#Risewithus

  This is the 2nd of a 4 part summer blog posting that will include a Summer league update on the Flames that are in action and also an update on the Flames that are active in the minor leagues.  Last week I posted the subtractions and the additions to the roster as of Saturday.  I'd still expect the Flames to add another player or 2 from the portal if they can land the right fit for the program that also matches a need.  That being said let's take a look at how it could all come together next year and what went right and what went wrong plus some notes on the schedule and Blair and Kepley.   This year it was pretty obvious to break down what went wrong.  First and foremost the Flames suffered 3 crucial season ending injuries to Hillier, Horn & Butler.  Further, Horton's injury essentially cost him the first month and Rabon missed a month in the crucial portion of the conference slate.  Offensively, this was one of the best if not the bes...

  We're now a few weeks removed from the end of the 24 baseball season that saw the Flames go 24-34 including 11-13 in CUSA play and 2-2 in the CUSA tournament.  It's time to turn the page to see who is coming and going for the 25 version of the Flames.   First, we start with those that are in the portal. Todd Hudson - Hudson is by far the most impactful player lost in the portal.  Hudson showed flashes on the mound the last 2 years but was inconsistent.  He did however make a quite big impact in the lineup as the DH as he hit .284 with 11 HR's and 40 RBI's and .975 OPS.  He was pretty much locked into the DH spot.  Hudson has transferred to the Miami Hurricanes.   Brian Mclellin - Mclellin was a JUCO transfer that played quite a bit in the first half of the season at 1B where he played excellent defense.  His bat faded as the season wore on as he ended at .246 with 6 HR's and 24 RBI's.  He was a solid depth piece for the Fla...

Record  : 21-26 RPI : 113 Home : 15-11 Away : 6-15 SOS : 61 Quad 1 : 1-12 Quad 2 : 1-6 Quad 3 : 8-3 Quad 4 : 11-5 CUSA:   11-7 4th place Last 10 : 4-6 Teams Stats  : ERA 5.90, Fielding % .966, BA .284 CUSA RPI Conference Rank - 8/30   (ASUN 23-30) Liberty was able to take 2 of 3 at home from FIU in a key CUSA series to get back into 4th place with 2 key series against LA Tech & DBU left.  Liberty was also able to win a slugfest at home against Campbell in the midweek.  All in all the Flames have battled through a second consecutive season of ups and downs.  The RPI has stayed fairly strong at #113 thanks to the Flames difficult OOC schedule and the relative strength of CUSA.  The Flames will want to show they belong at the top of the league this last 2 series along with the DBU's, WKU's & La Tech's.  Liberty has endured 3 season ending injuries to critical pieces Garret Horn, Three Hillier and Ryan Butler.  They lost L...

  Record  : 13-14 RPI : 150 Home : 10-8 Away : 3-6 SOS : 110 Quad 1 : 0-8 Quad 2 : 4-1 Quad 3 : 1-3 Quad 4 : 8-2 CUSA - 5-1 T1st with DBU Last 10 - 7-3 Teams Stats : ERA 4.95, Fielding % .968, BA .279 Liberty got out the brooms and swept a Sam Houston State club that rolled into Lynchburg top 40 in the RPI.  Liberty has played much better baseball the last 3 weeks but have still had a couple late inning defensive miscues or bullpen issues that cost the Flames the VCU and Wake games.  The lineup was excellent all weekend long.  Horton and Foster have caught fire as each have raised their BA nearly 100 pts in the last 2 weeks.  Dye & Marsh have become stabilizing forces in the lineup as well.  Troyer has shown signs of life lately as well to go along with his stellar defense.  Hudson has provided big time pop from the left hand side.  When and if the Flames can get Rabon back the lineup will have length unlike any other we've had in my m...

Record  : 8-11 RPI : 161 Home : 7-6 Away : 1-5 SOS : 89 Quad 1 : 0-7 Quad 2 : 0-0 Quad 3 : 4-4 Quad 4 : 7-3 CUSA RPI Conference Rank : 11th .50 ranking and 100-66 overall record.  Liberty finished off the week 3 and 1 this week after taking 2/3 from Canisius and beating UNCA in the midweek.  Overall, the Flames played their best baseball since the first week of the season but there are still issues to continue to work through.   Offensively, the Flames had a great week aside from a weird Friday night that saw them get held to 3 hits and shutout.  Sweatt has been steady both in the field and in the lineup where he's hit .324 with 2 HR's and 16 RBI's.  Noah Rabon has also been a steadying force at .295 with 1 HR and 16 RBI's.  The 2 transfers have been the Flames most consistent hitters in the early going.  Kepley has been solid at .292 with 2 HR's and 9 RBI's.  The 2 super freshman Tanner Marsha and Macaddin Dye have been excellent additi...

    Record  : 5-6 RPI : 132 Home : 3-2 Away : 1-4 SOS : 93 Quad 1 : 1-6 Quad 4 : 4-0 Liberty finished off week 2 1-3 after posting a 2-1 11 inning win at UNCW and getting swept by Coastal.  The Flames bats came to life at Coastal but they were unable to preserve sizeable leads in each of the first 2 games before getting shut out in the 3rd and final game.  It won't get any easier with the midweek game at College of Charleston who is 7-3 and #203 in the RPI before heading back home for 3 with powerhouse ECU who sits at 7-4 and 36th in the RPI.  Charleston was 7-0 before being swept by Nebraska over the weekend by 4 total runs.  ECU won 2 of 3 in the annual Keith Laclair classic but dropped a stinker Sunday against SE Louisiana.  So far the Pirates are 0-3 on the road.  Liberty's big problem over the weekend was untimely errors and bullpen meltdowns that we hadn't seen thus far in the 2024 season.   Many are hitting the panic button a...

  It's hard to believe the Spring Football season is already gone and it's just the first week of March.  HCJC had done this early schedule in his time at Coastal but wasn't able to last year with the roster situation.  The weather ended up being perfect after it looked like rain all week.   Offensively  A lot of the veteran's like Salter & Cooley didn't play a lot of snaps and the Flames were down 4 WR's that should factor in the rotation in Lee, Jones, Smith & Rogers who came back after entering the portal.  Overall, my biggest takeaway is with the QB room.  Hampton seems to have taken a real step forward and Burger is a legitimate starting caliber option after coming over from App State.  Further, Jayden Bradford gives the Flames the young QB of the future to develop.  Bradford's best play of the day was a roll out the left and dropped a dime while going away from his body about 25 yards down field.  Miles Mceachin was a ...