Meet the Flames… A team looking to rebuild after getting ditched by their last coach
Who’s the Pack playing?
Opponent: Liberty
Mascot: Pyromaniacs | School Location: Lynchburg, VA | Conference: CUSA
2025 Record: 3-0 (0-0, T-1st) | 2024 RPI Rank: 61
2024 Record: 24-34 (11-13, T-5th) | 2024 RPI Rank: 123
2023 Record: 27-31 (16-14, 6th) | 2023 RPI Rank: 97
When? Where? How do I watch?
Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)
Game Time(s): Tues, Feb 18 @ 3:00pm
TV: Tuesday (ACCNX)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (Game)
Tell me about this team
Scott Jackson appeared to have Liberty on a massive upswing, leading the Flames to Regional appearances in three straight postseasons from 2019-2022, capturing two regular season Atlantic Sun Conference titles and one conference tournament title. Then things sort of hit the skids, going 51-65 (27-27) across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Rather than work to pull thing back up, Jackson skipped town and returned to Chapel Hill to join the UNC staff where he had previously served as an assistant for eight seasons before taking the Liberty job.
A mass exodus of transfers followed Jackson’s departure with nine players hitting the portal. Jackson took three of those with him to Chapel Hill in OF Kane Kepley, C Macaddin Dye, and RHP Cale Bolton, leaving new head man Bradley Lecroy with a tough rebuilding job in Year 1. Liberty may well be better off with Lecroy in the long run.
A former Clemson player and assistant coach, Lecroy is known for his recruiting chops and in his first head coaching gig, took VCU from “new coach rebuild” to an NCAA Regional in just two seasons, helping the Rams capture the program’s third Atlantic 10 title in four seasons after taking over for Shawn Stiffler who left VCU to take the Notre Dame head job.
As noted in the non-conference preview for State’s 2025 opponents, the cupboard wasn’t bare, but pitching was going to be the major concern. To that end, the Flames used 12 relievers in their opening series, so the search for reliable arms is clearly under way. Even though we won’t see him in this one, SO RHP Ben Blair showed that he’s ready to be the staff ace with a 6.0 IP, 11 K performance in the opener against Saint John’s. JR RHP Dylan Mathiesen, who battled control issues last season for the Flames, put together an equally impressive 4.0 IP, hitless outing in Game 2 against the Red Storm, notching 6 Ks with 0 BBs. If Liberty can count on those two guys at the top of the rotation, this may well end up being a CUSA contender after all.
The lineup is going to do its thing and should roll into a productive group as the season progresses. The guys who put up video game numbers in the opener will come back down to earth a bit while the guys who struggled should come up some. The 19.8 K% in the opening series is a bit worrisome, for sure, but it comes in conjunction with a 14.9 BB% that’s encouraging.
Liberty has 11 games lined up against ACC competition this year, so their mettle will be tested often. With that level of a non-conference slate, should the Flames hold their own and finish near the top of the CUSA standings but without the conference tourney title, they could earn an at-large bid to an NCAA Regional.
Pitching Matchups
Saturday: LHP Big McLargehuge (SO) — RHP Pitchy McPitcherson (SR)
Key Players:
Offense
SR OF Camden Troyer – .364/.462/.818, 2 2B, HR, 15.4 BB%, 0.0 K%, 0-0 SB.
SO INF Tanner Marsh – .400/.571/.400, 25.6 BB%, 14.3 K%, 1-2 SB.
JR INF Easton Swofford – .444/.546/.556, 2B, 18.2 BB%, 0.0 K%, 0-0 SB.
FR RHP/INF Landon Scilley – .571/.636/.571, 18.2 BB%, 9.1 K%, 0-0 SB.
Pitching
SO RHP Ben Blair – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.0 IP, 8.3 BB%, 45.8 K%.
JR RHP Dylan Mathiesen – 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 0.0 BB%, 50.0 K%.
SR RHP Garrett McLaughlin – 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, 0.0 BB%, 66.7 K%.
Quick! Fun Facts!
NC State and Liberty haven’t met on the baseball diamond since 2009, a 5-17 loss for the Pack. The Wolfpack hold the series advantage, 5-3.
Former NC State player Jim Toman (1981-1983; .314/.369/.511 over 79 games) was the head coach at Liberty from 2008-2016, leading the program to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances in 2013 (Columbia, SC) and 2014 (Charlottesville, VA). He went 328-206-1 at Liberty with a 146-77 conference record, never having a losing season either overall or in conference play.
Prior to Toman’s time at the helm, the Flames had a pair of noteworthy MLB alums lead the program. Former Yankees 2B Bobby Richardson, who won three World Series with New York, was the head coach from 1987-1990. RHP Al Worthington, who played 14 MLB seasons with 5 different clubs across the 1950’s and 1960’s, was the head coach from 1984-1986.
Former NC State LHP Trey Cooper (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.0 IP, 0.0 BB%, 0.0 K%) is in his third year with Liberty. He’s posted a 3-5 record over 53.2 IP across the 2023 and 2024 seasons with a 21.3 BB% and 22.0 K%.
The Key To A Series Win For State
Outside of Ryan Marohn, Andrew Shaffner, and Matt Willadsen, Wolfpack pitchers struggled to locate effectively in the season opening series sweep of Fordham. Whichever State pitchers toe the rubber, pounding the zone will be vitally important to securing another W for the Pack. This Liberty team is far more dangerous with the bats than Fordham was, and will make those freebies come back to hurt.
Prediction
State only used nine total pitchers in three games against Fordham, so there are plenty of arms to run out there in this one, if and as needed. Jaxon Lucas and Derrick Smith should be expected to make their season debuts along with a few of the eight new pitchers to the program. As of this writing, State hasn’t announced a starter for the game, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see UNCG transfer Julien Peissel get the nod. The abundance of available arms gives the Wolfpack an advantage in this one.
Outcome: State extinguishes the Flames, 7-3.