Latest news with #LibertyFlames
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Liberty Flames Football Preview 2025: Prediction, Win Total, Top 10 Players, Keys to the Season
Liberty Flames Key to the Season Complete more Flame offense lives on the running game, and the quarterbacks will once again be mobile, but hitting the midrange passes is a must. When Kaidon Salter hit better than 55% of his passes, Liberty went 8-0. When he didn't, Liberty went 0-4. He's gone, but that means the offense needs lots and lots of completions from …- 2025 Liberty Preview Liberty Flames Key Player Ethan Vasko, QB Carolina transfer Michael Merdinger will be in the mix in fall camp, but Vasko is the likely starting quarterback when Maine comes to town. He stepped in last year at Coastal Carolina with 2,110 yards and 14 scores, and he ran for 821 yards in two seasons with the program, but it's asking a whole lot to be Kaidon Salter. Liberty Flames Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss Top Transfer In: Casey Cain, WR the 6-3, 200-pound UNLV transfer crack the loaded receiving corps. He only caught 16 passes in his time with the Rebels and first at Texas, but he has the size and can Transfer Out: Kaidon Salter, QB wasn't always great, and he took a big step back last season passing, but Salter is leaving for Colorado with close to 6,000 yards with 56 touchdown passes, and over 2,000 rushing yards and 21 scores. Liberty Flames Key Game at Old Dominion, Sept. 27Liberty should rip through its league slate without breaking a sweat, but there's a huge problem - there isn't anyone great on the slate. To get 19 steps ahead, to have any dream of being the Group of Five champion in the College Football Playoff, it has to rip up James Madison, and there can't be any buckling at ODU.- 2025 Liberty Schedule Breakdown Liberty Flames Top 10 Players 1. Joseph Carter, LB Sr.2. Aaron Fenimore, C Soph.3. Brylan Green, S Sr.4. CJ Bazile, EDGE Sr.5. A'Khori Jones, S Sr.6. Ethan Vasko, QB Jr.7. Amarian Williams, CB Sr.8. Dexter Ricks, CB Jr.9. Julian Gray, RB Sr.10. Elijan Canion, WR Sr. Liberty Flames 2024 Fun Stats - 1st Quarter Scoring: Opponents 70, Liberty 43- 4th Quarter Scoring: Liberty 124, Opponents. 69- Fumbles: Liberty 23 (lost 11), Opponents 13 (lost 7) Liberty Flames 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen This is a flawed Liberty team with a whole slew of things that need to come together, but Conference USA is so light and breezy that this could be a ten-win season just by showing Flames avoid a regular season game against a Power Four program for a third straight season, and missing Sam Houston and WKU will help. Even better, they get the two newbies, Delaware and Missouri long as there isn't a gack like last year's loss at Kennesaw State, there's no excuse not to be in the Conference USA Championship. However, even if the Flames roll everyone and beat James Madison, Bowling Green, and Old Dominion, the schedule is too light to get into the CFP, even at The Liberty Flames Win Total At … 9.5Likely Wins: Delaware, at Jacksonville State, Maine, Missouri State, New Mexico State50/50 Games: at Bowling Green, at FIU, James Madison, Kennesaw State, at Louisiana Tech, at Old Dominion, at UTEPLikely Losses: No projected sure-thing losses- 2025 Liberty Preview © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Liberty Football Preview 2025: The Flames Will Keep Winning
The bar is set a whole lot higher for Liberty than it is for most school has only been doing the FBS thing for seven seasons. In that time, it hasn't had a losing season, has gone to six bowl games, a Fiesta Bowl, and has a conference title - it was an independent for the first five in Conference USA, it's not a given to win lots of games every year. Middle Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, and Western Kentucky have known success, but no one has been able to establish a solid run like Liberty has. And right now, in CUSA, no one has the ho-hum-just-win-at-least-eight-games expectations. It helps that the Flames play schedules that you and ten friends could win six games against, but that's partly because the 2022 team screwed everything up. When you lose at Wake Forest and Virginia Tech by a total of two points, blow out BYU, and leave Arkansas with a big paycheck and a win, programs aren't going to want to play you. And that's not the worst thing in the world. The Liberty schedule