Friday, February 28
2 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Army
Air Force Prepares to Host Army in Weekend Series
2/27/2025 3:18:00 PM | Baseball
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo., - For the first time since 1993, Air Force will battle with Army on their home turf, from Friday, February 28 – March 2, at Erdle Field.
Schedule
Fri: vs. Army, 2:00 p.m. MT
Sat: vs. Army, 1:00 p.m. MT
Sun: vs. Army, 12:00 p.m. MT
Wings of Blue are set to make appearances on Friday and Saturday during pregame.
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Erdle Field
With the anticipation of great crowds during the 2025 Air Force baseball season, fans are encouraged to bring a folding chair to enjoy the game from the third base line, and other areas around Erdle Field, when the first base bleachers reach capacity.
Base Access
The U.S. Air Force Academy processes to access the installation continue to affect athletic events. While the installation remains open, if you do not have a DoD ID card you will need to obtain a pass to enter the base. Ticket holders wishing to attend can request a base pass by using this link. Once you register, you will receive a message with a QR code on your phone to present at the gate when entering the Academy. Fans will present game tickets when entering each venue. All ticketed/credentialed attendees will need to enter through the North Gate only to get to Erdle Field.
Series History
-The first meeting of the two service academies took place on March 27, 1974, ending with a Falcon win, 5-3.
-The two teams did not see each other for eight seasons, until March 19, 1983 where Air Force marked a 10-1 win.
-The most recent matchup was March 2, 2024 in the Battle at the Ballpark, held in Sugar Land, TX. The Black Knights took the game in a 13-2 win.
-Air Force holds a winning record of 25-12.
-Over time the Falcons have outscored the Black Knights, 220-172.
-The most runs scored by Air Force against Army came in a 19-7 victory on March 18, 1995.
-Across the last five meetings, the Falcons have gone 2-3 against Army.
-This is only the second time in program history that Air Force will host Army at home.
-The last time the Falcons played Army at USAFA was a four-game series in 1993 that AF won, 3-1.
Pitching Probables (2025 Stats)
Fri: RHP Dylan Rogers (0-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Lehman (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Sat: RHP Gaines Estridge (0-1, 5.63 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Berg (0-0, 1.93 ERA)
Sun: RHP John Mitchell (1-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Brownlee (0-2, 2.16 ERA)
Projected Lineup (2025 OPS)
1. R/R, Alex Adams, 3B (.514 OPS)
2. R/R, Walker Zapp, C (1.149 OPS)
3. L/L, Tripp Garrish, DH (.764 OPS)
4. R/R, Luke Elmore, LF (.519 OPS)
5. R/R, T.J. Oster, 2B (.361 OPS)
6. R/R, Zach Peters, RF (.396 OPS)
7. R/R, Christian Taylor, CF (.392 OPS)
8. R/R, Cam Anstey, 1B (.611 OPS)
9. L/R, Ben Niednagel, SS (.730 OPS)
Air Force vs. Northern Colorado Disclaimer
-Air Force faced Northern Colorado on Tuesday Feb. 25th at Erdle Field.
-The teams played through the ninth inning, but ended with a level, 10-10 board.
-Due to insufficient lighting, the extra innings were suspended and will be played at the next meeting between the Bears and the Falcons.
-With the game technically incomplete, none of the stats from the nine innings will count towards Air Force players' season reports until the game is finished later this season.
Mountain West Pitcher of the Week
-Dylan Rogers has assumed the Friday night spot, after serving as a weekend starter last season.
-He faced Navy in the first game of the Freedom Classic, where he threw 7.0 innings and allowed the only two unearned runs of the 3-2 win.
-He went three up, three down in three frames.
-The RHP tied his career high nine strikeouts in a single game.
-His efforts on the mound against Navy earned him Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honors.
-Rogers not only serves as the Friday night guy, but also as one of the team captains.
-As the starting pitcher in the first game of 2025 at No. 10 Florida, Rogers went 4.0 innings and faced 21 batters.
-Rogers currently leads the Falcon pitching staff with 11 strikeouts on the season, and has only given up one walk.
-He is also the Falcon with the most innings pitched, at 11.0 with a record of 0-1.
Saturday Start
- Previous reliever, Gaines Estridge, has shifted
into the Saturday start slot for the Falcons.
-In game two against Navy, Estridge totaled a season-high 4.2 innings on the mound with three Ks, and two runs off two hits allowed.
-Estridge started Game 2 of the Florida series
and tied his career high after he threw 3.1 innings.
-The righty logged four strikeouts, but allowed
three earned runs off five hits.
- Last season, the RHP made 23 appearances
out of the bullpen.
- Estridge logged 26.2 innings pitched with 15
Ks, 11 walks, and an ERA of 8.10.
Sunday Funday
-John Mitchell, took his first collegiate start as a
freshman against Florida and has assumed the
role of Sunday starter.
-The freshman produced an impressive outing lastweekend against Navy.
