“He was a lively dude, but you could tell he loved life, loved the military, and his wife is flying A-10s right right now,” Skenes said. “But that’s why I wear No. 20.”
It’s also a coveted number assigned to an Air Force senior — usually given to someone who “plays with his hair on fire” but is also a great teammate.
“Travis has always resonated a ton with Paul. Even in the first few weeks of basic training, he was thinking about how to put Travis’ name in a higher regard,” Joe said.
Wilkie’s widow, Peyton, is also involved with Folds of Honor, a charity that provides scholarships to families of fallen or wounded veterans. Skenes has pledged $10 to the charity for every strikeout he records this year (at the moment, he has 104). He also has a donation page for fans to contribute, through which he has raised more than $3,600.
It’s a way for Skenes to give as much of himself as he can — for now.
The path to pro ball
To this day, Air Force right-hander Doyle Gehring will tell you Skenes is the best catcher he’s ever had. That’s right — the best catcher.
“He’s a huge presence behind the plate, so that helps to steal any kind of strike,” Gehring said. “His hands were super-good, framing-wise. Plus, he had a cannon, which we all see.”
As a pitcher, Skenes was still dominant. But the problem with Colorado Springs, at 6,788 feet, is that pitches have little movement, which makes them easier to hit, and the air is thin, which makes it easier for the ball to travel farther off the bat.
Skenes’ slider didn’t work well at that altitude, but he didn’t need it as much — especially when he closed games. There were times when Skenes caught eight innings, then pitched the ninth.
In 2021, Air Force went to Arizona for a weekend of games against Wichita State and Jay Johnson’s Arizona Wildcats. Standing on the right-field line, Kazlausky let Johnson in on a little secret.
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