Air Force focus on baseball, not war

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

For a half inning yesterday, it appeared Kamehameha Schools graduate Zach McAngus was going to have a memorable homecoming in the opener of the Rainbow Easter Baseball Tournament. His RBI double in the top of the ninth gave Air Force Academy a 2-1 lead against NAIA power Lewis-Clark State.

But Paul Gallegos hit a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth as the Warriors (21-4) prevailed, 3-2, and handed the Falcons (8-16) their seventh consecutive loss.

While Air Force might be struggling on the field, the players know there are bigger issues than baseball. They know that some former players are fighting in Iraq.

"I think about it, but not too much because it's three years away," said McAngus, a freshman second baseman. "I'm just trying to concentrate on school and baseball right now. But the war is a big factor up at the academy. We talk about it all the time. We try to keep a class act for them, make the Air Force proud of us.

"We want to try to win a few games for them, play our hearts out for the guys fighting for us over there," he said. "One of our officer representatives with us, his son is over there fighting. So we try to do it right for them."

Falcons coach Reed Peters said that even though the war is on the players' minds, they manage to focus on baseball once they take the field.

"Our guys are about four years of ever seeing any combat," Peters said. "The only way they will is as fighter pilots. It is on our mind. We've got some guys who graduated, three, four years ago who are out there fighting for the mission, so you think about those guys a little bit. But the main thing is when we're here the guys focus on baseball. I don't think it's a distraction."

For now, McAngus is enjoying his precious time back home — away from the academy in chilly Colorado. "It's really humid," he said. "Feels good to sweat before a game."

Actually, he feels good to be back in the game after missing a series against San Diego State with an ankle injury. His first game back was yesterday, when he went 2 for 4 with the RBI double.

"He definitely doesn't play like a freshman," Peters said. "That's what I like about him the most. He knows the game. He knows how to play the game. He's playing like an upper classman right now. It's nice to get him back in the lineup. He came back strong, had a couple of big hits."

McAngus entered the game batting .375 with four home runs and 13 RBIs.

McAngus, an Advertiser all-state infielder last year, said only Pepperdine showed him any interest as far as baseball. But because he wants to eventually become a commercial airline pilot, he was pleased with his appointment to the Air Force Academy.

"There's a lot of sacrifice you have to make to go there, but it was pretty high up on my list (of priorities)," McAngus said. "I want to fly, so that was a huge factor in my decision."

He said his first year of school has been difficult, but playing the game he loves helps him get through.

"It's tough, especially your freshman year," McAngus said. "It's real hard and school's real hard. But playing baseball helps a lot. Just gotta stick with it. No matter how tough they tell you it is, it's tougher."

NOTES: Scott Fairbanks (3-2) pitched two-thirds scoreless innings in relief of starter Nic Puckett for Lewis-Clark State yesterday. Jason Pruitt (0-3) gave up a run on two hits in relief of starter Ken Hodgson, who allowed two runs on three hits and five walks in eight-plus inning for Air Force ... Lewis-Clark State has three players from Hawai'i — Gavin Concepcion (Pearl City), Micah Furtado (Kapa'a) and Ikaika Lester (Moloka'i). Concepcion and Furtado started yesterday at catcher and left field, respectively. Furtado batted 1 for 4 and Concepcion was 0 for 2.