Air Force baseball coach praises players in loss to Texas: ‘These kids have raised their hands to die for us’

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Air Force baseball is 11-19 on the season and faced one of the preeminent programs in college baseball on Tuesday, as the Falcons traveled to face No. 21 Texas. 

It was the 25th road game of the season for the Air Force Academy, a strategy that head coach Mike Kazlausky said is meant to prepare his players for their lives after baseball. 

Paratroopers descend prior to the MLB opening day baseball game between the Texas Rangers and Cleveland Indians on April 3, 2017 at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas. (Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"We don’t fight wars on our home soil, so we played our first 24 games on the road. These guys got to get battle-tested because, at the end of the day, they’re going to do a whole heck of a lot bigger things than playing baseball," Kazlausky told the broadcast team. "These guys are going to go fight wars for us, and we have to learn how to compete on the road. 

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"Our mission is once again real simple – fly, fight, win. We didn’t come out here to compete against Texas. We’re gonna come out here to beat Texas and win. We love coming out here though because everyone that’s out here is so respectful of what these kids are doing. They have a great understanding, especially the whole state of Texas, when you’re talking about patriotism, the flag, and everything else. They get it."

While the Falcons lost to the Longhorns 7-1, Kazlausky said it was important for his team to represent the United States military as they prepare to fight for their country after graduation.   

The Air