-Mitchell took his second start of the season in game three.
-He went 5.2 innings, his most this season, and only allowed one run.
-The Cypress, TX., native sat down six Mids with Ks and issued only two walks, while allowing no extra base hits.
-During that outing, Mitchell tallied a 1.59 ERA.
-His first appearance was in game three at No. 10 Florida, where he went 4.2 innings on the mound with 1 K and four earned runs given up.
-Across the season so far, Mitchell holds an ERA of 4.35, marking seven total strikeouts five runs allowed, and a record of 1-1.
Zapp Attack
-Walker Zapp returned to the lineup after making 50 starts of 51 games played in 2024.
-The junior is batting a trio of team-bests with a BA of.400, a slugging percentage of .720, and an OPS of 1.149.
-He leads the team in hits, boasting 10 with five doubles and a home run for 6 RBIs.
-In game one against Navy, Zapp earned an RBI for sending the winning run across the plate in the top of the ninth, 3-2.
-In the game two 7-2 loss, Zapp was responsible for enabling the pair of runs to score, notching an RBI double and a sacrifice fly.
-Game three against Navy saw Zapp finish 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three scored runs.
-He knocked one out of the park for his first home run of 2025 at No. 15 Vanderbilt.
-Behind the plate, Zapp has marked 52 put outs on 58 chances, with five assists for a fielding percentage of .983.
-He has caught one runner stealing.
-Over the last five games, Zapp has tallied a perfect fielding percentage.
Mr. Adams
-Alex Adams has secured a start in all eight of Air Force's games, thus far.
-The freshman is batting .207, third-best of the Falcons with one double out of six hits.
-He accounts for three RBIs, one of which was a sacrifice fly in game two at No. 10 Florida, the second was in game three with an RBI double to put the Falcons on the board, and the third was in game one against Navy to help the Falcons secure a 3-2 win.
-Defensively, Adams began his season with Air Force at first base, but made the switch to protect third.
-Adams holds a perfect fielding percentage with 17 put outs, 13 assists, and three double plays.
-He marked a season-high eight put outs in the third game of the Florida series.
-On the base path, Adams accounts for two stolen bags this season.
Ben There, Done That
- Ben Niednagel, an Air Force baseball veteran, has earned his start at shortstop in all eight games of the 2025 season, so far.
-At the plate, the senior is batting .286 with six hits and one RBI.
-He has marked six total bases, and is 1-2 on stolen bags.
-In the field, Niednagel has accounted for a team-high 31 assists and tallied six successful double plays, but made one error for a .977 FLD%.
Schedule
Fri: vs. Army, 2:00 p.m. MT
Sat: vs. Army, 1:00 p.m. MT
Sun: vs. Army, 12:00 p.m. MT
Wings of Blue are set to make appearances on Friday and Saturday during pregame.
Broadcast Information
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Twitter: @AF_Baseball
Erdle Field
With the anticipation of great crowds during the 2025 Air Force baseball season, fans are encouraged to bring a folding chair to enjoy the game from the third base line, and other areas around Erdle Field, when the first base bleachers reach capacity.
Base Access
The U.S. Air Force Academy processes to access the installation continue to affect athletic events. While the installation remains open, if you do not have a DoD ID card you will need to obtain a pass to enter the base. Ticket holders wishing to attend can request a base pass by using this link. Once you register, you will receive a message with a QR code on your phone to present at the gate when entering the Academy. Fans will present game tickets when entering each venue. All ticketed/credentialed attendees will need to enter through the North Gate only to get to Erdle Field.
Series History
-The first meeting of the two service academies took place on March 27, 1974, ending with a Falcon win, 5-3.
-The two teams did not see each other for eight seasons, until March 19, 1983 where Air Force marked a 10-1 win.
-The most recent matchup was March 2, 2024 in the Battle at the Ballpark, held in Sugar Land, TX. The Black Knights took the game in a 13-2 win.
-Air Force holds a winning record of 25-12.
-Over time the Falcons have outscored the Black Knights, 220-172.
-The most runs scored by Air Force against Army came in a 19-7 victory on March 18, 1995.
-Across the last five meetings, the Falcons have gone 2-3 against Army.
-This is only the second time in program history that Air Force will host Army at home.
-The last time the Falcons played Army at USAFA was a four-game series in 1993 that AF won, 3-1.
Pitching Probables (2025 Stats)
Fri: RHP Dylan Rogers (0-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Lehman (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Sat: RHP Gaines Estridge (0-1, 5.63 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Berg (0-0, 1.93 ERA)
Sun: RHP John Mitchell (1-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Brownlee (0-2, 2.16 ERA)
Projected Lineup (2025 OPS)
1. R/R, Alex Adams, 3B (.514 OPS)
2. R/R, Walker Zapp, C (1.149 OPS)
3. L/L, Tripp Garrish, DH (.764 OPS)
4. R/R, Luke Elmore, LF (.519 OPS)
5. R/R, T.J. Oster, 2B (.361 OPS)
6. R/R, Zach Peters, RF (.396 OPS)
7. R/R, Christian Taylor, CF (.392 OPS)
8. R/R, Cam Anstey, 1B (.611 OPS)
9. L/R, Ben Niednagel, SS (.730 OPS)
Air Force vs. Northern Colorado Disclaimer
-Air Force faced Northern Colorado on Tuesday Feb. 25th at Erdle Field.
