#11 DBU (25-6) vs AIR FORCE (13-18)
April 12-14 | Colorado Springs, CO | Erdle Field
 
DBU GAME NOTES - (PDF)

MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Live Video: Mountain West Network
Live Audio: Patriot Broadcasting Network
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast
Twitter: @DBU_Baseball
Facebook: DBU Baseball
 
DBU BASEBALL ON THE AIR
Fans can catch all of this weekend's action between DBU and Air Force on the Patriot Broadcasting Network. The broadcast team of Reagan Ratcliff and Brendan Smith are in their 13th season together on the air, bringing every pitch to Patriot Baseball fans in 2024.


PROBABLE STARTERS 
Friday
DBU – RHP Ryan Johnson (5-1 W-L, 1.77 ERA, 56.0 IP, 82 K, 8 BB)
vs.
AF – LHP Seungmin Shim (3-2 W-L, 3.11 ERA, 49.0 IP, 53 K, 17 BB)
 
Saturday
DBU – RHP Jaron DeBerry (4-1 W-L, 3.48 ERA, 44.0 IP, 46 K, 19 BB)
vs.
AF – RHP Dylan Rogers (4-3 W-L, 5.79 ERA, 32.2 IP, 32 K, 9 BB)
 
Sunday
DBU – RHP Luke Pettitte (3-0 W-L, 2.76 ERA, 29.1 IP, 36 K, 6 BB)
vs.
AF – RHP Ben Weber (1-2 W-L, 6.10 ERA, 31.0 IP, 17 K, 9 BB)
 
PATRIOT STORYLINES
- Last time out, DBU salvaged their season series at Western Kentucky with a 3-0 win on Sunday. Luke Pettitte, Nick Wilson, and Conner Mackay combined for the Patriots' fourth shutout win of the season.
- The Patriots' 25-6 record is tied with the 2015 team that hosted the Dallas Regional for the best mark through 31 games in the program's Division I era.
- DBU enters this week ranked in all four major polls: #11 Perfect Game, #12 NCBWA, #13 Baseball America, and #15 D1Baseball.
- The Patriots boast the #17 RPI in the nation according to D1Baseball. DBU is 9-4 versus teams with an RPI ranking in the top 100.
- DBU's starting pitching and defense have been strengths in 2024. The Patriots rank #4 nationally in fielding (.982) and #6 in ERA (3.59).
- Ryan Johnson has totaled 245 career strikeouts and is two punchouts away from passing former Big Leaguer Victor Black (2007-09) for the fourth-most strikeouts in DBU's Division I era.
- DBU's 59 home runs are the 17^th-most in the country. Four Patriots have hit nine or more home runs, including Grant Jay (13), Ethan Mann (9), Chayton Krauss (9), and Miguel Santos (9).
- Grant Jay's 13 home runs are the most in CUSA. Jay is 11 round-trippers away from tying Austin Listi's single-season home run record when he hit 24 in 2017.
- The Patriots are on pace to hit 103 home runs in the regular season. Last year's team set the school's single-season home run record with 119.
- Chayton Krauss saw his team-high 20-game hit streak halt on Friday at Western Kentucky but has reached safely in all 31 games this year.
- Luke Heefner ranks #2 in the nation in sacrifice bunts (9). Heefner is four bunts from passing Camden Duzenack (2015) for the most sacrifice bunts in program history.

SCOUTING AIR FORCE
- Air Force enters the contest with a 13-18 record after dropping 2 of 3 at UNLV last weekend and run-ruling Northern Colorado on Tuesday.
- With an 8-6 conference record, the Falcons are currently ranked 3^rd in the Mountain West conference standings.
- Four Air Force players enter this weekend hitting over .300: Charlie Jones (.393), Jay Thomason (.358), Jake Greiving (.333), and Chris Stallings (.305).
- The Falcons have been aggressive on the base paths, leading the Mountain West in stolen bases (55) and stolen bases per game (1.77).
- On the mound, Air Force ranks 196^th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.56) and 241^st in strikeouts per nine innings (7.3).
- Mike Kazlausky is in his 14^th year as the head coach of the Falcons after being a former Air Force shortstop and second baseman from 1988-1991.
 
SERIES HISTORY
- The Patriots and Falcons have met 10 times since their first meeting in 2018. DBU holds a 6-4 edge in the series.
- DBU and Air Force last met in the 2022 Austin Regional, where the Falcons defeated the Patriots, 5-1.

 
ON DECK
DBU travels to Stillwater to face #20 Oklahoma State for the 2^nd time in 2024. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm at O'Brate Stadium.