Preview: Air Force
The Gators will open their 2025 season against the Air Force Academy Falcons in a 3-game series on February 14th, 15th, and 16th. The military academy has long history in baseball and will serve as a solid test against the Gators to start the competitive year. Let’s do a quick dive into who exactly the Gators will face off against.
The Air Force Falcons are based near Colorado Springs, Colorado, with the rest of the US Air Force Academy. They compete in the Mountain West conference with most other sports, although some like wrestling or soccer might compete in different conferences. Under 15th year head coach Mike Kazlausky, the Falcons won the regular season Mountain West baseball crown for their first ever time in 2024, capping off arguably their most successful year in program history.
Historically, Air Force have had moderate baseball success. They’ve appeared in the NCAA tournament 7 times, appearing most recently in 2022 (ending a 53-year drought). Over the past 10 years, they’ve seen 7 players drafted. The most familiar name is probably Griffin Jax, who’s played for the Minnesota Twins since 2021 after being a 3rd-round pick. However, the best player in Air Force history is almost undoubtedly Pirates ace Paul Skenes. The pitching sensation who’s taken the majors by storm spent a year at Air Force before transferring to LSU where he completed his collegiate career. He still says that being on Air Force’s team taught him dedication and work ethic that he still uses today.
Of the players who will probably play against the Gators, the best one is probably team captain two-way player Chase Spencer. Spencer batted .326 in 2024 and achieved second team all-Mountain West honors. Spencer is set for a strong 2025 season which could possibly result in his being drafted, especially after being selected to the 2025 preseason all-Mountain West team. Spencer is an athlete who can both pitch and play outfield, and is set to be arguably the best player on the Falcons in 2025.
The Gators have a strong test ahead of them against Air Force, but in all likelihood should be able to easily surpass and possibly even sweep the Falcons. With only 5 days left until the baseball season, everything is just about to kick off!
