MAXWELL & ATENCIA TRANSFERRING
Coach McKay announced this week that sophomore center Evan Maxwell and freshman point guard Hansel Atencia will be transferring. Maxwell broke onto the scene this year, but faded as the year progressed. The 6’10” center finished the 2015-16 season 2nd on the team in points averaging 10 points per game. He was also 2nd on the team in rebounds with 4.8 per game and led the team in field goal percentage, shooting 63.7% from the floor. Maxwell had 4 20-point games on the year, including a career-high 24 points at Radford on December 3rd. Atencia played in 19 games and averaged 1.5 points per game. He had a season-high 7 points in Liberty’s season opener against Covenant.
FLAMES BASEBALL DROPS 3 OF 4 TO KENT STATE
After winning 5 straight games, Liberty’s baseball team has hit somewhat of a slide, dropping 3 of 4 at home to Kent State and blowing a lead at Maryland on Tuesday. Liberty began conference play Thursday night against UNC-Asheville. The Flames picked up the win,7-6, thanks to a D.J. Artis RBI single in the 8th inning. Shane Quarterly moves to 4-0 on the season after picking up a win. He pitched 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. The 3 game series with the Bulldogs continues Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 2:00.
Cole named Big South Pitcher of the Week
Victor Cole was named Big South pitcher of the week following his performance last Saturday against Kent State. Cole finished with his 2nd career complete game and struck out 11 Kent State batters. The 11 strikeouts set a career high. Cole is 1-1 on the season with a 2.16 ERA.
SPRING PRACTICE BEGINS
Coach Gill and the Flames opened spring practice this week with the first 2 of 15 scheduled practices including the April 16th spring game. All practices, with the exception of the spring game, are closed to the public and media. We will be able to speak with coaches and players periodically throughout the spring, so continue to check for our updates. If you missed it, be sure to check out our first spring practice notebook which includes a full audio interview with Coach Gill.
I think I did a really good job today, and I hope they were really impressed with what they saw.
PRO DAY
Liberty held its annual pro day on Wednesday giving draft eligible players a chance to showcase their abilities in front of several NFL scouts. Des Rice, D.J. Abnar, Darrin Peterson, Jonathan Burgess, Chima Uzowihe, and Jimmy O’Grady all relished the opportunity, but receiving the most attention were Josh Woodrum and John Lunsford. Both performed at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month and hoped to be drafted in the 2016 NFL Draft in April. Liberty alums Mike Brown and Gabe Henderson were also on hand to help run routes. Brown, who was out of the NFL in 2015 after 3 seasons with the Jaguars, hopes to get another opportunity in 2016. He has 534 career receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 18 career games with Jacksonville. Be sure to check the News & Advance for more detailed coverage of pro day.
BASKETBALL COMMITS UPDATE
2017 commit Elijah Cuffee led his team to the state championship where they attempted to repeat as champions. The Poca Dots fell though, 55-37, to Fairmont Senior. Cuffee led the way in the state championship game with 20 points as Poca’s 51-game winning streak against in-state opponents came to an end. He added 11 rebounds and 3 assists in the loss. Cuffee also shined in the state semifinal game, finishing the game with 20 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Check out signee Brock Gardner’s senior season highlights:
SOFTBALL OPENS CONFERENCE PLAY 3-0
The softball team opened conference play this past weekend with a 3 game sweep of Winthrop. It’s the first 3 game sweep of the Dot Richardson era and first overall since 2013. Liberty is now off to its best start in conference play since 2006. Sophomore Madison Kotchey was named Big South Player of the Week following her performance against the Eagles. She hit .500 with 3 doubles, 2 homeruns, 5 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. The Lady Flames return to action this weekend with 3 games at Coastal Carolina.
FLAMEFANS THREAD OF THE WEEK
This week’s FlameFans thread of the week is Falwell: Major LU Expansion in the works.
