Friday, April 17
Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark | Phoenix, AZ
8 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
at
Grand Canyon University
Falcons to Face Grand Canyon in Phoenix
4/16/2026 11:13:00 AM | Baseball
PHOENIX, Ariz., - After their perfect homestand, the Falcons (17-18, 8-4) are back on the road for a Mountain West series at Grand Canyon (12-24, 4-8) from April 17-19 at GCU Ballpark.
SCHEDULE
Friday April 17 | 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT
Saturday April 18 | 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT
Sunday April 19 | 12 p.m. PT/1 p.m. MT
MEDIA
Watch Live – Mountain West Network
Live Stats – StatBroadcast
Twitter - @AF_Baseball
Tickets
PROBABLE STARTERS (OPS)
Friday | Gaines Estridge (6.46) vs. JT Guerrero (6.31)
Saturday | Ethan Dillinger (10.62) vs. Chase Frey (4.36)
Sunday | TBD vs. TBD
ALL TIME VERSUS GRAND CANYON
GCU and Air Force have met 17 times when the programs were Western Athletic Conference opponents. The Lopes hold the winning 14-9 record from games played from 1995-1998. The most recent matchup, a three-game series from May 1-3, 1998 was a GCU sweep (12-10, 15-0, 6-3).
AIR FORCE RANKED NATIONALLY
Stolen Bases - 6th (112)
- 57th Tripp Garrish (18)
Stolen Bases/Game - 5th (3.20)
Runs - 17th (316)
35th Tripp Garrish (44)
Scoring - 12th (9.0)
OB% - 28th (.418)
10th Wyatt Hanoian (.538)
BA - 38th (.303)
Doubles - 14th (83)
Doubles/Game - 11th (2.37)
HOME SWEET HOME
The Falcons are a perfect 11-0 at Erdle Field after completing a 6-0 homestand and are just one of two NCAA DI teams to have an undefeated record at home, as Missouri State is 15-0 at home. Air Force's most consecutive home wins, 16, was in 1971 and this is the best home start since the Birds marked four consecutive home wins in 2021.
When at Erdle Field, the Falcons are batting .386 with a SLG% of .681 and have recorded 152 runs off 144 hits, including 21 homers, to outscore opponents 152-88. The pitching staff has tossed 92 innings on the bump with 78 strikeouts and have seen eight different hurlers pick up wins while Patrick Davidson and Sam Hentges earned two saves apiece.
CATCH US IF YOU CAN
The Birds have been a major threat on the bases this season, averaging 3.06 stolen bases per game for a total of 112, ranking sixth in the nation.
In games two and three at Nevada, Air Force stole nine bases in both games for a season high. The current program record for steals in a single game is 12. So far, the Falcons have stolen five or more bases in 12 different games and are on track to break the Academy season-record, which sits at 122 and was set in 1978 and 1979.
Tripp Garrish leads in stealing with 18, while Ben Niednagel follows close behind with 16. Kayden Bradshaw has stolen 14 while Luke Elmore accounts for 12.
BACK TO THE DOGHOUSE
The Birds recorded their second sweep and third MW series win after going 3-0 with a trio of come-from-behind wins against Fresno State. Over the series, the Birds batted .340 and totaled 35 runs with eight doubles, a triple, and three homers (including a grand slam).
Across 27 innings on the mound, the pitching staff logged 18 Ks and gave up 20 earned runs. Gaines Estridge, Charlie Russell, and Marcus Downing came out of the weekend with wins while Patrick Davidson and Sam Hentges picked up saves.
ZAPP IS BACK
Catcher Walker Zapp makes his return to the lineup, following a break in play due to injury. Zapp was the lone player to represent the Falcons on the 2026 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference team. He was also named the #44 backstop in the country by D1 Baseball.
The senior resumes play as the designated hitter batting .271 with 29 hits and team-second 36 RBIs. In the last six games, Zapp collected six runs off six hits for seven RBIs, three of which helped in the finale win over Fresno State.
