Friday, April 28
USAFA, CO
3:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
San Jose State University
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Falcons take on conference-leading Spartans
4/27/2023 4:35:00 PM | Baseball
Schedule
Fri: vs. San Jose State, April 28, 3:00 pm MT
Sat: vs. San Jose State, April 29, 12:00 pm MT
Sun: vs. San Jose State, April 30, 12:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Television: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-Since 1959, Air Force is 32-21 against San Jose State.
-The Falcons took two of three games against the Spartans in San Jose earlier this season.
-Air Force is 9-2 against San Jose State in the last 11 games at Falcon Field since 2019.
Pitching Probables
Fri: RHP Sr. Jake Sansing (4-3. 3.23 ERA) vs. RHP RS-Sr. Jonathan Clark (2-2, 4.94 ERA)
Sat: RHP Jr. Doyle Gehring (2-3, 6.43 ERA) vs. LHP RS-Jr. Micky Thompson (2-2, 3.33 ERA)
Sun: RHP So. Dylan Rogers (2-4, 6.49 ERA) vs. TBA
Projected Lineup
1. L/R, Blake Covin, CF (.717 OPS)
2. S/R, Sam Kulasingam, 1B (1.181 OPS)
3. L/R, Jay Thomason, 3B (1.029 OPS)
4. L/R, Jake Greiving, DH (.731 OPS)
5. R/R Chase Spencer, RF (.817 OPS)
6. R/R, Trayden Tamiya, 2B (.853 OPS)
7. R/R, Aerik Joe, SS (.746 OPS)
8. R/R, Chris Stallings, LF (.695 OPS)
9. S/R, Landon Boyd, C (.761 OPS)
Last Series (vs. New Mexico)
Game One
-The Falcons put an end to their four-game losing streak on Friday, as Jake Sansing went 7.0 strong innings to guide Air Force to a 9-6 win.
-Sansing allowed a two-run home run in the 1st, but tossed six-consecutive shutout innings the rest of the way. Sansing, who allowed just five hits with five strikeouts, has completed 23.0 IP over his last three starts, accumulating a lowly 2.35 ERA since moving into the weekend rotation.
-Jay Thomason opened the scoring for Air Force in the 4th, launching his 14th home run of the spring. Thomason's 14 home runs remains tops in the Mountain West. Thomason finished 3-5, falling short of a triple for the cycle.
-Chris Stallings pinch-hit for Matt Thompson in the 6th, and with the bases-loaded, the junior lined a double off of the right field wall to give Air Force its first lead of the afternoon. Stallings finished 2-2 with a career-high 4 RBI after also poking a two-run single in the 7th.
-Trayden Tamiya was a perfect 4-4, collecting 2 RBI with a double as part of a four-run Air Force 7th inning. Friday marks just the second four-hit day of Tamiya's Air Force tenure.
-Jake Greiving was 1-4 with a RBI, while Landon Boyd finished 1-2, proving a RBI with a sac fly.
-Sam Kulasingam maintained his on-base streak which now sits at 36-consecutive games. Kulasingam was 2-5 with a triple, while Aerik Joe extended his on-base streak to 15 games after a 2-3 day.
-Trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the 4th, the Falcons reeled off nine unanswered runs, as Air Force scored four runs in both the 6th and 7th innings.
Game Two
-Air Force was largely shutdown by the New Mexico pitching staff, while conversely the Falcon arms struggled to put away hitters, as the Lobos took the Falcons to task in the 12-1 loss.
-Sam Kulasingam was 2-4 with a double, as his on-base streak stands at 37-consecutive games. Kulasingam drove in the Falcons lone run of the game with a RBI two-bagger in the 8th.
-Chase Spencer was the only other Air Force player with multiple hits, also going 2-4.
-Jay Thomason, Trayden Tamiya, Aerik Joe,Chris Stallings, and Blake Covin each managed base-hits.
-Doyle Gehring looked poised to have a strong day after the first two innings, but in the 3rd, the gears loosened. After retiring the leadoff batter, Gehring surrendered a walk and consecutive base-hits before a three-run home run saw the Lobos jump out to a 6-0 lead.
-Gehring's line finalized after 3.0 IP, allowing six runs (five earned) with five hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Game Three
-Trailing 7-1 into the 3rd, the Falcons managed 12 unanswered runs to complete the comeback bid and secure the series win, besting the Lobos 13-8.
