On the heels of Liberty head baseball coach Scott Jackson resigning and returning to North Carolina, the Flames have seen a few new names enter the transfer portal.
According to D1Baseball, Kane Kepley, Tanner Marsh, and Ryan Butler have entered the portal. This group joins 10 others that previously entered the transfer portal following the conclusion of the 2024 season including Todd Hudson and Three Hillier.
Hudson has since announced his commitment to Miami. Hillier committed to South Carolina where he was set to reunite with former Liberty pitching coach Matt Williams. Williams has since been hired at Coastal Carolina and on Wednesday Hillier announced he is no longer committed to South Carolina and his recruitment was back open.
The baseball transfer portal closed on July 2, but, after a head coach leaves the program, the NCAA grants a 30-day immediate portal window for players to enter.
Kepley was one of Liberty’s top players this past season as he batted .330 with 12 doubles, 9 home runs, 31 RBIs, 53 walks to 27 strikeouts with 25 stolen bases. In 2023, as a freshman, Kepley played in 50 games with 40 starts. He started 29 games in left field and 11 in center. He hit .310 with 19 RBIs and a team leading 44 runs scored. Originally from Salisbury, North Carolina, Kepley very well could follow Jackson to UNC.
A freshman from Asheboro, North Carolina, Marsh started all 58 games for the Flames at short stop in 2024. He hit .272 with 17 doubles, 4 home runs, and 20 RBIs.
A redshirt-freshman with three years of eligibility remaining, Butler made 11 appearances with 3 starts for Liberty this past spring. The righty tossed 19.1 innings while striking out 16 and walking 7 with a 4.66 ERA.
Liberty made Jackson’s resignation official Thursday afternoon stating the former head coach was set to “pursue other opportunities in college baseball” while the Flames have begun a search for the program’s eighth head coach.
“I deeply appreciate Coach Jackson’s many contributions to Liberty baseball over the past eight seasons,” Liberty AD Ian McCaw stated in the school’s release. “His efforts led the program to great success on the field while providing an exceptional, Christ-centered experience for our student-athletes. We are excited to build on the strong foundation in place including outstanding facilities, resources and support.”