A LITTLE BIT OF GARRISH
Tripp Garrish has played a pivotal role in Air Force's success this season, making an impact both as a designated hitter and in right field. At the plate, the senior ranks third on the team with a .338 batting average while leading the Falcons in hits (48), runs (44), home runs (7), and stolen bases (18), adding 35 RBIs. Garrish has recorded 12 multi-hit games this season and put together a nine-game hitting streak. He is currently riding a 12-game reached-base streak, continuing to be one of the team's most consistent offensive threats.
His top performance of the 2026 campaign came on March 13 in the conference opener against UNLV, where he powered the Falcons to a 16-5 run-rule victory. Garrish went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, scoring four runs and driving in four more in a dominant showing.
He followed that up with another strong outing on March 31 against Northern Colorado, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two doubles.
Against Utah Valley, the outfielder went 4-for-5 in the game one run-rule, with a pair of homers for eight RBIs, ranking fifth all-time at the Academy.
HANOIAN STAYS HOT
Wyatt Hanoian has been a mainstay in the lineup, starting all 33 games he's appeared in while emerging as one of Air Force's most productive bats. The freshman owns the highest average on the team at .372, totaling 35 runs, 42 hits, and 33 RBIs. He also leads the Falcons with a .538 on-base percentage (ranked 10th in the country), drawing the most hit-by-pitches and the second-most walks on the team. He is ranked the 104th hardest batter to strike out in NCAA DI. Hanoian currently holds the longest active reached-base streak at 23 games and leads the team with 10 multi-RBI performances and 13 multi-hit games.
During the UNLV series, Hanoian made a major impact, driving in seven runs while scoring six times. He stayed productive at Nevada in the designated hitter role, tallying five RBIs and four runs.
At Tarleton State, Hanoian paced the team with a .357 batting average, collecting five hits and three RBIs across the series. He capped off his stretch with a flawless performance in the series finale at San Diego State, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Against Fresno State, Hanoian batted .533 with eight hits and eight runs to mark the best OB% of .632.
STARTING SLOTS
Gaines Estridge (2-4) has been a steady presence in the rotation for Air Force, leading all Falcon pitchers with 47.1 innings pitched while totaling 33 strikeouts and a 6.46 ERA. The junior opened the season with back-to-back standout performances, beginning with six shutout innings and four strikeouts in a 15-3 win over Penn State. He followed that with a career effort against Navy, tossing seven innings with a personal-best 10 strikeouts. Estridge added five strikeouts over five innings at Baylor and turned in another strong outing at Tarleton State, going six innings while allowing just two earned runs and striking out four.
Most recently, Estridge earned his second season win, the fourth of his career, with a five-inning performance in game one against Fresno State. He struck out three Bulldogs and gave up just one run to help towards the 8-5 win.
Junior Ethan Dillinger (0-1) is set to take his fourth start of the season on Saturday against GCU. The LHP has totaled 20.1 innings on the mound with 11 appearances for 27 strikeouts and an ERA of 10.62. His most recent outing was his start against Fresno State where he went a season-high 4.2 frames with a trio of Ks.
A LOOK AT GRAND CANYON
The Lopes are 12-24 on the 2026 season and have compiled a Mountain West mark of 4-8. They were swept by Washington State, took one game from San Diego State and UNLV, and won the series over Fresno State.
The team is batting .260 and have been outscored by opponents 253-181 at the plate. Jake Sanko posts the highest average at .336 with 41 hits and 19 RBIs while Billy Scaldeferri marks team-highs in runs (20), hits (42), homers (6), and RBIs (28).
Defensively, Chase Frey, whom the Falcons will face on Saturday, leads the starters with a 4.36 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 43.1 IP. As a whole, the GCU pitching staff has totaled a team ERA of 6.74 and given up 389 hits.
