Thursday, May 21
Sloan Park | Mesa, AZ
2:05 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
UNLV
No.3 Seed Air Force Set to Face No. 6 Seed UNLV at the Mountain West Championships
5/20/2026 10:47:00 AM | Baseball
MESA, Ariz., - No. 3-seed Air Force baseball makes their return to the Mountain West Conference Championships, playing the first single elimination game of the tournament against the No. 6 seed UNLV on Thursday May 21 at 1:05 p.m. PT/2:05 p.m. MT at Sloan Park.
MEDIA
Watch Live – Mountain West Network
Live Stats – StatBroadcast
Twitter - @AF_Baseball
Tickets
Championship Page
PITCHING MATCHUP (ERA)
RHP Trey Rutledge (5.51) vs. TBD
PROBABLE STARTERS (OPS)
STORY OF THE SEASON
Picked to finish last in the 2026 Mountain West Preseason Poll, Air Force embraced the underdog mentality from day one and transformed preseason doubt into postseason opportunity. Entering the Mountain West Championship Tournament as the No. 3 seed, the Falcons have authored one of the league's biggest turnarounds after receiving just 17 votes in the preseason poll, projected to finish ninth, or last. Just one Falcon was selected to the All-Mountain West Preseason Watchlist, Walker Zapp.
Even after entering conference play with a 3-11 record, Air Force refused to fold. The Falcons responded with conference sweeps over UNLV, Fresno State, and San Jose State, while also securing series victories against Nevada and New Mexico, teams that proved challenging in seasons past.
At the plate, Air Force evolved into one of the conference's most dangerous offenses. Freshman Wyatt Hanoian and senior Tripp Garrish each rank among the Mountain West top ten in six offensive categories, while Luke Elmore, Kayden Bradshaw, Walker Zapp, and Ben Niednagel also appear throughout the league leaderboards. As a team, the Falcons lead the conference in stolen bases (138) and doubles (120), rank second in runs scored (441) and RBIs (393), sit third in slugging percentage (.481), and own the fourth-best batting average at .301, a notable jump from last season's .282 mark.
Defensively, Air Force has continued to show growth throughout the year. The Falcons hold a 7.41 team ERA across 432.2 innings pitched and rank third in the conference in strikeouts looking (81) while allowing the fewest sacrifice hits (16). Patrick Davidson has also emerged as a reliable late-game arm, recording four saves to place among the league leaders.
STARTING SLOT
Trey Rutledge (3-0) is slated to take his first start of the season on Thursday. The freshman has totaled an ERA of 5.51 across 18 relief appearances. In his 32.2 innings of work, he has struck out 28 batters and allowed 20 earned runs. His standout performance of the season was in the game two win at Nevada when he tossed 4.2 scoreless frames with three hits and three strikeouts. Most recently at No. 7 Oregon State, Rutledge logged a career best five strikeouts in 3.2 scoreless innings for the win.
THIS SEASON AGAINST UNLV
Air Force opened Mountain West play in dominant fashion against UNLV on March 13-14, completing a three-game sweep while erupting for 49 total runs, the Falcons' highest-scoring series of the season.
The Falcons powered their way through the weekend offensively, compiling six doubles, three triples, and nine home runs en route to a .391 team batting average and .745 slugging percentage. The highlight came in game two when Luke Elmore delivered a walk-off home run to seal another explosive victory for the Birds.
On the mound, Air Force pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts throughout the series. Ten different Falcons recorded at least one strikeout, showcasing the depth of the staff in a commanding opening weekend of conference action.
AF IN THE POSTSEASON
Air Force returns to the Mountain West Championship Tournament for the 15th time in program history after missing the postseason in 2025. The Falcons first appeared in the tournament in 2000 and captured their first-ever Mountain West Tournament title in 2022.
Most recently, in 2024, Air Force entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and opened with a 3-2 victory over Fresno State. The Falcons later fell 16-9 to No. 3 San Jose State before being eliminated in a 10-3 rematch against the Bulldogs.
The Falcons' historic 2022 championship run remains one of the most memorable seasons in program history. Air Force went undefeated in the tournament, defeating No. 1 UNLV, 5-2, before topping No. 3 San Jose State twice by scores of 7-3 and 8-3. Led by standout names such as Paul Skenes, Jay Thomason, and Sam Kulasingam, the Falcons earned the program's first NCAA Regional appearance since 1966. Air Force advanced all the way to the Austin Regional championship game before falling to Texas.
RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
This season, the Falcons have rewritten the record books, breaking two Academy records while also breaking and tying Mountain West marks. Air Force's aggressive play on the base paths has led to 138 stolen bases so far, shattering both the program record of 122 set in 1978/79 and the Mountain West record of 108 established in 2007. In game two against San Jose State, every Falcon in the lineup recorded at least one double as Air Force totaled 13 doubles, breaking the Academy record of 10 set in 1988 and matched in 2017, while tying the Mountain West single-game record set in 2003.
A LOOK AT UNLV
The No. 6 seeded Rebels currently mark an overall record of 30-24 with a MW record of 11-13. They are coming off a pair of wins, taking the series over San Diego State.
Offensively, UNLV is leading the conference in batting at .313 (14th in the nation) with 578 hits (18th nationally) and a slugging percentage of .520. They have been outscored by opponents 468-429. Drew Barragan leads the team with an average of .375 and the best league slugging percentage at .692.
On the mound, the Rebels have totaled a team ERA of 7.76, ranking last in the MW, with 468 runs allowed and 517 strikeouts, the most in the league, in 459 innings. Their 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings sits at 25th nationally.
