Following Liberty’s sweep of Lipscomb by a combined score of 27-6 in the three game series this past weekend and knocking off No. 12 Virginia Tech, 8-2, on Tuesday, the Flames are now being projected on the right side of the bubble in Baseball America’s most recent projected NCAA Tournament field. With the wins, the Flames have improved to 22-8 overall and 8-1 in ASUN play with an RPI of 34.
A week ago, Liberty was projected as one of the first four out of the field, but the four wins this week, especially beating the Hokies who are likely a No. 1 seed, have pushed the Flames into the field as the last team receiving an at-large bid in the Baseball America projection. The last four teams in the field according to this projection are Liberty, Dallas Baptist, LSU, and UC Santa Barbara. The first four out are Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, and fellow ASUN member FGCU.
Baseball America continues to project Stetson as receiving the ASUN’s automatic bid and receiving a No. 3 seed in the Fayetteville, Arkansas regional with the No. 1 overall seed Arkansas as well as No. 2 seed Nebraska and No. 4 seed Florida A&M. The Hatters are currently 19-10 overall and 5-1 in ASUN play with an RPI of 94.
Liberty as a No. 3 seed in the Knoxville, Tennessee regional where the No. 9 overall seed Tennessee would be the host. Other teams in this field include No. 2 seed Georgia Tech and No. 4 seed Stony Brook. The Flames met Tennessee in the 2019 NCAA Tournament as part of Chapel Hill Regional. Liberty, the No. 3 seed, defeated the No.2 seed Volunteers, 6-1, to open regional play before falling to No. 1 seed North Carolina and being eliminated to Tennessee, 6-5 in 10 innings.
The Flames are 3-3 this season against teams projected into the tournament as Liberty has already faced No. 14 overall seed TCU, No. 16 overall seed Virginia Tech, and No. 2 seed in the Greenville, North Carolina region North Carolina.
The Flames return to action this weekend on the road in Florence, Alabama against North Alabama. The Lions are currently 4-26 on the season with a 3-9 mark in the ASUN. Liberty swept the Lions in Lynchburg March 12-14 by a combined score of 17-0 in the three game series.