might be full of scrimmages, but that's the deal. The 2025 team, unlike the 2024 version, has to be able to take advantage of the lost a ton of key parts - especially on the D line - to the transfer portal, but the program does a decent job of quickly filling gaps. This is the most talented team in CUSA, Jamey Chadwell is a right-coach-right-program fit, and it should be another don't-take-routine-success-for-granted great year. Liberty Flames Preview 2025: Offense X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN- Liberty Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season- It was a strange year for the Flame offense. It was fourth in the nation in rushing, but it had a hard time completing passes. It moved the ball and led Conference USA in third down conversions, but stalled way too often. Star quarterback Kaidon Salter is gone to Colorado, but …- Ethan Vasko (Coastal Carolina) is good, but he doesn't solve the accuracy issues. He can run, and he'll get hot, but he gave away nine picks for the Chanticleers. Ryan Burger was the No. 2 man last year - he knows the system. - Star receiver Treon Sibley are gone, but this is CUSA's best receiving corps. Elijah Canion is a dangerous veteran on the outside, Reese Smith is a big play target inside, and Tyson Mobley should do even more. Starting tight end Jacob Jenkins is back after catching ten passes with two scores. - The line isn't a rock, but it's good enough. The team's best blockers are gone - Xavior Gray to Northwestern and Jordan White to Vanderbilt - but Aaron Fenimore is the league's best center, Jack Tucker is back at left tackle, and there's decent depth to push for the other three spots.- Leading rushers Quinton Cooley and Billy Lucas combined for close to 2,200 yards and 18 touchdowns, and Kaidon Salter's 579 yards are gone, too. Julian Gray has been more of a return man than a runner, but he'll be dangerous along with Caden Williams to pound away. Liberty Flames Preview 2025: Defense - There wasn't enough of a pass rush, and there were issues taking the ball away, but the defense was solid. The transfer portal dropped a hammer on certain parts, though, especially on the line.- Jay Hardy would've been a main man at tackle, but he took off for Auburn. TJ Bush was the leading playmaker behind the line, but he's gone to Cal. Landing Aaron Hester (Florida State) will help on the outside, but CJ Bazile will be the star of the pass rushing inside is the concern, though, with Hardy done along with Chris Boti (Arkansas State). No pressure, Bryce Dixon, but hold up as the anchor of the line. - Joseph Carter led the team with 88 tackles and will once again be among the best linebackers in CUSA. The options are limited around him, but Deuce Spurlock (Florida) has the pressure on his shoulders to be a statistical star.- It'll be disappointing if the corners aren't one of the team's biggest strengths. The starting combination of Dexter Ricks and Amarian Williams is back after coming up with five picks. There are plenty of options and good depth, but they're the safeties are just as strong - A'Khori Jones and Quinton Reese are All-CUSA veterans who can hit. Eldric Griffin is about to bust out as the full-time free safety.- Liberty Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grein strikes out 10 and Oregon bashes Liberty 13-1 to earn 1st trip to WCWS since '18
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Lyndsey Grein struck out 10, surrendered three hits and ended the contest retiring 21 straight batters and Oregon overpowered Liberty to lead the 16th-seeded Ducks to a 13-1 win in the Eugene Super Regional Saturday to clinch a berth in the Women's College World Series. Oregon heads to the WCWS for the seventh time in school history and is making its first appearance in the WCWS since 2018. Advertisement Grein moved her record to 29-2 on the season. Oregon (53-8) sent 11 batters to the plate and scored seven runs to break it open. Emma Cox's three run homer in the top of the fifth inning gave Oregon a 6-1 lead. Cox's homer came after Paige Sinicki started the fifth with a base hit then stole second. Dezianna Patmon walked and Ayanna Shaw entered to pinch run for her. Liberty then lifted starting pitcher Paige Bachman for reliever Elena Escobar to face Cox who homered on a 1-2 pitch. In the top of the second, Sinicki hit a 2-2 pitch over the right-center field wall to knot the contest at 1. Later, with the bases loaded and two out, Kai Luschar hit a high chopper to short to drive in Patmon to make it 2-1. In the fourth, Katie Flannery doubled to right center scoring Kaylynn Jones for a 3-1 lead. Liberty lead-off hitter Savannah Woodard hit her ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning on 1-1 pitch to give the Flames their lone lead of the game. Liberty became the seventh NCAA Super Regional participant in Conference USA history and first since UAB in 2013. ___ AP college sports:
