The 2024 schedule has been released which means we're just a few months away from 1st pitch. As usual, Scott Jackson & company have assembled a great schedule that will have the Flames firmly in the mix for an at large if they can handle their business. Liberty will play 20 games against teams that were in the NCAA tourney headlined by another home and home with CWS Finale participant Wake Forest. Wake lost several top players like Lowder & Blinken to the 1st round but they have plenty more coming back. In all the Flames will have 7 ACC games including 3 at home and 2 big time home weekend series against mid major powers.
The Flames will open the season at home against Quinnipiac for 3. They finished at 203 in the RPI and were just over .500. I like getting this type of series early to build confidence. Last year the Flames got punched in the mouth right out of the gate against Southern Miss and never seemed to recover. They then head to Duke in the midweek which finished yet another top 25 RPI campaign that saw them fall just 1 win shy of 40 on the season. The Flames have owned the Blue Devils in the last 4 to 5 years despite the success the Blue Devils have had. The Flames will then welcome in Hofsta for 3 which will look to come down South for a bit warmer weather. Hofstra was .500 and top #123 in the RPI. Another series the Flames should win but if they drop 1 it shouldn't kill the RPI. The Flames head down to UNCW which is always a solid program for the first time in several years before heading down to old rival Coastal Carolina in HC Gary Gilmore's final year. The Flames have controlled this series lately after the Chants dominated LU for over a decade. The Chants were a top 20 RPI team last year as well and should be strong again. They stay on the road against College of Charleston which is another nice midweek matchup and a team the Flames haven't played in some time. Next the Flames head home for a matchup that you will want to circle. The ECU Pirates come to town for 3 in Lynchburg. The Pirates have been a perennial top 25 power and wore the Flames out in Greenville last year. There's no doubt the Flames will look to make a statement in this series. Next up is former Big South foe UNC Asheville at home in a game the Flames need to win. Canisius closes out the non conference 3 game series in the early part of the year. They finished at #180 and were around .500. The Flames will then bus up to Richmond to face VCU who had a really tough year with a new coach last year.
Liberty then enters the CUSA portion of the schedule. The final 16 games of the season will really test the Flames. It starts with a trip up 29 to CWS participant UVA followed by a very intriguing 3 game road series against another very solid mid major club in Samford. They finished 37-25 and 62 in the RPI. I would expect this means there could be a return series in Lynchburg down the road. That's followed by a home mid week against Campbell in which is likely to be an emotional game for Flames pitching coach Tyler Robinson who joins the Flames after spending a decade in Buies Creek. The Camels have been incredible. The Flames then get what is hopefully a quick breather in 3 home games against FIU before finishing with VT, DBU, Wake & LA Tech.
I'm really looking forward to 2 big time home mid major series in LA Tech & ECU. Those series will be huge for the Flames. In all ,there are 4 really nice weekend mid major series against likely top 50 RPI programs. Liberty will have it's shot with the P5's as they have home and home's with Duke, Wake & VT and a road game with UVA.
I only see 1 game on the schedule that is a potential RPI killer and that's UNCA. Lots of great matchups that will test the Flames and keep that RPI up all the while providing for what should be an entertaining 2024 season.
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