Schedule vs. Air Force
(Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field // Wichita, Kan.)
Game 1: Tuesday, March 3, 3 p.m.
Audio // Stats // Video
Game 2: Wednesday, March 4, 2 p.m.
Audio // Stats // Video

Game Notes (PDF) | Promotions | Buy Tickets

Probable Starting Pitchers
 

Wichita State	Air Force
G1: Preston Snavely, RHP Sr., Fort Collins, Colo.	G1: Jeff Gerlica, RHP Sr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.
G2: Tommy Barnhouse, RHP Sr., Lansing, Kan.	G2: John Byrnes, RHP Jr., Milton, Ga.

SCENE SETTER: Wichita State baseball (8-2) is scheduled to open a 10-game homestand with two contests against the United State Air Force Academy (3-9) Tuesday, March 3, and Wednesday, March 4, at Eck Stadium, Home of Tyler Field. Tuesday's game is slated for 3 p.m., while Wednesday's contest is a 2 p.m. first pitch.
 
PROMOTIONS: $4 Weekday Tickets: Purchase grandstand tickets for only $4 at all 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. home weekday games during the month of March.
 
SHOCKER BASEBALL ON THE RADIO: KFH Radio 97.5 FM and 1240 AM will serve as the flagship home for Wichita State baseball throughout the 2020 season. Former WSU standout pitcher (1991-94), and Pizza Hut Shockers Sports Hall of Famer Shane Dennis and "The Voice of the Shockers" and Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Famer Mike Kennedy will split play-by-play duties until the conclusion of the Wichita State men's basketball season. Coverage will include a pregame and postgame show.
 
WHERE TO WATCH: COX YurView Kansas will air both games against Air Force Tuesday and Wednesday in HD on Ch. 22. In addition, both contests will be streamed live on WatchESPN.com.
 
SERIES HISTORY: Tuesday and Wednesday's games against the Air Force Falcons will mark meetings eight and nine in the all-time series that dates back to 1998. The Shockers are a perfect 7-0 in the series. The last time the two teams met was during the 2011 season, with the Shockers winning a pair of games in Wichita, 10-2 and 6-0.
 
SHOCKER NOTES: Wichita State enters the week with an overall record of 8-2 after winning a pair of games in Reno, Nev., Feb. 28 and 29. The Shockers defeated Hofstra Feb. 28, 19-10, before taking down Nevada, 3-1, Feb. 29 ... WSU has won seven consecutive games going into Tuesday's contest against Air Force ... Through 10 games, Wichita State is paced at the plate by freshman Couper Cornblum (.394 avg., 10 R, 13 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .697 SLG%, 7 BB, .500 OB%, 4 SB), junior Hunter Gibson (.308 avg., 5 R, 12 H, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 4 BB), sophomore Jack Sigrist (.300 avg., 4 R, 12 H, 3 2B, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 4 SB) and junior Garrett Kocis (.265 avg., 6 R, 9 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 12 RBI, .647 SLG%, 6 BB) ... Cornblum ranks ninth in The American in overall hitting (avg.) going into Tuesday ... On the mound, the Shockers are led by senior right-handed starters Preston Snavely (1-1, 1.32 ERA, 13.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 20 SO) and Tommy Barnhouse (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 SO), and junior right-handed starter Liam Eddy (2-0, 1.35 ERA, 20.0 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 18 SO) ... Snavely is fifth in the conference in overall pitching (ERA), while Eddy is seventh ... In overall strikeouts in the conference, Hamilton ranks fifth ... In the bullpen, WSU is paced by junior closer Foster Gifford (1-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 SV, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO) and redshirt-sophomore Ryan Stuempfig (1-0, 2.08 ERA, 8.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 9 SO) ... As a team, the Shockers are hitting .277 with a 2.97 ERA and .972 fielding percentage.
 
AMERICAN WEEKLY HONORS: Couper Cornblum was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll Monday, March 2. The freshman from Woodway, Texas, hit a team-best .429 with six hits, including a pair of doubles and a triple, going along with four RBI, four walks, a stolen base and zero strikeouts in WSU's pair of wins against Hofstra and Nevada in Reno, Nev., Feb. 28-29. He's the third Shocker to receive weekly accolades from the conference this season, joining Garrett Kocis (honor roll, Feb. 24) and Liam Eddy (Pitcher of the Week, Feb. 17).
 
