Liberty Baseball Notebook

Everyone was left with a sour taste in their mouth following the weekend series down in Jacksonville Alabama that saw Liberty lose the final 2 games after winning the opener.  The controversy of course centered around Ben Blair being accidentally left off the active roster for the weekend.  JSU likely became aware of it Friday and researched the issue and waited until Blair had thrown his first pitch of the game to bring up the discrepancy which led to Liberty forfeiting the game.  My tweet reporting on the forfeit now has 111k interactions as of 03/31/25 which is an insane number and by far the most viewed tweet I've ever had.  Opinions varied on the topic throughout the last several days.  The bottom line is JSU had every right to make that decision, and it was probably the right call to make.  However, nobody will ever feel good about winning that way and Liberty has to be sick to their stomach looking back on it.  You could make the argument that it ultimately cost Liberty both games as Blair was unable to pitch and Webb got hot to come into a game that was never going to be played which likely shortened his availability in G2.  Coach Bieser knows exactly what he's getting into when you make the decision to pursue the forfeit so he can't be surprised at all when tension elevated.  

The question I've been asked dozens of times since Saturday is how could that happen?  Well, from what I've heard, and this is far from official, another player that was supposed to be on the active 27 man travel roster got sick and the Flames attempted to remove the player that had fallen ill and inadvertently removed Blair from the roster in error.  It's basically a formality so there was likely no final check as this is something that's done every weekend in league play.  The JSU staff got the active roster for the weekend for review and likely initially assumed he was ill or injured only to see him listed as the probable starter for G2 just like normal.  They then waited for him to throw a pitch before filing the complaint.  It's obviously very difficult for the team to regain composure after something like that no matter how legal the move is because most want the game to be decided on the field.  At this point, the best Liberty can hope for is a rematch in the CUSA Championship in Lynchburg in May to allow Blair to face JSU.  The losses dropped the Flames to 2-4 in CUSA play which leaves a sizable hole to dig out of after just 2 weekends.  

Flames in MLB

Liberty currently has 3 players on active MLB rosters including 2 that made opening day.  Will Wagner started as the DH for the Toronto Blue Jays and Fraser Ellard is a lefty reliever for the Chicago White Sox.  LH Reliver Mason Flurharty also got the call up to the Toronto Blue Jays this past weekend.  Ryan Cordell spent a few years bouncing around MLB as a 4th outfielder for Liberty and Ian Parmley had a cup of coffee, but this is the first time in years Liberty has had 3 players as the MLB level with a chance for more down the road.  

Checking in on former Flames 

The coaching change from Scott Jackson to Bralley LeCroy saw quite a few players enter the transfer portal.  I found it interesting to check in on the players that departed to see how they fared in their new programs.  The vast majority of players that moved on are either not starting or experiencing limited playing time and/or not producing.  As you can see some very talented programs were willing to use significant NIL funds to lure these former players away during the week of uncertainty before the LeCroy hire was made official. 

Kane Kepley - Kane was on the cape when the coaching change occurred, and he followed Coach Jackson to UNC.  Kane got off to a fast start but has cooled at .267 with 1 HR and 11 RBI's.  However, he does have a .464 OBP and is 19/21 in SB.  

Mac Dye - Dye also went to UNC where he is behind projected 1st round pick Luke Stevenson at Catcher.  Dye is hitting just .136 with 1 homer and 3 RBIs in 22 AB's.  

Cale Bolton - Bolton was the final transfer to UNC.  Cale had come on strong down the stretch for the 2024 Flames but has only made 2 appearances totaling 2 1/3 IP for the Heels with a 3.86 ERA. 

Brayden Horton - Horton is hitting just .167 with 0 HR's and 2 RBIs in 12 AB's.  This one is tough to see because Horton made the decision late in the process and he had proven to be a force from the left-hand side of the plate for the Flames that could hit over .300 with double digit homers.  

Cam Foster - Cam is hitting .063 with 0 homers and 4 RBIs in 16 at bats for Georgia Southern.  Foster was basically a 3-year starter for the Flames at 3B.  

Todd Hudson - Hudson is hitting .261 with a homer and 5 RBI"s in 46 at bats for the Miami Hurricanes.  Hudson had already entered the portal a couple weeks prior to Jackson leaving and was listed as a top 40 portal transfer by several publications.  He started the season as the DH but has since lost his starting job.  

Ryan Butler - Butler followed pitching coach Tyler Robinson to Ohio State where he has posted a 13.50 ERA in 5 appearances in just over 13 innings.  Butler got a few starts for the Flames and also served as a long man in his 3 years in the program prior to leaving. 

Nick Moran - Moran transferred to ECU and has a .69 ERA in 8 appearances that span just over 13 IP.  Moran was a starter for the Flames but has done well in his role out of the bullpen for the Pirates.  Moran would have easily slotted in as a starter for the Flames had he returned.  

Talor Grubbs - Grubbs also transferred to ECU and has a 54 ERA in his 2 appearances that spanned just 2/3 of an inning.  Grubbs was a useful bullpen arm for the Flames in his 2 years prior to leaving.  

Three Hillier - Hillier transferred to High Point after setting out the 2024 season with Tommy John surgery.  He's hitting .263 with 4 HR"s and 23 RBIs for the Panthers. He followed former Flame and current assistant coach Derek Orndorff to High Point. 

Bryce Dolby - Dolby transferred to CUSA rival La Tech and has posted a 7.11 ERA in his 4 appearances spanning 6 plus innings.  The RH was an enigma for the Flames as he was a former prized recruit that had committed to Ole Miss but wasn't able to harness his stuff.  Looks like his struggles have continued at La Tech.  

Brian Mclellin - Mclellin transferred back out West to Pacific University.  He has struggled mightily to a .71 BA in 56 at bats with no homers.  

Nathan Keeter - Keeter was primarily a reserve utility player for the Flames that transferred down to Lenoir-Rhyne.  He's hitting .266 with 2 HR's and 12 RBIs in 64 at bats.  

There were a few other players that transferred back to JUCO or other D2 schools.  Overall, most of the players that have departed have not had the best of 2025 seasons.  The portal is no sure thing for the team or the player most of the time.  I always find it fascinating to look back on these transfers particularly when there is a coaching change to see how it works out for both sides.  Conversely, Coach LeCroy has brought in guys like Barone that did nothing at their prior stop that have become a stalwart in the lineup.  It's very difficult to predict how these things will play out.  We certainly wish the guys that departed the best in the rest of their seasons as there is a long way to go yet.