Photo By Airman 1st Class Tavian Sims | Jay Thomason, Wind Surge utility player, high fives his teammate at Equity Bank Park...... read more read more
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MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. – “The way I see it, the people who succeed in baseball are the same ones who succeed in the military,” said Jay Thomason, United States Air Force Academy graduate and Wichita Wind Surge utility player. “Both require rigorous discipline and attention to detail. The Academy prepared me to play professional baseball.”
Jay realized at an early age his calling was to serve, not only as an inspiration to those who would come after him, but also as an homage to those who came before and paved the way for him. That calling took its form in the shape of him becoming an Air Force Academy graduate, while also making it into the professional baseball league. Jay aims high and toes the line of professionalism with strength.
“Resilience – tenacity – perseverance – the ability to withstand tough times, baseball is a game of failure and it’ll expose you mentally if you’re not prepared to withstand it,” Jay said. “The Academy helped me carry that mental fortitude into baseball.”
In 2019, a change in legislation allowed cadets and midshipmen within military academies the opportunity to defer their military service obligations while pursuing the chance to play professional sports. However, they are required to fulfill their obligations when they are done playing. This change has given Jay the once-in-a-lifetime shot to chase his childhood dream at playing professional baseball.
He graduated from the Academy in 2024 while majoring in Military Strategic Studies and proceeded to be drafted the same year by the Minnesota Twins baseball organization. He has played in the minor leagues, including time with the Cedar Rapid Kernels, and currently plays for the Wichita Wind Surge. Jay commends the Academy for instilling in him the qualities needed to excel in pro sports.
“Failure is a teacher of man and I think that’s why the Academy produces such high-caliber officers,” he said. “You’ll fail routinely and it takes a certain type of person to decide to fight back and respond.”
Jay wanted to do something different from the regular college lifestyle. He wanted to play college baseball, but he was also interested in joining the military due to his brother who served in the Air Force Reserves and his brother-in-law who is a military working dog handler in the Air Force. While he was at a high school tournament in his hometown of Auburn, Alabama, the Air Force coach invited him out to offer him the best of both worlds.
“I went out to the Academy my junior year of high school and I saw everything they had to offer,” Jay said. “The stars just aligned and I was committed on the spot. I knew what I wanted to do.”
While at the Academy, cadets must balance academic and military studies while also adhering to a strong fitness standard and taking fitness tests twice every semester. In Jay’s case, he also had to balance playing a Division I sport, which proved to not only test but grow him in ways he hadn't imagined.
“The school is rigorous,” Jay said. “Managing academics, military studies, physical standards and playing a Division I sport is far from easy. I don’t want to be average. I want to do something I can look back on and say I pushed my limits and lived up to my capabilities as a person. I wanted to see what I’m made of.”
The Academy is built upon creating an officer corps with high moral standards, unwavering discipline and strong character. These are traits that Jay encompasses and showcases in everything he does.
“He’s a great kid and does everything the right way,” said Brian Meyer, Cedar Rapids Kernels field manager. “He is super disciplined, he cares a ton and not just with baseball. It’s the way he presents himself. He knows that he’s representing more than himself.”
The Academy was established on April 1, 1954, and serves as a critical role in officer training and elite science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, as all graduates receive a Bachelor of Science degree and continue to commission within the Air Force as second lieutenants. The training is designed to be tough to try and forge a strong-willed and dedicated officer corps capable of leading the Airmen underneath them.
“To be able to represent the Air Force and the Academy as a whole while bringing awareness to the military is the coolest thing,” said Jay. “I get to chase my childhood dream of being a professional baseball player, but I also feel I have a bigger mission and that’s to represent the Air Force. I really thank the Air Force and the Academy for the opportunity to represent them on this scale to showcase to others why we’re the best military in the world. I also really thank the Minnesota Twins and the Wichita Wind Surge organizations for allowing me to chase my dreams while representing them as well.”
The deferment program allows individuals such as Jay to become highly motivated, trained and respected officers while also awarding them the opportunity to follow their personal and professional sports dreams. Additionally, the program is used as a way to shine a positive light on academy sports and bring exposure to the military with individuals of good character.
“My favorite part of the Academy was the people I met that I’ll be friends with for life,”Jay said. “It’s just like the bonds with my teammates in baseball. The brotherhood is always going to exist when you’re part of a team.”
| Date Taken: | 07.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.03.2026 15:52 |
| Story ID: | 571437 |
| Location: | MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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