YOU GET A RUN; YOU GET A RUN: The Shockers scored 19 runs on 20 hits in their 19-10 victory over Hofstra Feb. 28 in Reno, Nev. The 19 runs were the most since WSU put up 20 in a 20-6 win at Southern Illinois March 21, 2015, while the 20 hits marked the most since May 19, 2018 when Wichita State had 20 in a 13-6 triumph at Memphis.
 
 NOTABLE STREAKS: On-Base: Jack Sigrist has successfully reached in 19 games dating back to last season. He reached base at least once in all 10 of the Shockers' games this season. Alex Jackson, Couper Cornblum and Hunter Gibson have reached successfully in their last nine games ... Hitting: Cade Clemons is on a team-best six-game hitting streak, while Sigrist has at least one hit in his last five contests.
 
THE FRIENDLY CONFINES: Entering Tuesday, Wichita State is a perfect 5-0 at Eck Stadium. In it's first five home contests, WSU is hitting .268 with a 1.00 ERA. In its opening five home games, the Wichita State pitching staff struck out a combined 51 batters and walked just 15 while allowing only five earned runs in 45 innings.
 
 DON'T RUN ON ROSS: Junior catcher Ross Cadena has thrown out an American Athletic Conference-high four runners through 10 games. He is tied for second in the conference in chances (116) and putouts (105).
 
ON FIRE: Couper Cornblum is hitting a sizzling .471 with eight hits, including three doubles and a triple, going along with 13 total bases, a .765 slugging and .591 on-base percentage, as well as only one strikeout in his last five games.
 
SWING AND A MISS: Wichita State starting pitchers Jake Hamilton, Liam Eddy, Preston Snavely, Tommy Barnhouse and Connor Oliver have struck out a combined 76 batters in 10 appearances this season. Hamilton leads the team and ranks fifth in The American and 50th in the country in strikeouts with 26 in a trio of starts. Snavely (20) and Eddy (18) have also reached double-digit Ks through their first three starts. As a pitching staff, including relievers, Wichita State ranks third in the conference and 21st in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings pitched at 11.6.
 
EIGHTH-INNING KEY: The eighth inning has been very kind to WSU through 10 games, with the Shockers outscoring opponents in the frame, 9-2. The second inning has also treated Wichita State quite well early, as WSU has outscored adversaries in the inning, 6-1.
 
CAREER OUTING: Senior right-hander Tommy Barnhouse earned his first victory of 2020 in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Kansas State after tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings with a career-high nine strikeouts while giving up no earned runs on just three hits.
 
ONE-HITTER: WSU pitchers and Brighton, Colo., natives Liam Eddy and Foster Gifford teamed up to spin the program's 36th one-hitter and first since 2014 in the Shockers' 5-1 triumph at Northwestern State Feb. 15.
 
NEW FACES: The Shockers welcome 12 newcomers in 2020, including eight freshmen and four junior college transfers. Incoming junior college transfers include senior catcher Chris Diehl (Arizona Western), and junior right-handed pitchers Jake Hamilton (Rose State College), Foster Gifford (Dodge City CC) and Aaron Bechtel (Coffeyville CC) ... New freshmen position players are infielders Couper Cornblum, Blake Marsh, Derek Shaver and Cade Clemons, while new freshmen pitchers include Kyle Wilson (RHP), Beau Leonards (LHP), Creighton Hansen (RHP) and Connor Oliver (LHP).
 
PRESEASON HONORS: Paxton Wallace was selected to the American Athletic Conference's preseason all-conference team. Wallace, who hails from Greenbrier, Ark., belted a team-high-tying nine homers, going along with 13 doubles and 35 RBI in 2019.
 
SCOUTING AIR FORCE: The Air Force Academy Falcons enter the week at 3-9 overall after splitting a pair of games with Army and Campbell in the Armed Forces Invitational Feb. 28 - March 1 in Fayetteville, N.C. ... Through 12 games, the Falcons are led offensively by senior infielder/outfielder Tommy Gillman (.244 avg., 3 R, 10 H, 3 2B, 6 RBI, 8 BB, 2 SB) and senior outfielder Ashton Easley (.229 avg., 4 R, 11 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SB) ... Easley was named to the Mountain West Preseason All-Conference Team ... As a team, Air Force is hitting .203 with a 5.60 ERA and .968 fielding percentage ... The Falcons were picked to finish tied for sixth in the Mountain West preseason poll ... Air Force is under the leadership of 10th season head coach Mike Kazlausky.
 
ON DECK: Wichita State hosts Louisiana Tech out of Conference USA in a three-game series at Eck Stadium March 6-8. Game times are 3 p.m. Friday, March 6, 1 p.m. Saturday, March 7, and noon Sunday, March 8.