-Chase Spencer was 3-4 with a triple to finish the doubleheader with five hits in eight at-bats, driving in three runs in Game Two. Jake Greiving also had 3 RBI, going 2-4 with a double. Aerik Joe also had three hits in four at-bats, including a double.
-Trayden Tamiya provided the go-ahead home run in the 7th, knocking his second long ball of the spring to give Air Force a 8-7 lead.
-Sam Kulasingam was 2-5 with two walks, as his on-base streak stays alive at 38 games. Kulasingam poked his fourth home run of the spring the 1st to give the Falcons an early 1-0 lead.
-Jake Greiving carried his momentum from earlier in the day into the series finale, going 2-4 with a double and 3 RBI.
-Jay Thomason drove in a run with a base-hit in the 7th as well.
-Dylan Rogers surrendered a pair of home runs to account for six of his seven runs allowed, as the sophomore was relieved by Seungmin Shim in the 4th.
-Shim was excellent en route to picking up his fourth win of the spring. The southpaw entered with his team facing a 7-2 deficit and didn't give up a run over his 4.0 IP. Shim issued just three hits with four strikeouts.
-With Air Force trailing 7-3 in the 6th, Air Force took advantage of two Lobos errors to trim the lead to 7-6 before a seven-run 7th saw the hosts jump out to a 13-7 advantage.
A Walking Hit
-In 42 games, Sam Kulasingam owns a .418 BA, the second-best mark among Mountain West players and 15th overall in Division I.
-The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year is also one of only six players in Division I with at least 71 hits thus far in 2023.
-The junior's 25 multi-hit games lead the team.
-Kulasingam is currently riding a 38-game on-base streak, having reached base in 41 of 42 games this season.
-Kulasingam also is tied for second in DI with 21 doubles.
-A master of bat control, Kulasingam also owns more than twice as many walks (34) than strikeouts (14).
-Kulasingam has struck out in only 6.7% of his plate appearances this spring.
-His 34 walks are best in the conference.
-Kulasingam's 112 total bases lead the MW, as does his 1.181 OPS.
-The junior's durability has never been in question, as Kulaisngam has started 108-consecutive games.
#BOMBason is Back
-After leading Air Force with 16 home runs a season ago, Jay Thomason has maintained his status as a power threat.
-Thomason again owns the team lead in home runs (14), and is behind only Kulasingam with a 1.029 OPS.
-Thomason currently leads the conference in home runs with 14.
-Thomason's 100 total bases are second-most behind Kulasingam in the MW.
-Thomason's 42 RBI are also second-most in the Mountain West.
The Captain
-Trayden Tamiya has been one the Falcons most consistent offensive threats.
-Tamiya's .343 average is second to only Kulasingam among Falcons.
-Tamiya's 60 hits are second-most in the conference.
-Tamiya has been charged with just one error in 183 chances at second base, as his 126 assists lead the Mountain West.
-Another Iron Man, Tamiya has started 103-consecutive games.
C2C Success
-Jake Greiving sits in a tie for 4th-most doubles in Division I with 19.
-Aerik Joe has reached base in 17-consecutive games.
Sansing the MANsing
-Jake Sansing, after starting the year in the bullpen, has transitioned to the Friday role for the Falcons.
-In his three weekend starts, Sansing has provided 23.0 IP with a 2.35 ERA.
-Over Sansing's last six appearances, the senior has recorded a 2.64 ERA.
-Sansing's 19 runs allowed this season are the second-lowest among qualified pitchers in the MW.
-Air Force is 5-1 in games started by Sansing.
-Sansing is the only Falcon pitcher to complete 8.0 IP on the mound this season, doing so twice.
-His 5.1% walk percentage is the best among Air Force hurlers.
Bird of Prey
-Air Force closer Sawyer Hawks has allowed just one run in his last four appearances.
-In those four games, Hawks has 14 strikeouts over his last 7.1 IP.
-The big righty leads the Falcons with a strikeout percentage of 32.1%.
-Hawks has also amassed a 87.1% left-on base percentage, leading the team.
-He's one of only four pitchers in the MW with at least four saves.
Ol' Reliable
-Reliever Duke Benge has amassed 22 appearances in Air Force's first 42 games.
-He's one of only 29 DI pitchers with at least 22 appearances in 2023.
Up Next
-Following the Falcons series against the Spartans, Air Force will host Northern Colorado for a single game on Wednesday May 3.