-The teams played through the ninth inning, but ended with a level, 10-10 board.
-Due to insufficient lighting, the extra innings were suspended and will be played at the next meeting between the Bears and the Falcons.
-With the game technically incomplete, none of the stats from the nine innings will count towards Air Force players' season reports until the game is finished later this season.
Mountain West Pitcher of the Week
-Dylan Rogers has assumed the Friday night spot, after serving as a weekend starter last season.
-He faced Navy in the first game of the Freedom Classic, where he threw 7.0 innings and allowed the only two unearned runs of the 3-2 win.
-He went three up, three down in three frames.
-The RHP tied his career high nine strikeouts in a single game.
-His efforts on the mound against Navy earned him Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honors.
-Rogers not only serves as the Friday night guy, but also as one of the team captains.
-As the starting pitcher in the first game of 2025 at No. 10 Florida, Rogers went 4.0 innings and faced 21 batters.
-Rogers currently leads the Falcon pitching staff with 11 strikeouts on the season, and has only given up one walk.
-He is also the Falcon with the most innings pitched, at 11.0 with a record of 0-1.
Saturday Start
- Previous reliever, Gaines Estridge, has shifted
into the Saturday start slot for the Falcons.
-In game two against Navy, Estridge totaled a season-high 4.2 innings on the mound with three Ks, and two runs off two hits allowed.
-Estridge started Game 2 of the Florida series
and tied his career high after he threw 3.1 innings.
-The righty logged four strikeouts, but allowed
three earned runs off five hits.
- Last season, the RHP made 23 appearances
out of the bullpen.
- Estridge logged 26.2 innings pitched with 15
Ks, 11 walks, and an ERA of 8.10.
Sunday Funday
-John Mitchell, took his first collegiate start as a
freshman against Florida and has assumed the
role of Sunday starter.
-The freshman produced an impressive outing lastweekend against Navy.
-Mitchell took his second start of the season in game three.
-He went 5.2 innings, his most this season, and only allowed one run.
-The Cypress, TX., native sat down six Mids with Ks and issued only two walks, while allowing no extra base hits.
-During that outing, Mitchell tallied a 1.59 ERA.
-His first appearance was in game three at No. 10 Florida, where he went 4.2 innings on the mound with 1 K and four earned runs given up.
-Across the season so far, Mitchell holds an ERA of 4.35, marking seven total strikeouts five runs allowed, and a record of 1-1.
Zapp Attack
-Walker Zapp returned to the lineup after making 50 starts of 51 games played in 2024.
-The junior is batting a trio of team-bests with a BA of.400, a slugging percentage of .720, and an OPS of 1.149.
-He leads the team in hits, boasting 10 with five doubles and a home run for 6 RBIs.
-In game one against Navy, Zapp earned an RBI for sending the winning run across the plate in the top of the ninth, 3-2.
-In the game two 7-2 loss, Zapp was responsible for enabling the pair of runs to score, notching an RBI double and a sacrifice fly.
-Game three against Navy saw Zapp finish 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three scored runs.
-He knocked one out of the park for his first home run of 2025 at No. 15 Vanderbilt.
-Behind the plate, Zapp has marked 52 put outs on 58 chances, with five assists for a fielding percentage of .983.
-He has caught one runner stealing.
-Over the last five games, Zapp has tallied a perfect fielding percentage.
Mr. Adams
-Alex Adams has secured a start in all eight of Air Force's games, thus far.
-The freshman is batting .207, third-best of the Falcons with one double out of six hits.
-He accounts for three RBIs, one of which was a sacrifice fly in game two at No. 10 Florida, the second was in game three with an RBI double to put the Falcons on the board, and the third was in game one against Navy to help the Falcons secure a 3-2 win.
-Defensively, Adams began his season with Air Force at first base, but made the switch to protect third.
-Adams holds a perfect fielding percentage with 17 put outs, 13 assists, and three double plays.
-He marked a season-high eight put outs in the third game of the Florida series.
-On the base path, Adams accounts for two stolen bags this season.
Ben There, Done That
- Ben Niednagel, an Air Force baseball veteran, has earned his start at shortstop in all eight games of the 2025 season, so far.
-At the plate, the senior is batting .286 with six hits and one RBI.
-He has marked six total bases, and is 1-2 on stolen bags.
-In the field, Niednagel has accounted for a team-high 31 assists and tallied six successful double plays, but made one error for a .977 FLD%.
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
UT
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OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
UT/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
UT
/ Baseball
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