Diamond Days Spring means it's time for Mike to sharpen his spikes and oil up his mitt for baseball. Even with all the accolades he's received in football, Mike's abilities in baseball are even greater. As an encore, Mike led the conference as a junior last year by hitting .414, making him only the sixth player in academy history to bat over .400 in consecutive seasons. It takes a lot to hit a baseball, and the proficiency and consistency that I've had has kind of set me apart. In football, there can be 80,000 people watching instead of 100 like there is in baseball.
Football is team-oriented, and baseball is more one on one.
And I love the physical part of football. There's something about laying your whole body out on the field for three hours and coming in totally wiped out. Soaring Ahead With graduation this month, Mike is looking closely at his future. Though most athletes at the Air Force Academy don't go on to play professional sports, there's a possibility that Mike will be selected in the amateur baseball draft this June. Each cadet is required to serve at least five years in the Air Force after graduation.