Fri: vs. San Jose State, April 28, 3:00 pm MT
Sat: vs. San Jose State, April 29, 12:00 pm MT
Sun: vs. San Jose State, April 30, 12:00 pm MT
Broadcast Information
Television: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Series History
-Since 1959, Air Force is 32-21 against San Jose State.
-The Falcons took two of three games against the Spartans in San Jose earlier this season.
-Air Force is 9-2 against San Jose State in the last 11 games at Falcon Field since 2019.
Pitching Probables
Fri: RHP Sr. Jake Sansing (4-3. 3.23 ERA) vs. RHP RS-Sr. Jonathan Clark (2-2, 4.94 ERA)
Sat: RHP Jr. Doyle Gehring (2-3, 6.43 ERA) vs. LHP RS-Jr. Micky Thompson (2-2, 3.33 ERA)
Sun: RHP So. Dylan Rogers (2-4, 6.49 ERA) vs. TBA
Projected Lineup
1. L/R, Blake Covin, CF (.717 OPS)
2. S/R, Sam Kulasingam, 1B (1.181 OPS)
3. L/R, Jay Thomason, 3B (1.029 OPS)
4. L/R, Jake Greiving, DH (.731 OPS)
5. R/R Chase Spencer, RF (.817 OPS)
6. R/R, Trayden Tamiya, 2B (.853 OPS)
7. R/R, Aerik Joe, SS (.746 OPS)
8. R/R, Chris Stallings, LF (.695 OPS)
9. S/R, Landon Boyd, C (.761 OPS)
Last Series (vs. New Mexico)
Game One
-The Falcons put an end to their four-game losing streak on Friday, as Jake Sansing went 7.0 strong innings to guide Air Force to a 9-6 win.
-Sansing allowed a two-run home run in the 1st, but tossed six-consecutive shutout innings the rest of the way. Sansing, who allowed just five hits with five strikeouts, has completed 23.0 IP over his last three starts, accumulating a lowly 2.35 ERA since moving into the weekend rotation.
-Jay Thomason opened the scoring for Air Force in the 4th, launching his 14th home run of the spring. Thomason's 14 home runs remains tops in the Mountain West. Thomason finished 3-5, falling short of a triple for the cycle.
-Chris Stallings pinch-hit for Matt Thompson in the 6th, and with the bases-loaded, the junior lined a double off of the right field wall to give Air Force its first lead of the afternoon. Stallings finished 2-2 with a career-high 4 RBI after also poking a two-run single in the 7th.
-Trayden Tamiya was a perfect 4-4, collecting 2 RBI with a double as part of a four-run Air Force 7th inning. Friday marks just the second four-hit day of Tamiya's Air Force tenure.
-Jake Greiving was 1-4 with a RBI, while Landon Boyd finished 1-2, proving a RBI with a sac fly.
-Sam Kulasingam maintained his on-base streak which now sits at 36-consecutive games. Kulasingam was 2-5 with a triple, while Aerik Joe extended his on-base streak to 15 games after a 2-3 day.
-Trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the 4th, the Falcons reeled off nine unanswered runs, as Air Force scored four runs in both the 6th and 7th innings.
Game Two
-Air Force was largely shutdown by the New Mexico pitching staff, while conversely the Falcon arms struggled to put away hitters, as the Lobos took the Falcons to task in the 12-1 loss.
-Sam Kulasingam was 2-4 with a double, as his on-base streak stands at 37-consecutive games. Kulasingam drove in the Falcons lone run of the game with a RBI two-bagger in the 8th.
-Chase Spencer was the only other Air Force player with multiple hits, also going 2-4.
-Jay Thomason, Trayden Tamiya, Aerik Joe,Chris Stallings, and Blake Covin each managed base-hits.
-Doyle Gehring looked poised to have a strong day after the first two innings, but in the 3rd, the gears loosened. After retiring the leadoff batter, Gehring surrendered a walk and consecutive base-hits before a three-run home run saw the Lobos jump out to a 6-0 lead.
-Gehring's line finalized after 3.0 IP, allowing six runs (five earned) with five hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Game Three
-Trailing 7-1 into the 3rd, the Falcons managed 12 unanswered runs to complete the comeback bid and secure the series win, besting the Lobos 13-8.
-Chase Spencer was 3-4 with a triple to finish the doubleheader with five hits in eight at-bats, driving in three runs in Game Two. Jake Greiving also had 3 RBI, going 2-4 with a double. Aerik Joe also had three hits in four at-bats, including a double.
