Game 28: Fresno State (15-12, 7-4 MW) at Air Force (11-9, 5-7 MW)
First Pitch: April 6-8, 2023 – Thurs.: 2 p.m. PT, Fri.: 2 p.m. PT, Sat.: 11 a.m. PT
Stadium: Falcon Field
All-Time Series: Fresno State leads 37-18 over Air Force.
Last Meeting: Air Force defeated Fresno State, 15-9 on April 24, 2022 in USAF Academy, Colo.
Video: Mountain West Network
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network
Live Stats: BulldogsLive.com
Twitter:@FresnoStateBSB
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Fresno State baseball team is starting the weekend early with a Mountain West series against the Air Force Academy Falcons in Colorado starting Thursday afternoon.
The 'Dogs (15-12, 7-4 MW) are coming off a series win over No. 9 UC Santa Barbara last weekend and a mid-week loss against the Anteaters of UC Irvine on Tuesday. They currently sit half a game behind San Diego State.
The Diamond 'Dogs hold a total batting average of .246 this season and a .978 fielding percentage. On the mound, the 'Dogs hold opponents to a .260 average and have a team ERA of 4.65.
Fresno State is looking to win its fifth series in a row and their second conference series win of 2023 with a series defeat against Air Force (11-9, 5-7 MW).
BULLDOG BONES:
Tough Guy Travis: Senior Travis Welker is one of two Diamond 'Dogs to be in the starting lineup for all 27 games so far in 2023. He currently has the second-best batting average on the team at .277 and sits at 19th toughest to strikeout in the nation with only six strikeouts over 83 at-bats. He is also second in the nation in sacrifice bunts with eight on the season. Defensively, Welker owns a .982 fielding percentage and is responsible for 40 putouts and 67 assists this season with only two errors.
Strikeout Kings: Fresno State's Ixan Henderson and Jake Dixon lead the conference in season stakeouts with Henderson throwing 49 this season over 42 innings pitched and Dixon with 42 in 38 innings.
Freshman of the Week, Murf Gray: Reining back-to-back MW Freshman of the Week Murf Gray leads the Bulldogs at the plate with a .302 average on the season and a .413 slugging percentage. In Saturday's series-clinching win over No. 9 UCSB, Murf Gray led the 'Dogs with four RBIs, a new career high, after hitting his first and second career home runs in back-to-back at-bats.
Pitcher of the Week, Ixan Henderson: Senior Ixan Henderson earned his first Mountain West Weekly Honor of the season after being named MW Pitcher of the Week. Henderson was on the mound for seven innings in Fresno State's series-opening win over No. 9 UCSB on Friday afternoon at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium. He currently holds the second best ERA in the conference (2.57) and holds opponents to a .185 batting average, the lowest in the conference.
A look at the Falcons:
The Air Force Falcons are returning home after falling 7-1 to No. 21 Texas earlier this week. They are led at the plate by Sam Kulasingam with a .402 average and have a team average of .278. On the mound, the leading Falcons pitcher, and projected Thursday afternoon starter is Jake Sansing who has a 3.90 ERA and holds opponents to a .276 average.