The Liberty Flames baseball team will close out their regular season schedule against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a three-game Conference USA series beginning May 14 at Reese Smith Jr. Field in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
This series is significant as it will determine Liberty’s final standing and seeding for next week’s Conference USA Baseball Championship in Kennesaw, Georgia. The Flames currently hold second place in the conference with a 19-8 record and could finish anywhere from first to fifth depending on this weekend’s results.
Liberty enters the series with an overall record of 36-17 and has posted a strong road performance this year, going 17-5 away from home—the fifth-best road mark nationally. The team recently swept New Mexico State in its last road outing. Head coach Bradley LeCroy, now in his second season, has guided the program to a cumulative record of 66-44 during his tenure.
Several individual players have achieved notable milestones this season. Outfielder Riley DeCandido and catcher Kyle Hvidsten have each been hit by pitches 18 times, approaching the program single-season record set by David Benham in 1998. Shortstop Tanner Marsh recently joined Liberty’s exclusive “200-hit club” and leads Conference USA with 78 hits on the year. Pitcher Ben Blair reached his own milestone by recording his 100th strikeout of the season last week; he is now tied for third on Liberty’s single-season strikeout list.
Senior outfielder Nick Barone has also had standout performances throughout March and April, contributing significantly both offensively and defensively. Barone leads the team with a .587 slugging percentage and is among conference leaders in several offensive categories including RBI, hits, slugging percentage, and OPS.
The outcome of these final games will play a key role not only for postseason positioning but also for individual player records as Liberty prepares for championship competition.