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Liberty's remarkable journey: From double-wide trailers to NCAA super regionals
When Dot Richardson took over the Liberty softball program in July 2013, the coaches' offices, locker room and training room were located in double-wide trailers. 'We had a rec field,' recalled Richardson, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. 'The previous staff had built the dugouts with cinder blocks and painted them blue. It was like a hobbit dugout. It was perfect for me, but everyone else had to bend down to get in it. Humble beginnings.' Those sparse roots are part of the reason last weekend's upset of No. 1 overall seed Texas A&M is so remarkable. It gave the Flames a program-record 50 wins, saddled the Aggies with the dubious distinction of being the first top seed to fall short in NCAA Tournament regionals and – most significantly – put Liberty in the super regionals for the first time in school history. 'We just played with so much to prove and a chip on our shoulder, knowing we could do it and that we believed in each other,' said outfielder Paige Doerr. 'I don't think I'll ever forget that feeling.' Richardson's team won 11 games in 2014, her first season at the campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. A year later, Liberty opened a new state-of-the-art stadium and notched 29 victories. By 2018, Richardson had the Flames in the NCAA regionals. This year, Liberty is playing in the NCAAs for the fifth straight year. And, after coming painfully close to advancing to supers last season, the Flames took that next step, beating Texas A&M on Saturday, losing to the Aggies Sunday afternoon and then rallying for the clinching 6-5 victory in the winner-take-all final game that night. That one sent them on to face Oregon in the best-of-three super regional in Eugene starting Friday. The winner advances to the Women's College World Series starting May 29 in Oklahoma City. 'We've done that through the years,' Richardson said. 'But this year, we've been able to go over that hump. This team has never really focused on winning or losing. We've focused on being the best we can be. And our best was good enough to be where we are now.' This team, Richardson says, is her most talented and complete in her Liberty tenure. After having one or two hitters she confidently could pencil into her lineups her first few years coaching, Richardson said it's a daily struggle to find at-bats for all the capable hitters on this year's roster. That depth has been on display all season, as 11 players have hit multiple home runs, six have driven in at least 30 runs and six have tallied over 50 base hits, led by Rachel Roupe's outstanding year at the plate. Roupe is batting .392 with team highs in home runs (23) and RBI (73). In the circle, five pitchers have won multiple games and three have racked up over 75 strikeouts, paced by Elena Esocabar's 25-3 mark, 2.43 ERA, 15 complete games and 175 strikeouts. 'I'm not surprised where we are,' Richardson said. 'They just play with so much freedom. That's what happens when you see great athletes play with freedom.' Freedom and drive. LIberty has reached a regional final in each of the last three years. Last season, the Flames were one out away from beating Georgia and advancing to supers, but the Bulldogs hit a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with the win. 'I think that the reason why we were here and why were able to win this game was because of last year,' sophomore catcher Savannah Jessee said. 'It left such a sour taste in our mouths that we were so close and we couldn't' get the job done last year. But we proved ourselves. We proved we could hang with anyone. I think having the confidence from being one out away last year helped us with this weekend.' The Flames celebrated their historic win in the wee hours by hopping a fence at the team hotel and jumping into the pool, Roupe said. The Aggies' logo was emblazoned on the pool's floor below them and – in that moment – Liberty was atop the college softball world. It hopes to stay there this weekend in Oregon. 'Finally , I think people are starting to see that we don't play around,' Jessee said. 'We're ready to take it on to the next level.' ___ AP college sports:
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NCAA softball tournament regional recap: How 2 top-10 teams — including No. 1 Texas A&M — went out
The first weekend of the NCAA softball tournament brought the unprecedented this year. Texas A&M became the first No. 1 seed to be eliminated in the regional round, losing to Liberty on Sunday to end a stunningly roller-coaster day. Liberty defeated Texas A&M in the teams' first meeting Saturday, meaning the Aggies had to beat the Flames twice Sunday to stave off elimination. After Texas A&M roared back to defeat Liberty in extra innings in Sunday's first game — a game that included 25 runs and multi-run comebacks from both teams — the Aggies couldn't hold a lead in the nightcap. A five-run sixth inning was the difference in a 6-5 Liberty win. Advertisement Liberty forged ahead to the super regional round for the first time in program history and became the early story of the 2025 tournament. '(It) doesn't surprise me,' Liberty senior and Conference USA Softball Player of the Year Rachel Roupe said Sunday. History 👏#RoadToWCWS x 🎥 @LibertySB — NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 19, 2025 The Flames, the CUSA champions, will travel to play No. 16 Oregon in the super regional. They were one of four unseeded teams to pull upsets on seeded opponents' home fields over the weekend. Nebraska, led by former Oklahoma star and 2023 Women's College World Series Most Outstanding Player Jordy Bahl, advanced out of the Baton Rouge regional without needing to face No. 10 LSU. Southeastern Louisiana upset LSU twice to knock out the Tigers, but the Cornhuskers breezed to 14-1 and 8-0 wins over SLU to advance. Bahl finished the regional 5-for-5 with four home runs at the plate and allowed just two hits over 12 innings in the circle. Ole Miss and No. 13 Arizona squared off twice Sunday, with the Wildcats forcing a Game 7 earlier in the day before Ole Miss' 7-3 thumping in the final game. It was a similar story for No. 14 Duke and Georgia, with the Bulldogs reigning supreme in Game 7 by a 5-2 margin. No. 2 Oklahoma, the SEC tournament co-champion alongside Texas A&M, outscored its opponents 31-3 in three wins and remains in pursuit of its fifth straight national championship. Bryan-College Station: Liberty Liberty's 8-5 upset of Texas A&M on Saturday set the stage for the biggest upset in NCAA history on Sunday. The Flames beat the Aggies in two of three outings, with the last two games both needing all seven innings and every second to claim victory. 'We were battling all day long,' Roupe said. 'It took us eight hours to do it. But whatever we needed to get it done, and we did it.' Advertisement Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma The Sooners cruised through the regionals unscathed. Oklahoma shut out Boston University 8-0 before defeating Cal two straight times, 11-2 and 12-1. Oklahoma will make its 15th straight super regional appearance, the longest active streak in Division I, per the SEC Network. SUPERS BOUND‼️ No. 2 Oklahoma blasts Cal, 12-1, to advance to the program's 18th Super Regional!@OU_Softball x @NCAASoftball — Southeastern Conference (@SEC) May 18, 2025 Gainesville: No. 3 Florida Florida was so dominant in its regional that it run-ruled its opponents in all three games. It was the first time in program history that the Gators have done so. Florida's final scores were 8-0 against Mercer, 14-6 against Florida Atlantic and 8-0 against Mercer again in the final. Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas After shutting out Saint Louis 10-0, Arkansas saw its super regional hopes flounder in its matchup versus Oklahoma State. Trailing 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Razorbacks senior Courtney Day doubled to bring in two runs, and another double from freshman Ella McDowell knotted the game at five to send it to extra innings. After a scoreless top of the eighth for the Cowboys, Day's at-bat — again — saved the day for the Razorbacks. A single with bases loaded gave Arkansas the 6-5 victory, and it went on to thrash Oklahoma State 12-0 in the finals the next day. Arkansas completes the comeback! 