SCHEDULE
Friday April 17 | 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT
Saturday April 18 | 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT
Sunday April 19 | 12 p.m. PT/1 p.m. MT
MEDIA
Watch Live – Mountain West Network
Live Stats – StatBroadcast
Twitter - @AF_Baseball
Tickets
PROBABLE STARTERS (OPS)
- Kayden Bradshaw, CF (.972)
- Ben Niednagel, SS (.941)
- Wyatt Hanoian, 2B (1.113)
- Walker Zapp, DH (.849)
- Tripp Garrish, RF (1.010)
- Luke Elmore, 1B (.828)
- Christian Taylor, LF (.570)
- Cole Jenkins, 3B (1.273)
- Van Klein, C (.600)
Friday | Gaines Estridge (6.46) vs. JT Guerrero (6.31)
Saturday | Ethan Dillinger (10.62) vs. Chase Frey (4.36)
Sunday | TBD vs. TBD
ALL TIME VERSUS GRAND CANYON
GCU and Air Force have met 17 times when the programs were Western Athletic Conference opponents. The Lopes hold the winning 14-9 record from games played from 1995-1998. The most recent matchup, a three-game series from May 1-3, 1998 was a GCU sweep (12-10, 15-0, 6-3).
AIR FORCE RANKED NATIONALLY
Stolen Bases - 6th (112)
- 57th Tripp Garrish (18)
Stolen Bases/Game - 5th (3.20)
Runs - 17th (316)
35th Tripp Garrish (44)
Scoring - 12th (9.0)
OB% - 28th (.418)
10th Wyatt Hanoian (.538)
BA - 38th (.303)
Doubles - 14th (83)
Doubles/Game - 11th (2.37)
HOME SWEET HOME
The Falcons are a perfect 11-0 at Erdle Field after completing a 6-0 homestand and are just one of two NCAA DI teams to have an undefeated record at home, as Missouri State is 15-0 at home. Air Force's most consecutive home wins, 16, was in 1971 and this is the best home start since the Birds marked four consecutive home wins in 2021.
When at Erdle Field, the Falcons are batting .386 with a SLG% of .681 and have recorded 152 runs off 144 hits, including 21 homers, to outscore opponents 152-88. The pitching staff has tossed 92 innings on the bump with 78 strikeouts and have seen eight different hurlers pick up wins while Patrick Davidson and Sam Hentges earned two saves apiece.
CATCH US IF YOU CAN
The Birds have been a major threat on the bases this season, averaging 3.06 stolen bases per game for a total of 112, ranking sixth in the nation.
In games two and three at Nevada, Air Force stole nine bases in both games for a season high. The current program record for steals in a single game is 12. So far, the Falcons have stolen five or more bases in 12 different games and are on track to break the Academy season-record, which sits at 122 and was set in 1978 and 1979.
Tripp Garrish leads in stealing with 18, while Ben Niednagel follows close behind with 16. Kayden Bradshaw has stolen 14 while Luke Elmore accounts for 12.
BACK TO THE DOGHOUSE
The Birds recorded their second sweep and third MW series win after going 3-0 with a trio of come-from-behind wins against Fresno State. Over the series, the Birds batted .340 and totaled 35 runs with eight doubles, a triple, and three homers (including a grand slam).
Across 27 innings on the mound, the pitching staff logged 18 Ks and gave up 20 earned runs. Gaines Estridge, Charlie Russell, and Marcus Downing came out of the weekend with wins while Patrick Davidson and Sam Hentges picked up saves.
ZAPP IS BACK
Catcher Walker Zapp makes his return to the lineup, following a break in play due to injury. Zapp was the lone player to represent the Falcons on the 2026 Mountain West Preseason All-Conference team. He was also named the #44 backstop in the country by D1 Baseball.
The senior resumes play as the designated hitter batting .271 with 29 hits and team-second 36 RBIs. In the last six games, Zapp collected six runs off six hits for seven RBIs, three of which helped in the finale win over Fresno State.
