The 2026 Credit Union 1 Mountain West Baseball Championship opened with a commanding performance as the Air Force Falcons routed the UNLV Rebels 17-2 at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.
A Record-Setting Onslaught
Falcons stole a tournament-record 11 bases and launched four home runs, spreading their offense across every inning except the seventh. A six-run sixth frame capped a night in which the scoreboard never went quiet.
Landon Boyd was the offensive catalyst, driving in six runs on two homers while also scoring twice. Teammate Ben Niednagel contributed three hits, underscoring the depth of the attack.
On the mound, Gaines Estridge earned the win, tossing three innings and limiting the Rebels to a single earned run.
Air Force now turns its attention to the No. 2 seed Washington State Cougars, who await them on Friday, May 22 at 6:05 p.m. MST.