1/6/2022 2:21:33 PM | Baseball
The Liberty Flames are among Perfect Game’s Preseason Top 25 released early today.
The Flames, who posted a 41-16 mark and received an at-large selection to the NCAA Regionals last season, are listed No. 25.
The 2021 campaign was one of the most successful in Liberty Baseball history, as the Flames made their second straight NCAA postseason appearance (2019, 2021). Led by ASUN Coach of the Year Scott Jackson, the Flames set the school record for best winning percentage (.719) in a season at the NCAA Division I level and secured an NCAA at-large bid for the second time in the program’s history. After its selection to the NCAA Knoxville, Tenn. Regional, Liberty posted two wins over ACC Champion Duke, before seeing their season end in the regional final against host and College World Series participant Tennessee.
Liberty finished the year as the best defensive team in the country, posting a nation’s best .984 fielding percentage to eclipse the previous school record of .977 set by Jackson’s 2018 squad. Liberty also completed the year 12th nationally with a 3.57 ERA.
From March 2-26, the Flames won 13 consecutive games, a Liberty NCAA Division I era record. After March 2, Liberty did not lose consecutive games during the remainder of the 2021 campaign.
The Flames return CoSIDA Academic All-American and ASUN first team outfielder Aaron Anderson and Freshman All-American pitcher and ASUN Freshman of the Year Trey Gibson. In addition, ASUN All-Conference members, catcher Gray Betts and designated hitter Brady Gulakowski also return. Anderson has already been named a 2022 Preseason All-American by the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
Liberty will open its 2022 campaign against the Florida Gators on Feb. 18 at Florida Ballpark in Gainesville, Fla. The Gators were ranked No. 23 in the Perfect Game Preseason Top 25.
The Flames will host North Carolina A&T to begin its home schedule at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium on Feb. 23.
