Liberty’s 2-1 series win at Stetson this past weekend put put them atop the ASUN at last now in a tight race with Kennesaw State, as the Flames are currently tied with the Owls.

The opener was a tight contest that went for 15 innings on Friday. Garrett Horn got the start and allowed no hits in the 7 innings he pitched with 12 strikeouts. After dropping the second game 1-5, the Flames took home a convincing win, 8-0, with Joe Adametz III pitching 8 innings and allowing no runs. It was a game much needed for Liberty as it helped the Flames climb one last spot up in the conference standings. Liberty also played a tough game against Wake Forest on Tuesday, losing 5-10.

The Jacksonville Dolphins enter this weekend’s series with an overall record of 23-19. They have beaten No. 23 23 ranked Florida State in their 4th game of the season. They are coming of a series win against FGCU, 2-1, and are looking to further the numbers on their ASUN resume.

Sophomore infielder Chase Malloy leads the Dolphins in batting average (.283) and hits (47). He typically bats leadoff in the lineup. First basemen Christian Coipel has been the clear power hitter for the Dolphins this year, batting 4th in the lineup and leading the team in home runs (12), RBI’s (43), and slugging (.531). These guys in the front end of the lineup will be players to look out for as they take on the Flames.

Juniors Christian Graham and Mason Adams have started the most games for the Dolphins, each with (11) under their belt. Graham holds a record of 2-2 and Adams is 4-3. Adams leads the team in strikeouts (91) by a significant margin with the second highest being (54) from Michael Darrell-Hicks. Sophomore Tyler Vogel has appeared in 18 games for Jacksonville with 4wins under his belt and 8 saves. He has an impressive ERA of 1.26 which is the best mark for Jacksonville pitchers.

Another conference series this weekend gives the Flames the chance to extend their slim lead at the top of the standings. They played Jacksonville in an away series at the beginning of April, losing 2-1. Liberty has somewhat regained their footing since a rougher stretch then and should be looking for revenge for that unfortunate result. They will be in Lynchburg now and will want to continue momentum for the ASUN No. 1 seed as the conference tournament nears.