Courtesy of Air Force Athletics

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — On Tuesday, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) announced its 2024 Preseason All-America Team, a list that includes Air Force seniors Sam Kulasingam and Jay Thomason. The Falcons duo were each named to the NCBWA’s Third Team All-American roster, as the honor serves as Kulasingam’s third Preseason All-American endowment while equating to Thomason’s first. Kulasingam was also named a Preseason All-American by outlets such as Perfect Game and D1Baseball.

Kulasingam, now the reigning two-time Tony Gwynn Mountain West Player of the Year, slashed a staggering .426/.537/.655 in 59 games to secure consecutive POTY honors. Kulasingam reached the 100-hit mark yet again in 2023, compiling a program record-tying 28 doubles while producing more than twice as many walks (50) than strikeouts (24). His 50 walks became a single season program record, eclipsing none other than Mike Kazlausky‘s previous program-high of 44 walks set in 1989. As well, Kulasingam is the only player in Air Force history to record multiple 100-hit seasons. His on-base streak will stretch into his senior year, a streak that now spans 55-consecutive games. Kulasingam led all Mountain West players in batting average (.426), doubles (28), walks (50), on-base percentage (.537), as his batting average closed as the fourth-highest figure in Division I following the conclusion of his spring. Kulasingam will also carry a 124-game played streak into his senior season.

Thomason was as prolific a slugger as any in college baseball a season ago, as his 21 home runs led all players in the Mountain West. His 21 home runs this season saw him tie Mark Frankenberg for the most home runs in a single season in program history, becoming the first Air Force player to record 20+ home runs and 20+ doubles. The left-handed power bat also led the conference in total bases (164), slugging (.722), RBI (74), and was second only to Kulasingam in OPS (1.161). Thomason’s 74 RBI places him in a timeshare with Nic Ready for the second-most RBI by an Air Force player in program history, as his 164 total bases are also second-most in the program’s existence. The Auburn native (36 career home runs) will enter his final season at Air Force 14 home runs shy of the program record, as Ready’s 50 career home runs remains the program benchmark.

The entirety of the NCBWA’s Preseason All-America Team can be found here.