The Brewster Whitecaps are cleared for takeoff as the playoffs are now firmly positioned on manager Jamie Shevchik’s radar.

The Whitecaps have already clinched a postseason spot as they look to compete for the fourth title in franchise history, and their third since Shevchik joined the organization in 2015.

In mid-July, Shevchik received some clutch late-season reinforcements to his pitching staff.

Air Force Academy cadets, Gaines Estridge and Sam Hentges, have given Brewster's playoff hopes a lift, bringing their military discipline and high-flying ambition to Stony Brook Field.

Their deployment to the Cape League was no coincidence, as their skipper at the Academy, Kyle Winkler, was a pitcher on the 2009 Falmouth Commodores.

"Coach Winkler reached out to me way back in the fall, and it was a perfect situation,” Shevchik said.

Both pitchers were eager to join the squad this summer, but Air Force cadets have strict military obligations they must adhere to.

"The Air Force kids have a unique situation, and they can't come out for the whole summer,” Shevchik said. “I could have brought them out from the beginning, and then they'd have to leave in July, or I could bring them out (later), and they'd stay until August."

Shevchik chose the latter, as he knew the talented arms could be a massive boost to his clubhouse energy and team’s postseason ambitions.

"You're getting A+ human beings,” Shevchik said. “Anybody from a service academy is going to be a really good kid, and it brings some culture. They're out here having fun too. They get a chance to step away from what the academy is and just come out here and play baseball."

The Air Force motto is Aim High… Fly-Fight-Win. Leaving the thin air of Colorado Springs for the sea breeze of Cape Cod hasn't slowed the airmen one bit.

In the skies, five kills make you an ace; on the mound, five Ks can make one too.

In Brewster’s July 23 matchup against Wareham, Estridge broke the sound barrier with five strikeouts and no runs allowed through six innings.

"He’s awesome,” Shevchik said. “He's a Friday night starter at school. How often do you get a chance to bring your Friday night starter out here in July? You don't see that very often."

Estridge has battled through dogfights on the mound with Brewster and with Air Force in the spring. Estridge currently sports a 1.50 ERA this summer after throwing 64.2 innings in the spring.

"I think the biggest thing that's been motivating me on the mound is just being over at the academy,” Estridge said. “We go through such structure every day, consistently 15-hour days of military objectives. When we're able to go out on the baseball field, it's super easy to just walk in and enjoy the game."

Although Estridge has been dealing, no good ace is complete without a wingman. While Estridge has been shoving as a starter, Sam Hentges, spotless in relief and yet to give up a run through 3.2 innings of work, has been a calculated threat out of the bullpen.

Hentges is following family tradition in Colorado Springs as his grandfather Bill graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1963.

The Academy and its baseball pipeline runs deep.

Before becoming a Cy Young Award winner, Paul Skenes proved that elite baseball could begin at the Air Force Academy. After spending two seasons at the Academy and time with the Wareham Gatemen, he transferred to LSU and eventually became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft.

His success helped put Air Force baseball on the map, and his return visits to Colorado Springs continue to inspire the program's current crop of recruits.

Gaines Estridge and Sam Hentges are now following a similar blueprint, balancing military training with Division I baseball before earning their commissions.

"Our coach tells us to be where your feet are,” Estridge said. “When I'm in class, I'm in class. When I'm out on the parade field, I'm on the parade field. But once I get down to the baseball field, then I'm just a Division I baseball player."

Estridge and Hentges are entering their final year at the Academy, where military service remains the priority.

Whether their future lies in a cockpit or a dugout, their presence on the mound already reflects the aircraft they aspire to fly.

"I want to fly F-15s, anything fast,” Estridge said.

Estridge’s velocity, workload and late-inning dominance perfectly mimic the F-15 Eagle.

Hentges pitches more akin to his choice, the F-22 Raptor, with its untouched velocity and unblemished battle record, like his on the mound.

Although there may be a rivalry between the two jets, Estridge and Hentges have nothing but chemistry with the ‘Caps.

"With us, we're going to come here and give it our all,” Hentges said. “I know that's something not just Gaines and I, but this whole team wants to buy into.”

Brewster is just a handful of games from the playoffs and their newest additions are primed and ready to help the ‘Caps clear the runway.