State 7-4 on Monday.
-Jake Sansing made the weekday start and was phenomenal. The senior gave the Falcons a career-high 6.0 strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits. Sansing had just one walk to four strikeouts, and was credited with his first win of the season.
-Aerik Joe had a breakout game at the plate, as all three of his hits were of the extra-base variety (2 2B's, 1 3B). Joe also drove home three runs and scored twice.
-Sam Kulasingam was up to usual antics, going 3-4 with a double and a run batted in. Matt Thompson and Trayden Tamiya each had two hits as well, with Thompson providing a RBI in the 2nd following an infield single.
-Chase Spencer provided Air Force with important insurance runs in the 6th, as the sophomore lined a base-hit into left-center to score two Falcons and give his dugout a lead of 6-1.
Picking Up Where He Left Off
-In his first 13 games, Sam Kulasingam is 25-53 (.472) with 6 RBI.
-The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year is currently one of only 11 players in Division I with at least 25 hits thus far in 2023
-He's also one of 30 DI players with a batting average of .472 or better.
-The junior's eight multi-hit games lead the team.
-Kulasingam is currently riding a nine-game on-base streak, as well as an eight-game hitting streak.
A Senior Standout
-Matt Thompson has started each of the last nine games, and has secured himself a position in the everyday lineup.
-Thompson has managed at least one hit in seven of his nine starts, including five multi-hit games.
-Thompson has reached base in each of the last seven games.
-The senior is also 9-17 (.529) when leading off an inning.
#BOMBason is Back
-After leading Air Force with 16 home runs a season ago, Jay Thomason looks to again be a consistent power threat.
-Thomason again owns the team lead in home runs (5), and is one of only two Falcons with an OPS north of 1.000.
-Thomason's 15 RBI also lead the dugout.
-He also leads the club with three multi-RBI games.
Shimmy Shimmy Ya
-Seungmin Shim has excelled in his first three starts of 2023.
-The junior's 1.59 ERA leads the Falcons weekend rotation, as does his 0.82 WHIP.
-In his 17.0 IP, 53% of his outs have come via the ground ball.
-In a dramatic reverse split, Shim has held righties to just a .143 BA (6-42).
Ol' Reliable
-Reliever Duke Benge has amassed eight appearances in Air Force's first 13 games.
-He's one of only 15 DI pitchers with at least eight appearances in 2023.
Missed Opportunities
-In Air Force's first 526 plate appearances, the Falcons have struck out 139 times (26.4%).
-As well, the Falcons are currently hitless with the bases loaded this season, going 0-17 in said opportunities.
-With runners in scoring position, Air Force is hitting at only a .245 clip.
Up Next
-Following the Falcons time in New Mexico, Air Force will travel to Ruston to play Louisiana Tech for a midweek series starting March 14.
Fri: at New Mexico, March 4, 6:00 pm MT
Sat: at New Mexico, March 5, 2:00 pm MT
Sun: at New Mexico, March 6, 12:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-Air Force and New Mexico have met 204 times since 1957, with Air Force garnering a 55-149 record against the Lobos.
-A season ago, the Falcons and Lobos split six appearances with both teams managing a 3-3 record.
-On May 19, 2022, Air Force defeated New Mexico 25-6, setting multiple records in the process.
-The victory is the largest winning margin (19 runs) in a conference game for Air Force since joining the Mountain West.
-The Falcons 29 hits were also a single game Mountain West program record, as were Air Force's 51 total bases, extra-base hits (12) and 25 RBIs.
Pitching Probables
Fri: RHP Jr. Doyle Gehring (1-1, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP Sr. Riley Egloff (3-0, 2.65 ERA)
Sat: RHP So. Dylan Rogers (0-2, 7.07 ERA) vs. RHP Sr. Tristan Lively (2-1, 4.50 ERA)
Sun: LHP Jr. Seungmin Shim (2-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. RHP Jr. Isaac Gallegos (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
Projected Lineup
1. R/R, Matt Thompson, LF (.341/.386/.512)
2. S/R, Sam Kulasingam, 1B (.472/.548/.679)
3. L/R, Jake Greiving, DH (.211/.237/.333)
4. R/R, Chase Spencer, RF (.250/.407/.545)
5. L/R, Jay Thomason, 3B (.250/.357/.646)
6. R/R, Trayden Tamiya, 2B (.320/.70/.440)
7. R/R, Aerik Joe, SS (.245/.315/.347)
8. S/R, Landon Boyd, C (.125/.243/.219)
9. L/R, Blake Covin, CF (.103/.161/.103)
The Previous Series (Charleston Round Robin)
Game One
-March 3 could be marked as the Falcons best team performance of the young season, as Air Force slugged five home runs on its way to a 12-4 win at Charleston Southern.
-Jake Greiving had his best day at the plate thus far, going 3-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs. Greiving's solo home run in the 5th stands as his first long ball of the spring. Friday marks a season-high in hits for Greiving, while also becoming his first three-hit game since Air Force's win over Louisiana Tech in the NCAA Regionals on June 5, 2022.
-Like Greiving, Sam Kulasingam connected on his first home run this season too, a solo shot to lead off the 5th. Kulasingam finished 2-5 with a double and two runs scored as well.
