FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
LYNCHBURG, VA. – Ten games against 2013 NCAA Regional teams highlight the defending Big South Champion Liberty Flames baseball team’s 2014 schedule, which was released today by the program.
Coming off a year in which Liberty (36-29) advanced to its first NCAA Division I Regional final in program history and won its first Big South title since 2000, the Flames are slated to face NCAA Regional participants Coastal Carolina, Elon, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and UNCW during the 2014 season.
Along with North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech, seventh-year head coach Jim Toman’s Flames will also square off with Duke and Missouri for seven games during the year against teams from the ACC and SEC.
Liberty will open its 2014 campaign in Jacksonville, Fla., at the University of North Florida Tournament, Feb. 14-16. The Flames will play single games each day of the three-game tournament, starting on Feb. 14 against the host North Florida Ospreys. The next afternoon, Liberty will face Missouri, before concluding the tournament on Sunday afternoon against Richmond.
Liberty will then open its 29-game home schedule by hosting Commonwealth opponent Old Dominion for an afternoon matinee at Liberty Baseball Stadium on Feb. 18.
Highlighting the non-conference portion of Liberty’s schedule are matchups with North Carolina, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech will make its first ever visit to Liberty Baseball Stadium for a night game on March 25. The Flames will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. for an evening contest at 2013 College World Series participant North Carolina on April 23. Liberty will also go on the road to Charlottesville, Va., for a May 7 contest with the Cavaliers.
Not only will Liberty play Missouri at the North Florida Tournament, but the Flames will square off with the Tigers at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, N.C. on Feb. 25.
Toman’s squad will also host 2012 College World Series participant Kent State for a four-game series at Liberty Baseball Stadium, March 7-9.
The Flames are expected to be challenged by their non-conference schedule, which also includes contests with Ball State and Rider in the Liberty Invitational (Feb. 28-March 2), Charlotte, Elon, James Madison and Ohio.
Liberty will open its 2014 Big South Conference schedule with a three-game series against Campbell in Lynchburg, March 14-16. This season, the Flames will play a total of 27 conference games.
The Flames will also host High Point (March 21-23), VMI (April 4-6), UNC Asheville (April 25-27) and Coastal Carolina (May 9-11), while traveling to Presbyterian College (March 28-30), Longwood (April 11-13), Gardner-Webb (April 17-19) and Radford (May 15-17).
Liberty will look to defend its Big South title at the 2014 Big South Baseball Championship at the Winthrop Ballpark in Rock Hill, S.C., May 20-24. The conference champion will receive the Big South’s automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Regional play in the 2014 NCAA Tournament is scheduled for May 30-June 2, at sites yet to be determined.
