Defending tournament champion Liberty was selected by the ASUN Coaches to claim the league title in 2020, as the Flames finished one first-place vote and 4 points ahead of Florida Gulf Coast. The Flames and Eagles also led the way with four members each on the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Starting pitcher Noah Skirrow, reliever Garret Price, second baseman Will Wagner, and outfielder Gray Betts earned the distinction on the All-Conference Team.
Skirrow ranked 4th in the ASUN with 98 strikeouts last season finishing with a 3.76 ERA in 76.2 innings pitched for the Flames. The junior had a 5-6 record in 16 appearance and his 11.5 strikeouts per nine innings led the conference.
Price finished second on the team with 3 saves in 2019 to go along with 71 strikeouts and a 3.15 ERA. The senior from Evington, Virginia had a 7-3 record coming primarily out of the bullpen.
Wagner was the lone unanimous selection to the team after earning First Team All-Conference honors in 2019 with a .305 batting average and 14 doubles. The junior also had 6 homers, 43 runs scored, and 42 RBIs on the year.
Betts was an All-Tournament and All-Freshmen Team honoree last season with a batting average of .314 and on-base percentage of .455, both team highs.
Behind Liberty and FGCU, Stetson was picked to finish 3rd, while Jacksonville, North Florida, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State, NJIT, and North Alabama followed.
The Flames are coming off a 2019 season under head coach Scott Jackson where the program won 43 games and advanced to NCAA Regional play where Liberty defeated Tennessee in the first game, before dropping consecutive contests against North Carolina and the Volunteers to end the season.
Liberty will open the 2020 campaign with a three-game series at Clemson beginning on February 14th. The Flames’ home opener is on February 18th against Radford.
