Air Force Baseball Visits Vance Air Force Base in Honor of Lt Travis Wilkie '18
3/25/2026 10:54:00 AM | Baseball
ENID, Okla., - The Falcons' trip to Enid is bigger than baseball as they will be visiting Vance Air Force Base, a place close to the heart of Air Force.
"We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play in Enid, Okla., and thankful to Oral Roberts for agreeing. This trip is about so much more than a game," explained head coach Mike Kazlausky.
For the majority of baseball cadets, the dream is to one day sit in the cockpit of a jet and serve something greater than themselves. There is no better place to bring that dream into focus than Vance. This AFB is where the journey truly begins, as it did for Kazlausky in 1992 in the UPT Class of 1993-2004.
While at Vance AFB, the cadets will receive a commander's brief, fly simulators, walk the flightline, hear what it takes to earn their wings, and experience what their future could hold.
However, the heart of this trip goes deeper. The Falcons are in Enid to honor Lt Travis Wilkie, a 2018 USAFA baseball graduate, who gave his life in an aircraft mishap alongside Lt Col John "Matt" Kincade. His story is not just one of loss as it is one of commitment, courage, and sacrifice to serve our country. It is a reminder of the weight of the profession the cadets are choosing.
Air Force selects a player every season to wear #20, Wilkie's number. For the 2026 season, Cam Anstey bears the number and provided some comments on what that honor is to him, "Lt Travis B. Wilkie, a man who came before us, who raised his hand and said 'I will go'. He was more than a baseball player, he was a man of integrity and drive, someone we should all look up to."
Anstey said, "Stepping on the field with #20 on is nothing short of a privilege, it is earned everyday." The junior remembers his first visit to the Academy in 2021 when Coach Kaz talked about Wilkie with the highest regard. Anstey reflected on the ways in which Kaz spoke of his former player and quickly realized that USAFA was not just about baseball, "It is about waking up everyday and doing everything you can to become a man like Travis. We are becoming professionals, cultivating leadership, and most importantly striving for integrity, not only in military service but everything we do."
"As we follow in his footsteps as Air Force Academy baseball players it is not only important that we honor his legacy, but we keep it going. Number 20 does not represent baseball; it represents a spirit, a fire for life, and the want to use everyday you have been given for greatness. Travis went looking for challenges, being average was simply not good enough and he set a tone for what life should look like. This program will never forget the life Travis lived, and nobody else should either."
Coach Kazlausky wants his cadets to feel and understand the path they are choosing has been walked by men of character and conviction and wants them to remember that wearing the uniform carries responsibility, risk, and purpose beyond themselves.
He explained, "This trip is about ensuring they never forget because in the end, this is bigger than baseball."
"We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play in Enid, Okla., and thankful to Oral Roberts for agreeing. This trip is about so much more than a game," explained head coach Mike Kazlausky.
For the majority of baseball cadets, the dream is to one day sit in the cockpit of a jet and serve something greater than themselves. There is no better place to bring that dream into focus than Vance. This AFB is where the journey truly begins, as it did for Kazlausky in 1992 in the UPT Class of 1993-2004.
While at Vance AFB, the cadets will receive a commander's brief, fly simulators, walk the flightline, hear what it takes to earn their wings, and experience what their future could hold.
However, the heart of this trip goes deeper. The Falcons are in Enid to honor Lt Travis Wilkie, a 2018 USAFA baseball graduate, who gave his life in an aircraft mishap alongside Lt Col John "Matt" Kincade. His story is not just one of loss as it is one of commitment, courage, and sacrifice to serve our country. It is a reminder of the weight of the profession the cadets are choosing.
Air Force selects a player every season to wear #20, Wilkie's number. For the 2026 season, Cam Anstey bears the number and provided some comments on what that honor is to him, "Lt Travis B. Wilkie, a man who came before us, who raised his hand and said 'I will go'. He was more than a baseball player, he was a man of integrity and drive, someone we should all look up to."
Anstey said, "Stepping on the field with #20 on is nothing short of a privilege, it is earned everyday." The junior remembers his first visit to the Academy in 2021 when Coach Kaz talked about Wilkie with the highest regard. Anstey reflected on the ways in which Kaz spoke of his former player and quickly realized that USAFA was not just about baseball, "It is about waking up everyday and doing everything you can to become a man like Travis. We are becoming professionals, cultivating leadership, and most importantly striving for integrity, not only in military service but everything we do."
"As we follow in his footsteps as Air Force Academy baseball players it is not only important that we honor his legacy, but we keep it going. Number 20 does not represent baseball; it represents a spirit, a fire for life, and the want to use everyday you have been given for greatness. Travis went looking for challenges, being average was simply not good enough and he set a tone for what life should look like. This program will never forget the life Travis lived, and nobody else should either."
Coach Kazlausky wants his cadets to feel and understand the path they are choosing has been walked by men of character and conviction and wants them to remember that wearing the uniform carries responsibility, risk, and purpose beyond themselves.
He explained, "This trip is about ensuring they never forget because in the end, this is bigger than baseball."
Players Mentioned
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