All aboard the FlameTrain.
Probably the most anticipated opening day of any sport, when baseball rolls around, people get excited. Especially coming off of the season the Flames had in 2013, featuring a Big South Championship, and a runner up in the Columbia Regional of the NCAA Tournament which included South Carolina, Clemson, and Saint Louis.
The Flames really seemed to get over the hump and prove they could compete on a national level. Liberty took top 5 teams to the wire numerous times and had some big statement wins. Being the only one of the three major sports that Liberty is really competitive nationally at the highest division, Flames fans have a lot to be excited about in the springtime. Here’s our preview of what’s to come in 2014:
Player turnover: The Flames lost some key pieces last year.
– CF Ryan Cordell was drafted in the 11th round after batting .261 with 6 HRs. He was an outstanding fielder.
– 2B Bryan Aanderud led those with 200 at bats with a .329 average.
– C Trey Wimmer batted .296 with 5 HRs, was solid both batting and in the field.
– P Josh Richardson our ace who posted a 2.40 ERA
– P Brooks Roy, 3.36 ERA
With those losses in mind, according to the LU Flame Train twitter account, Liberty’s defensive alignment should look something like this:
Outfield: Since Nick Paxton is out due to a broken ankle after getting his cleat stuck in the turf, one of the incoming freshmen will be asked to step up to fill an outfield role. Roberts and Shephard seem to be the frontrunners for the job. It is also likely Nick Lacik will only play against right handed pitching.
Ashton Perritt did it all for the Flames last season. He batted .343 and posted a 2.09 ERA, not to mention he often pinch ran. After getting BSC Tournament MVP in 2013, he has been named to the 2014 NCBWA and Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Preseason All American teams.
As Ashton Perritt closes games on the mound, we will see a lot of new faces in the outfield. The only other outfielders on the roster are Parker Bean, who also pitches, Tyler Morris, and Austin Bream, son of Sid Bream. I’d say we’ll get to see all of these guys a few times before season’s end.
Infield: There’s a lot of shifting around in order to try and relieve the vacancies left by Trey Wimmer and Bryan Aanderud. Alex Close will move from first to catcher, and Dalton Britt, who really came on down the stretch last year, will move from short to third. Liberty will use transfers Ryan Seiz at first, and Clay Keranen at short.
2nd base is where Jake Kimble is currently slotted, but that is far from in stone. Kimble batted just .186 and played mostly 3rd base last year. The current frontrunner to challenge for the job is the freshman, Nick Salisbury.
Pitching: It is thought that the rotation for this weekend will be Trey Lambert, Parker Bean, and Carson Herndon. Whether or not this is what the weekend rotation looks like on a regular basis for the Flames remains to be seen. Blake Fulgham will most likely be the leading reliever for Liberty after his breakout performance in the Big South Tournament, and expect Ashton Perritt to come in as the closer.
Other: Danny Grauer will be designated hitter for the Flames and will usually pitch in relief.
Look for Part 2 tomorrow to take a look at the rest of the Big South along with Liberty’s schedule.
