Paul Skenes began at the Air Force Academy and almost became a fighter pilot

Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, one of Team USA's aces in the World Baseball Classic, began his collegiate career as a cadet at the Air Force Academy with aspirations of becoming a fighter pilot. He pitched two seasons for Air Force, earning first-team All-American honors after his freshman campaign before deciding to pursue baseball more directly.

In July 2022 Skenes transferred to LSU and went on to lead the Tigers to the 2023 College World Series title with a 1.69 ERA. The six-foot-six, 260-pound right-hander was the number-one pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft and has been a key part of the Pittsburgh Pirates' rotation since 2024.

For his March 9 WBC debut Skenes arranged for the current Air Force baseball team to attend Team USA's opener against Mexico, with help from teammate Griffin Jax. He returned the favor on the mound, throwing four scoreless innings, allowing one hit and fanning seven as the United States beat Mexico 5-3, then met with the Air Force players after the game.

United States

paul skenes, air force, fighter pilot, team usa, world baseball, cy young, lsu, pittsburgh pirates, griffin jax, mlb draft