Liberty to Face No. 26 Coastal Carolina in Key Big South Series
5/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
LIBERTY AT NO. 26 COASTAL CAROLINA
May 8-10
Springs Brooks Stadium
Conway, S.C.
TV: American Sports Network (Sun.)
Video Stream (Fri. & Sat.)
Big South Network
LFSN Radio Coverage:
WIQO 100.9 FM
Live Stats (provided by CCU):
Quick Hits
1. After six days off due to exams, Liberty returned to action with a 3-2 win over Richmond, Wednesday at Liberty Baseball Stadium. The game completed a six-game homestand for the Flames. Liberty went 5-1 over the span.
2. Liberty enters the weekend with a 30-17 overall record and a 14-4 mark in Big South Conference play.
3. Currently, the Flames are tied for first place with Coastal Carolina and Radford in the Big South standings.
4. With one week remaining in the regular season, this weekend's series between Liberty and Coastal Carolina will play a key role in determining the top seeds for the upcoming Big South Baseball Championship.
5. This weekend, the Flames return to conference play for the first time since sweeping a three-game series from Gardner-Webb, April 24-26 at Liberty Baseball Stadium.
6. Liberty has faced Coastal Carolina the most of any team in program history (90 times).
Player Notes
• 1B/P Alex Close was named to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-District 3 team, Thursday. Close was selected to the 2015 Capital One Academic All-America first team.
• Close leads the Flames with 21 multiple-hit games and has reached base in 37 consecutive games.
• Close collected two hits, a double and scored a run in 3-2 win over Richmond, Wednesday. He also recorded his team-leading fifth save by striking out the only batter he faced in the ninth.
• Close is among the Big South Conference leaders in hits, runs scored, RBI, doubles, total bases and on base percentage.
• LHP Jared Lyons was named the Big South Pitcher of the Week for the third time, April 27.
• Lyons allowed one hit in a complete game 5-0 victory over Gardner-Webb in his last start, April 24. He struck out nine and walked three. He retired 16 batters in a row at one point.
• Lyons combined with LHP Matt Pennington to shut out East Carolina, 5-0, in his latest outing on April 29. Lyons retired all six batters he faced in the contest.
• Lyons leads the Big South in ERA (1.40), complete games (3), shutouts and opponent batting average (.177). He ranks third in innings pitched (75.0) and sixth in strikeouts (71).
• Pennington pitched seven scoreless innings in his first start of the season, recording the win in the shutout of East Carolina, April 29.
• In the longest outing of Pennington's career, he scattered five hits, while striking out a career-high five and walking three.
• Wednesday, Pennington recorded the victory by going seven-plus innings against Richmond.
• Pennington was one of three Liberty student-athletes to receive the prestigious George A. Christenberry Award for Academic Excellence presented by the Big South Conference to the male and female student-athlete who attain the highest GPA during their college careers.
• SS Dalton Britt hit his fourth home run of the year, leading off the fourth inning in Liberty's win over Richmond, Wednesday. The hit extended his hitting streak to a team season-high of 14 and tied his career-long.
• Britt recorded two hits and an RBI in win over East Carolina, April 29.
• 2B Nick Salisbury also collected two hits, driving in a run and scoring a run in victory over East Carolina, April 29.
• OF Will Shepherd posted back-to-back three-hit games, April 26 and April 28. Shepherd collected three hits and scored all three runs in the Flames' 3-0 win over Gardner-Webb, April 26. Two days later, he had three hits, two doubles and a RBI against James Madison.
• Shepherd leads Liberty and is eighth in the Big South with 14 stolen bases.
• LHP Shawn Clowers leads the Big South Conference and is tied for third in the nation in wins with an 9-3 record. He leads the Flames with 16 appearances after pitching 1 2/3 innings of relief against Richmond, Wednesday.
• In his last start on April 26, Clowers pitched the first complete game of his career, scattering six hits in a 3-0 win over Gardner-Webb.
• C Becker Sankey is tied for second in home runs (11), fifth in slugging percentage (.554) and sixth in total bases (93) in the Big South Conference.
• LHP Victor Cole enters the weekend third in ERA (2.00), eighth in innings pitched (72.0), 10th in strikeouts (62) and second in opponent batting average (.201).
