Ben Weber entered the transfer portal on Monday, marking the third consecutive year that the pitcher who earned the biggest victory of the year for Air Force has then opted to depart.
Weber actually earned two such victories on consecutive days. He earned the victory in relief over Fresno State on May 17, then followed that by allowing one run in seven innings the next day that clinched the Falcons’ first regular-season Mountain West title.
“Ben Weber is an absolute stud of a man,” coach Mike Kazlausky said after Weber’s gem helped Air Force to the title.
But now Weber is exploring options. An entry into to the transfer portal does not necessarily mean a player will leave, but it has in the recent past for Air Force.
Following the 2022 season it was Paul Skenes who left following a stellar sophomore campaign that included a victory in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament that propelled the program to its first conference title. Skenes went to LSU, where he skyrocketed to No. 1 overall pick status in last year’s MLB Draft. He is now starring for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Major League Baseball.
Last year it was Sawyer Hawks who departed for Vanderbilt. Hawks had served as a reliever throughout the season but started the opener of the conference tournament, earning the victory and helping the Falcons into the championship game. They ultimately finished second.
Hawks pitched only six innings across five games for Vanderbilt this season, giving up seven earned runs.
Weber doesn’t possess the attractive numbers that Skenes (sub-2.75 ERA in both of his seasons at Air Force) and Hawks (2.84 ERA as a sophomore) brought into the portal, but he has had some big moments in a season where he went 5-4 with a 6.49 ERA in 68 innings.
His victories this year included strong outings against Navy (5.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 Ks), San Diego State (7 IP, 0 ER, 3 Ks) and then-No. 15 Dallas Baptist (5 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 Ks).
In posting his information on X, Weber noted a sinker that ranges from 87-90 MPH, topping out at 92, a slider he throws from 78-81 MPH and a changeup that will arrive at 79-83 MPH.