Kulasingam repeats as MW Player of the Year, four more Falcons earn conference honors
5/25/2023 10:10:00 AM | Baseball
One year after becoming the first-ever Falcon to be named Tony Gwynn Mountain West Player of the Year, Sam Kulasingam is now just one of four players in conference history to repeat the honor.
On Thursday, Kulasingam was bestowed his second-consecutive Player of the Year acknowledgment after slashing .418/.542/.648 in 30 conference games. In Mountain West play, Kulasingam was tops among all players in batting average (.418), on-base percentage (.542), runs (38), and walks (30). His 51 hits during conference play was tied with Trayden Tamiya for the conference lead.
A First Team All-Conference selection as well, the switch-hitting savant managed at least one hit in 27 of his 30 Mountain West games, while reaching base in all of them.
Kulasingam joins C.J. Cron, Mitch Garver, and DJ Peterson as the only players to ever win multiple Mountain West Player of the Year honors. Cron won the award outright in 2010 and 2011, while Garver and Peterson split the honor in 2012 and 2013.
Trayden Tamiya parlayed his most successful campaign into First Team All-Conference honors, posting a .389/.415/.527 slash in 30 Mountain West games. Tamiya's .389 batting average was second only to Kulasingam, as the senior managed multiple hits in 18 of his 30 conference appearances.
A defensive highlight reel all his own, Tamiya committed just one error 127 chances in Mountain West games, as his .992 fielding percentage was best among full-time middle infielders within the conference.
A Preseason First Team All-Conference selection, Jay Thomason went beyond the hype. Thomason was named First Team All-Mountain West for the second-consecutive season, managing a healthy .345/.435/.714 slash line. The Air Force third baseman concluded conference play with a 1.149 OPS, third-highest among all players.
Thomason managed 11 of his 20 regular season home runs against Mountain West opponents while also slugging 11 doubles. The junior's 37 RBI were tied for the most in conference play, as his 41 hits were fifth-most.
In of the more monumental performances in conference history, Thomason proceeded to reach base in all seven of his plate appearances against San Jose State, knocking a career-high six hits with two home runs and a single game Mountain West program record 10 RBI. Thomason ended the ballgame after eight innings, as his walk-off grand slam forced the 10-run mercy rule into effect on April 30.
One of the most effective relievers in the league, Sawyer Hawks was rewarded with Second All-Conference honors following a breakout sophomore season.
The right-hander notched scoreless appearances in seven of his 12 conference games, as Hawks was only one of four pitchers with at least six saves in conference play.
Hawks proved to be the Falcons most-capable strikeout arm, averaging a 12.2 K/9 in 23.2 Mountain West innings.
In his final season of eligibility, Jake Sansing proceeded to put together his most impressive campaign in an Air Force uniform.
Sansing, a Second Team All-Mountain West selection, covered 52.2 innings in 10 conference games, as his 3.42 ERA in conference play was third-lowest among starting pitchers. His five wins were tied for the second-most within the conference, while his 20 earned runs allowed were fourth-fewest.
In his six starts against Mountain West opponents, Sansing managed at least 5.1 IP in all six games. Air Force was 5-1 in his six conference starts.
Air Force's five all-conference honorees following the 2023 season represents the most All-Mountain West selections in program history.
On Thursday, Kulasingam was bestowed his second-consecutive Player of the Year acknowledgment after slashing .418/.542/.648 in 30 conference games. In Mountain West play, Kulasingam was tops among all players in batting average (.418), on-base percentage (.542), runs (38), and walks (30). His 51 hits during conference play was tied with Trayden Tamiya for the conference lead.
A First Team All-Conference selection as well, the switch-hitting savant managed at least one hit in 27 of his 30 Mountain West games, while reaching base in all of them.
Kulasingam joins C.J. Cron, Mitch Garver, and DJ Peterson as the only players to ever win multiple Mountain West Player of the Year honors. Cron won the award outright in 2010 and 2011, while Garver and Peterson split the honor in 2012 and 2013.
Trayden Tamiya parlayed his most successful campaign into First Team All-Conference honors, posting a .389/.415/.527 slash in 30 Mountain West games. Tamiya's .389 batting average was second only to Kulasingam, as the senior managed multiple hits in 18 of his 30 conference appearances.
A defensive highlight reel all his own, Tamiya committed just one error 127 chances in Mountain West games, as his .992 fielding percentage was best among full-time middle infielders within the conference.
A Preseason First Team All-Conference selection, Jay Thomason went beyond the hype. Thomason was named First Team All-Mountain West for the second-consecutive season, managing a healthy .345/.435/.714 slash line. The Air Force third baseman concluded conference play with a 1.149 OPS, third-highest among all players.
Thomason managed 11 of his 20 regular season home runs against Mountain West opponents while also slugging 11 doubles. The junior's 37 RBI were tied for the most in conference play, as his 41 hits were fifth-most.
In of the more monumental performances in conference history, Thomason proceeded to reach base in all seven of his plate appearances against San Jose State, knocking a career-high six hits with two home runs and a single game Mountain West program record 10 RBI. Thomason ended the ballgame after eight innings, as his walk-off grand slam forced the 10-run mercy rule into effect on April 30.
One of the most effective relievers in the league, Sawyer Hawks was rewarded with Second All-Conference honors following a breakout sophomore season.
The right-hander notched scoreless appearances in seven of his 12 conference games, as Hawks was only one of four pitchers with at least six saves in conference play.
Hawks proved to be the Falcons most-capable strikeout arm, averaging a 12.2 K/9 in 23.2 Mountain West innings.
In his final season of eligibility, Jake Sansing proceeded to put together his most impressive campaign in an Air Force uniform.
Sansing, a Second Team All-Mountain West selection, covered 52.2 innings in 10 conference games, as his 3.42 ERA in conference play was third-lowest among starting pitchers. His five wins were tied for the second-most within the conference, while his 20 earned runs allowed were fourth-fewest.
In his six starts against Mountain West opponents, Sansing managed at least 5.1 IP in all six games. Air Force was 5-1 in his six conference starts.
Air Force's five all-conference honorees following the 2023 season represents the most All-Mountain West selections in program history.
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