-Trayden Tamiya provided the go-ahead home run in the 7th, knocking his second long ball of the spring to give Air Force a 8-7 lead.
-Sam Kulasingam was 2-5 with two walks, as his on-base streak stays alive at 38 games. Kulasingam poked his fourth home run of the spring the 1st to give the Falcons an early 1-0 lead.
-Jake Greiving carried his momentum from earlier in the day into the series finale, going 2-4 with a double and 3 RBI.
-Jay Thomason drove in a run with a base-hit in the 7th as well.
-Dylan Rogers surrendered a pair of home runs to account for six of his seven runs allowed, as the sophomore was relieved by Seungmin Shim in the 4th.
-Shim was excellent en route to picking up his fourth win of the spring. The southpaw entered with his team facing a 7-2 deficit and didn't give up a run over his 4.0 IP. Shim issued just three hits with four strikeouts.
-With Air Force trailing 7-3 in the 6th, Air Force took advantage of two Lobos errors to trim the lead to 7-6 before a seven-run 7th saw the hosts jump out to a 13-7 advantage.
A Walking Hit
-In 42 games, Sam Kulasingam owns a .418 BA, the second-best mark among Mountain West players and 15th overall in Division I.
-The reigning Mountain West Player of the Year is also one of only six players in Division I with at least 71 hits thus far in 2023.
-The junior's 25 multi-hit games lead the team.
-Kulasingam is currently riding a 38-game on-base streak, having reached base in 41 of 42 games this season.
-Kulasingam also is tied for second in DI with 21 doubles.
-A master of bat control, Kulasingam also owns more than twice as many walks (34) than strikeouts (14).
-Kulasingam has struck out in only 6.7% of his plate appearances this spring.
-His 34 walks are best in the conference.
-Kulasingam's 112 total bases lead the MW, as does his 1.181 OPS.
-The junior's durability has never been in question, as Kulaisngam has started 108-consecutive games.
#BOMBason is Back
-After leading Air Force with 16 home runs a season ago, Jay Thomason has maintained his status as a power threat.
-Thomason again owns the team lead in home runs (14), and is behind only Kulasingam with a 1.029 OPS.
-Thomason currently leads the conference in home runs with 14.
-Thomason's 100 total bases are second-most behind Kulasingam in the MW.
-Thomason's 42 RBI are also second-most in the Mountain West.
The Captain
-Trayden Tamiya has been one the Falcons most consistent offensive threats.
-Tamiya's .343 average is second to only Kulasingam among Falcons.
-Tamiya's 60 hits are second-most in the conference.
-Tamiya has been charged with just one error in 183 chances at second base, as his 126 assists lead the Mountain West.
-Another Iron Man, Tamiya has started 103-consecutive games.
C2C Success
-Jake Greiving sits in a tie for 4th-most doubles in Division I with 19.
-Aerik Joe has reached base in 17-consecutive games.
Sansing the MANsing
-Jake Sansing, after starting the year in the bullpen, has transitioned to the Friday role for the Falcons.
-In his three weekend starts, Sansing has provided 23.0 IP with a 2.35 ERA.
-Over Sansing's last six appearances, the senior has recorded a 2.64 ERA.
-Sansing's 19 runs allowed this season are the second-lowest among qualified pitchers in the MW.
-Air Force is 5-1 in games started by Sansing.
-Sansing is the only Falcon pitcher to complete 8.0 IP on the mound this season, doing so twice.
-His 5.1% walk percentage is the best among Air Force hurlers.
Bird of Prey
-Air Force closer Sawyer Hawks has allowed just one run in his last four appearances.
-In those four games, Hawks has 14 strikeouts over his last 7.1 IP.
-The big righty leads the Falcons with a strikeout percentage of 32.1%.
-Hawks has also amassed a 87.1% left-on base percentage, leading the team.
-He's one of only four pitchers in the MW with at least four saves.
Ol' Reliable
-Reliever Duke Benge has amassed 22 appearances in Air Force's first 42 games.
-He's one of only 29 DI pitchers with at least 22 appearances in 2023.
Up Next
-Following the Falcons series against the Spartans, Air Force will host Northern Colorado for a single game on Wednesday May 3.
Players Mentioned
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IF/OF
/ BaseballFalcons win on senior day over New Mexico
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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