MEDIA
Watch Live – Mountain West Network
Live Stats – StatBroadcast
Twitter - @AF_Baseball
Tickets
Championship Page
PITCHING MATCHUP (ERA)
RHP Trey Rutledge (5.51) vs. TBD
PROBABLE STARTERS (OPS)
- T.J. Oster, DH (.850)
- Ben Niednagel, SS (.965)
- Walker Zapp, C (.946)
- Wyatt Hanoian, 2B (1.065)
- Tripp Garrish, RF (.934)
- Christian Taylor, CF (.693)
- Garrett Hutchins, 1B (1.027)
- Luke Elmore, LF (.847)
- Landon Boyd, 3B (.935)
STORY OF THE SEASON
Picked to finish last in the 2026 Mountain West Preseason Poll, Air Force embraced the underdog mentality from day one and transformed preseason doubt into postseason opportunity. Entering the Mountain West Championship Tournament as the No. 3 seed, the Falcons have authored one of the league's biggest turnarounds after receiving just 17 votes in the preseason poll, projected to finish ninth, or last. Just one Falcon was selected to the All-Mountain West Preseason Watchlist, Walker Zapp.
Even after entering conference play with a 3-11 record, Air Force refused to fold. The Falcons responded with conference sweeps over UNLV, Fresno State, and San Jose State, while also securing series victories against Nevada and New Mexico, teams that proved challenging in seasons past.
At the plate, Air Force evolved into one of the conference's most dangerous offenses. Freshman Wyatt Hanoian and senior Tripp Garrish each rank among the Mountain West top ten in six offensive categories, while Luke Elmore, Kayden Bradshaw, Walker Zapp, and Ben Niednagel also appear throughout the league leaderboards. As a team, the Falcons lead the conference in stolen bases (138) and doubles (120), rank second in runs scored (441) and RBIs (393), sit third in slugging percentage (.481), and own the fourth-best batting average at .301, a notable jump from last season's .282 mark.
Defensively, Air Force has continued to show growth throughout the year. The Falcons hold a 7.41 team ERA across 432.2 innings pitched and rank third in the conference in strikeouts looking (81) while allowing the fewest sacrifice hits (16). Patrick Davidson has also emerged as a reliable late-game arm, recording four saves to place among the league leaders.
STARTING SLOT
Trey Rutledge (3-0) is slated to take his first start of the season on Thursday. The freshman has totaled an ERA of 5.51 across 18 relief appearances. In his 32.2 innings of work, he has struck out 28 batters and allowed 20 earned runs. His standout performance of the season was in the game two win at Nevada when he tossed 4.2 scoreless frames with three hits and three strikeouts. Most recently at No. 7 Oregon State, Rutledge logged a career best five strikeouts in 3.2 scoreless innings for the win.
THIS SEASON AGAINST UNLV
Air Force opened Mountain West play in dominant fashion against UNLV on March 13-14, completing a three-game sweep while erupting for 49 total runs, the Falcons' highest-scoring series of the season.
The Falcons powered their way through the weekend offensively, compiling six doubles, three triples, and nine home runs en route to a .391 team batting average and .745 slugging percentage. The highlight came in game two when Luke Elmore delivered a walk-off home run to seal another explosive victory for the Birds.
On the mound, Air Force pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts throughout the series. Ten different Falcons recorded at least one strikeout, showcasing the depth of the staff in a commanding opening weekend of conference action.
AF IN THE POSTSEASON
Air Force returns to the Mountain West Championship Tournament for the 15th time in program history after missing the postseason in 2025. The Falcons first appeared in the tournament in 2000 and captured their first-ever Mountain West Tournament title in 2022.
Most recently, in 2024, Air Force entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and opened with a 3-2 victory over Fresno State. The Falcons later fell 16-9 to No. 3 San Jose State before being eliminated in a 10-3 rematch against the Bulldogs.
The Falcons' historic 2022 championship run remains one of the most memorable seasons in program history. Air Force went undefeated in the tournament, defeating No. 1 UNLV, 5-2, before topping No. 3 San Jose State twice by scores of 7-3 and 8-3. Led by standout names such as Paul Skenes, Jay Thomason, and Sam Kulasingam, the Falcons earned the program's first NCAA Regional appearance since 1966. Air Force advanced all the way to the Austin Regional championship game before falling to Texas.
RECORDS ARE MEANT TO BE BROKEN
This season, the Falcons have rewritten the record books, breaking two Academy records while also breaking and tying Mountain West marks. Air Force's aggressive play on the base paths has led to 138 stolen bases so far, shattering both the program record of 122 set in 1978/79 and the Mountain West record of 108 established in 2007. In game two against San Jose State, every Falcon in the lineup recorded at least one double as Air Force totaled 13 doubles, breaking the Academy record of 10 set in 1988 and matched in 2017, while tying the Mountain West single-game record set in 2003.
A LOOK AT UNLV
The No. 6 seeded Rebels currently mark an overall record of 30-24 with a MW record of 11-13. They are coming off a pair of wins, taking the series over San Diego State.
Offensively, UNLV is leading the conference in batting at .313 (14th in the nation) with 578 hits (18th nationally) and a slugging percentage of .520. They have been outscored by opponents 468-429. Drew Barragan leads the team with an average of .375 and the best league slugging percentage at .692.
On the mound, the Rebels have totaled a team ERA of 7.76, ranking last in the MW, with 468 runs allowed and 517 strikeouts, the most in the league, in 459 innings. Their 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings sits at 25th nationally.
Players Mentioned
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/ BaseballFalcons close home season with a walk off win
Sunday, May 10
Falcons close home season with a walk off win
Sunday, May 10
Falcons drop game two to Washington State
Saturday, May 09
Falcons drop the first game of the series against Washington State
Friday, May 08
