LYNCHBURG, Va. – Visits to the Liberty Baseball Stadium by 2015 National Champion Virginia and 2015 Super Regional participant Maryland are part of a challenging 2016 schedule released by the Liberty baseball program, this afternoon.
The Flames are scheduled to host the Terrapins on Apr. 5, as part of a home-and-home series with Maryland, while welcoming the reigning national champion Cavaliers on May 3.
Liberty’s 2016 schedule features 14 games against 2015 NCAA Regional participants. In addition to its contests with Virginia and Maryland, Liberty will open the season with a three-game series at NCAA Regional participant South Florida, Feb. 19-21, while facing Big South opponents and regional participants, Coastal Carolina and conference champion Radford, four times each. Both Coastal Carolina and Radford will play a three-game Big South series at Liberty Baseball Stadium, while hosting the Flames in a single non-conference contest during the year.
Along with Virginia, the Flames will face Duke three times and Virginia Tech twice for six games against ACC teams.
UConn of the American Athletic Conference, Mid-American Conference member Kent State, Missouri Valley member Evansville, Conference USA member Old Dominion and Colonial Athletic Association members Elon and William & Mary are also teams that have made a NCAA Tournament field in the past several years on the Flames’ 2016 schedule.
Liberty is slated to host 29 contests at Liberty Baseball Stadium, while taking to the road for 24. The Flames will also play three neutral site games at a tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C., Feb. 26-28. Liberty will open its 2016 home schedule by hosting UConn for a three-game series at Liberty Baseball Stadium, Mar 4-6.
Led by shortstop Dalton Britt and outfielder Will Shepherd, Liberty returns 21 players from last year’s 33-22 squad. Other key returners include left-hander Victor Cole, first baseman/outfielder Andrew Yacyk and corner infielder Sammy Taormina.
Head Coach Jim Toman will open 2016, his ninth at Liberty, three wins shy of 300 for his career. He would become the second coach in school history to reach the milestone, joining program founder and first coach Al Worthington.
Liberty’s non-conference slate also includes visits by Central Connecticut State and Evansville for the Liberty Invitational, hosting Kent State for a four-game series, road games at Richmond and Elon, along with a home-and-home series with Old Dominion. In addition, the Flames will play Duke, Marshall and Ohio State at the tournament hosted by Coastal Carolina.
Liberty will open its 2016 Big South Conference schedule with a three-game series against UNC Asheville, March 24-26 at Liberty Baseball Stadium. The Flames will also host Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina and Radford for conference series, while traveling to Campbell, Presbyterian, High Point and Winthrop.
The Flames will look to capture the 2016 Big South Baseball Championship at a site yet to be determined, May 24-28. The conference champion will receive the Big South’s automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Regional play in the 2016 NCAA Tournament is scheduled for June 3-5 at sites yet to be determined.
2016 Liberty Baseball Schedule