A LITTLE BIT OF GARRISH
Tripp Garrish has played a pivotal role in Air Force's success this season, making an impact both as a designated hitter and in right field. At the plate, the senior ranks third on the team with a .338 batting average while leading the Falcons in hits (48), runs (44), home runs (7), and stolen bases (18), adding 35 RBIs. Garrish has recorded 12 multi-hit games this season and put together a nine-game hitting streak. He is currently riding a 12-game reached-base streak, continuing to be one of the team's most consistent offensive threats.
His top performance of the 2026 campaign came on March 13 in the conference opener against UNLV, where he powered the Falcons to a 16-5 run-rule victory. Garrish went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, scoring four runs and driving in four more in a dominant showing.
He followed that up with another strong outing on March 31 against Northern Colorado, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and two doubles.
Against Utah Valley, the outfielder went 4-for-5 in the game one run-rule, with a pair of homers for eight RBIs, ranking fifth all-time at the Academy.
HANOIAN STAYS HOT
Wyatt Hanoian has been a mainstay in the lineup, starting all 33 games he's appeared in while emerging as one of Air Force's most productive bats. The freshman owns the highest average on the team at .372, totaling 35 runs, 42 hits, and 33 RBIs. He also leads the Falcons with a .538 on-base percentage (ranked 10th in the country), drawing the most hit-by-pitches and the second-most walks on the team. He is ranked the 104th hardest batter to strike out in NCAA DI. Hanoian currently holds the longest active reached-base streak at 23 games and leads the team with 10 multi-RBI performances and 13 multi-hit games.
During the UNLV series, Hanoian made a major impact, driving in seven runs while scoring six times. He stayed productive at Nevada in the designated hitter role, tallying five RBIs and four runs.
At Tarleton State, Hanoian paced the team with a .357 batting average, collecting five hits and three RBIs across the series. He capped off his stretch with a flawless performance in the series finale at San Diego State, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Against Fresno State, Hanoian batted .533 with eight hits and eight runs to mark the best OB% of .632.
STARTING SLOTS
Gaines Estridge (2-4) has been a steady presence in the rotation for Air Force, leading all Falcon pitchers with 47.1 innings pitched while totaling 33 strikeouts and a 6.46 ERA. The junior opened the season with back-to-back standout performances, beginning with six shutout innings and four strikeouts in a 15-3 win over Penn State. He followed that with a career effort against Navy, tossing seven innings with a personal-best 10 strikeouts. Estridge added five strikeouts over five innings at Baylor and turned in another strong outing at Tarleton State, going six innings while allowing just two earned runs and striking out four.
Most recently, Estridge earned his second season win, the fourth of his career, with a five-inning performance in game one against Fresno State. He struck out three Bulldogs and gave up just one run to help towards the 8-5 win.
Junior Ethan Dillinger (0-1) is set to take his fourth start of the season on Saturday against GCU. The LHP has totaled 20.1 innings on the mound with 11 appearances for 27 strikeouts and an ERA of 10.62. His most recent outing was his start against Fresno State where he went a season-high 4.2 frames with a trio of Ks.
A LOOK AT GRAND CANYON
The Lopes are 12-24 on the 2026 season and have compiled a Mountain West mark of 4-8. They were swept by Washington State, took one game from San Diego State and UNLV, and won the series over Fresno State.
The team is batting .260 and have been outscored by opponents 253-181 at the plate. Jake Sanko posts the highest average at .336 with 41 hits and 19 RBIs while Billy Scaldeferri marks team-highs in runs (20), hits (42), homers (6), and RBIs (28).
Defensively, Chase Frey, whom the Falcons will face on Saturday, leads the starters with a 4.36 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 43.1 IP. As a whole, the GCU pitching staff has totaled a team ERA of 6.74 and given up 389 hits.
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/ BaseballFalcons finish series sweep against Utah Valley
Tuesday, April 14
Falcons Ten Run Utah Valley 17-7 on Monday
Monday, April 13
Falcons finish series sweep vs Fresno State
Sunday, April 12
8th inning rally gives Falcons win over Fresno State
Saturday, April 11
