Air Force’s baseball players had spent last weekend in Waco, Texas, where they faced a mighty challenge in trying to beat Baylor.
The Falcons were in the same state as Team USA’s baseball team, which was fighting its own fight over in Houston in Pool B play at the World Baseball Classic. On Monday night, it was former LSU star pitcher Paul Skenes’ turn to take the mound for Team USA as it faced Mexico in its 3rd WBC game, and Skenes had a great idea.
The 23-year-old who led LSU to College World Series championship glory in 2023 and who’s taken Major League Baseball by storm during his first 2 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to pull a winning play without even throwing a pitch. Skenes brought the entire Air Force baseball team over to Houston to watch him pitch and to watch Team USA try to take another step closer to a WBC crown.
It was mission accomplished, you might say, on all fronts, as those Air Force players were treated to an experience of a lifetime and Skenes treated them to a performance befitting his status as arguably the best pitcher in baseball. Skenes tossed 4 shutout innings, allowing just 1 hit, while walking 1 and striking out 7 to earn the victory as Team USA held off Mexico, 5-3, to improve to 3-0.
So, it was patriotism all over the place on Monday night, as a group of baseball players who represent the United State Air Force Academy sat in the crowd and cheered on a group of players with “Team USA” on their jerseys.
It was the kindest gesture by Skenes, the 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner, and it all worked out in the form of another dominant performance by Skenes and another victory for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic.
Here are Kalshi’s current odds to win the 2026 NL Cy Young Award, with Skenes holding a 27% chance right now to repeat his Cy Young feat from 2025:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