🤩@RazorbackSB rallies vs. Oklahoma State to win in walk-off fashion on the #RoadToWCWS — NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 17, 2025 Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State Auburn took Florida State to a Game 7 in its regional round, but the Seminoles started the final strong with two runs in the first inning and ended it strong with two runs over the fifth and sixth innings for the 4-0 win. Austin: No. 6 Texas The Longhorns frolicked their way to the super regionals, ousting all opponents by a 35-6 margin. Texas beat every opponent in its regional bracket — Eastern Illinois, Michigan and UCF, respectively. Advertisement Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee Tennessee's smooth journey through regionals started by blasting Miami (Ohio) 17-0 in its opening game. A double defeat of Ohio State followed for the regional crown. Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina After cruising past North Florida 8-0 in the regional final, South Carolina is heading to its first super regionals since 2018 and first under first-year head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard. Chastain Woodard, a former Gamecocks pitcher and graduate assistant coach, was hired in June 2024. Los Angeles: No. 9 UCLA UCLA went on a 31-2 tear en route to a seamless run through the regional, ending each game by the run rule. Baton Rouge: Nebraska Bahl became the fourth player in NCAA history to have 20 home runs and 20 wins in the same season following her regional-round dominance. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? JORDY BAHL DOES IT AGAIN 😱😱😱 — Nebraska Softball (@HuskerSoftball) May 18, 2025 Clemson: No. 11 Clemson Clemson and Northwestern were scoreless through eight innings before freshman Marian Collins bunted the team to victory. Her hit brought in the runner on third, and the Tigers' defense in the bottom of the ninth got the Wildcats out in four batters. We're on the board! Vieira scores on a Collins' bunt. Clemson leads 1-0 with one out. 📺ESPN+ — Clemson Softball 🥎 (@clemsonsoftball) May 17, 2025 The Tigers then toppled Kentucky 5-1 for a trip to their third super regionals in four years. Lubbock: No. 12 Texas Tech Texas Tech made its first super regionals in school history after squeaking by Mississippi State 9-6. The Bulldogs posted a three-run fifth inning to narrow the gap 7-6, but the Red Raiders never relinquished their wire-to-wire lead. Tucson: Ole Miss Ole Miss bested No. 13 Arizona twice in the last three games of the regional round to advance. It marked the first time in program history that Ole Miss took down a national seed in the NCAA softball tournament. Advertisement The Rebels also snapped the Wildcats' 23-game regional win streak. Durham: Georgia Georgia junior Jaydyn Goodwin nailed a home run over right field in extra innings to earn Georgia's winning run in a 5-2 victory against Duke in the winner-take-all Game 7. It was Goodwin's team-best 12th homer of the year. FIRST PITCH OF THE EIGHTH INNING IS OUTTA HERE 💣 Top 8️⃣🐶 3🔵 2 📺 ACCN📱 (ESPN+)📊 | #GoDawgs — Georgia Softball (@UGASoftball) May 18, 2025 With the win, the Bulldogs advance to their third straight super regionals and fourth in the last five seasons. Tuscaloosa: No. 15 Alabama Three wins in a row, and Alabama secured its third straight and record-setting 19th super regionals. Eugene: No. 16 Oregon Oregon and Stanford were tied 7-all in the bottom of the seventh. With a runner on first and third, Oregon senior Dezianna Patmon hammered a homer to left field for the walk-off win. Oregon was the last team to secure a spot in the super regionals — and it's a home game at that, after Liberty's defeat of No. 1 Texas A&M set up a Ducks-Flames second-round matchup. GOODBYE SOFTBALL!!!@dezianna_patmon's homer means Oregon will be HOSTING THE SUPER REGIONALS NEXT WEEKEND!!!#GoDucks | #Version7 — Oregon Softball (@OregonSB) May 19, 2025 All times in ET. Each series is best of three. Eugene: Liberty vs. No. 16 Oregon Norman: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 15 Alabama Gainesville: No. 3 Florida vs. Georgia Fayetteville: No. 4 Arkansas vs. Ole Miss Tallahassee: No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Texas Tech Austin: No. 6 Texas vs. No. 11 Clemson Knoxville: No. 7 Tennessee vs. Nebraska Columbia: No. 8 South Carolina vs. No. 9 UCLA
