Flames set to show off new digs for Big South Baseball Championships

UPDATE – 5/25/2013: Liberty Baseball wins Big South Conference Baseball Championship title, 2-1 over Campbell Saturday.

5/24/2013: Liberty Baseball won its fourth consecutive game in the Big South Championships, defeating Coastal Carolina for the second time in six hours Friday night, 8-0, to advance to Saturday’s 4 p.m. final against top-seeded Campbell at Liberty Baseball Stadium. The Flames improved to 32-27 overall and will be vying with the Camels for the Big South Conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Regionals. For the latest scores and updates, follow Liberty Baseball at www.Liberty.edu/Flames.

Liberty Baseball, seeded fifth, held on to beat No. 2 Coastal Carolina 9-8 after jumping out to a 9-0 lead Friday afternoon. The Flames played the Chanticleers 50 minutes later in a seven-inning elimination game.

5/23/2013: Liberty defeated No. 4 Radford Thursday night, eliminating the Highlanders and advancing in the Big South Baseball Tournament. The Flames lost to Radford in their tournament opener on Tuesday, but then edged No. 8 Charleston Southern Wednesday to stay alive.

Hosting this week’s Big South Baseball Tournament provides Liberty University an ideal opportunity to showcase its new Liberty Baseball Stadium, a state-of-the-art facility that was unveiled for the Flames’ home opener in February and is scheduled to be completed next month.

Liberty (29-26), which finished Big South play at 13-11 by winning two out of three games of its regular-season-ending series against Radford, is seeded fifth and will face the fourth-seeded Highlanders in the first round. First pitch for Tuesday night’s opener for Liberty will take place 45 minutes after the conclusion of the 4:30 p.m. first-round matchup between top-seeded Campbell and eighth-seeded Charleston Southern.

The Flames, coming off one of the most challenging regular-season schedules in program history, hope to use the home field to their advantage. They are 20-8 playing in the $20 million new stadium. An automatic regional berth into the NCAA Division I tournament is on the line for the Big South Tournament champion, which will be determined on Saturday.

The new complex is the operations center of Liberty Baseball. The program’s offices and team room overlook the playing field, and the facility includes a modern media area with a 24-seat press box, a television booth, visitor and home radio booths, an operations suite, and storage space.

All areas except for the pitcher’s mound — including the infield, foul territory, and warning tracks — are covered by turf. The field is flanked by full-length, major league-style dugouts, and players have access to four indoor batting tunnels, a weight room, and a clubhouse.

For fans, three concessions areas are available as well as a playground for children, picnic area, and a 3,000-square-foot patio with a fire pit.

For online coverage and an up-to-date tournament schedule, visit www.LibertyFlames.com. Tournament passes and single-day tickets can be purchased online.