-Jay Thomason launched his fifth dinger of 2023, capping a three-homer 5th inning for Air Force. After Kulasingam and Greiving went back-to-back to start the inning, Thomason punctuated the frame with a solo blast of his own. Thomason's five home runs lead all players in the Mountain West Conference.
-Landon Boyd's first-career home run pushed the Air Force lead to 11-4 in the 7th, as the sophomore sent a three-run blast deep into the Charleston night.
-Chris Stallings' lone hit of the night was a big one, as the junior deposited his third home run of the season over the left field fence in the 4th.
Eight of Air Force's nine starters managed at least one hit, while the Falcons 12 runs become a season-best.
-Doyle Gehring was rock-solid in his third start of the spring, as the junior picked up his first win of the season. Gehring allowed a two-out, three-run home run in the 4th, but otherwise handled the Buccaneers. Gehring lasted 5.0 innings, surrendering just four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
-Sawyer Hawks took over in the 6th and dominated in his two innings of work. The sophomore struck out five of the eight batters he faced.
Game Two
-The Falcons fell victim to a powerful Cougars lineup, as Air Force was on the wrong end of a 14-6 score on March 4.
-Matt Thompson added three hits out of the leadoff spot, as the top position in the order is quickly becoming his home. The senior was 3-5, including a two-run triple in the 3rd.
-Sam Kulasingam and Trayden Tamiya each had a pair of hits, while Jake Greiving and Aaron Reyes managed RBI singles.
-Seungmin Shim was solid yet again, allowing just one earned run over his 5.0 innings of work. The junior forced Charleston Southern into a lot of soft contact, as 12 of his 15 outs were ground ball outs.
Game Three
-Air Force managed to come back from two runs down in the 9th inning, as well as take the lead in extra-innings, but the Falcons were unable to keep the Buccaneers at bay in Sunday's 7-6 loss.
-Jay Thomason was the lone Falcon with multiple hits, including a game-tying, two-run double with two outs in the 9th. Thomason reached base in four of six plate appearances after getting plunked in his first two trips to the plate.
-Freshmen T.J. Oster and Jack Bello provided clutch RBI hits in their only at-bats. Oster drove home Thomason in the 9th to give Air Force a 5-4 lead, while Bello came off the bench in the 10th, sending a run-scoring base-hit to send the Falcons in front 6-5 in the 10th.
-Aerik Joe was 1-3 with two walks, as his RBI single in the 6th tied the game at 2-2.
Game Four
-The Falcons built an early lead and rode it all the way through the finish, as Air Force bested Michigan State 7-4 on Monday.
-Jake Sansing made the weekday start and was phenomenal. The senior gave the Falcons a career-high 6.0 strong innings, allowing just one run on five hits. Sansing had just one walk to four strikeouts, and was credited with his first win of the season.
-Aerik Joe had a breakout game at the plate, as all three of his hits were of the extra-base variety (2 2B's, 1 3B). Joe also drove home three runs and scored twice.
-Sam Kulasingam was up to usual antics, going 3-4 with a double and a run batted in. Matt Thompson and Trayden Tamiya each had two hits as well, with Thompson providing a RBI in the 2nd following an infield single.
-Chase Spencer provided Air Force with important insurance runs in the 6th, as the sophomore lined a base-hit into left-center to score two Falcons and give his dugout a lead of 6-1.
Picking Up Where He Left Off
-In his first 13 games, Sam Kulasingam is 25-53 (.472) with 6 RBI.
-The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year is currently one of only 11 players in Division I with at least 25 hits thus far in 2023
-He's also one of 30 DI players with a batting average of .472 or better.
-The junior's eight multi-hit games lead the team.
-Kulasingam is currently riding a nine-game on-base streak, as well as an eight-game hitting streak.
A Senior Standout
-Matt Thompson has started each of the last nine games, and has secured himself a position in the everyday lineup.
-Thompson has managed at least one hit in seven of his nine starts, including five multi-hit games.
-Thompson has reached base in each of the last seven games.
-The senior is also 9-17 (.529) when leading off an inning.
#BOMBason is Back
-After leading Air Force with 16 home runs a season ago, Jay Thomason looks to again be a consistent power threat.
-Thomason again owns the team lead in home runs (5), and is one of only two Falcons with an OPS north of 1.000.
-Thomason's 15 RBI also lead the dugout.
-He also leads the club with three multi-RBI games.
Shimmy Shimmy Ya
-Seungmin Shim has excelled in his first three starts of 2023.
-The junior's 1.59 ERA leads the Falcons weekend rotation, as does his 0.82 WHIP.
-In his 17.0 IP, 53% of his outs have come via the ground ball.
-In a dramatic reverse split, Shim has held righties to just a .143 BA (6-42).
Ol' Reliable
-Reliever Duke Benge has amassed eight appearances in Air Force's first 13 games.
-He's one of only 15 DI pitchers with at least eight appearances in 2023.
Missed Opportunities
-In Air Force's first 526 plate appearances, the Falcons have struck out 139 times (26.4%).
-As well, the Falcons are currently hitless with the bases loaded this season, going 0-17 in said opportunities.
-With runners in scoring position, Air Force is hitting at only a .245 clip.
Up Next
-Following the Falcons time in New Mexico, Air Force will travel to Ruston to play Louisiana Tech for a midweek series starting March 14.
Players Mentioned
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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
