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Liberty Baseball and Softball ready to step up to the plate for 2023 campaigns

Lady Flames catcher Caroline Hudson was named 2023 ASUN Preseason Player of the Year. (Photo by Ellie Richardson)

Liberty Baseball and Softball teams will be carrying over momentum from strong 2022 campaigns as they begin their new seasons this month, their last in the ASUN Conference. Both start with away games against top 25 teams. Softball opens their schedule on Feb. 9 against two-time defending national champion No. 1 Oklahoma, during the Mark Campbell Invitational in Irvine, Calif., and baseball begins a week later on Feb. 17 at No. 18 Southern Mississippi.

Both teams enter this season as preseason favorites to win the conference before they transition to Conference USA in 2024.

Excitement is building around campus for softball’s return to Kamphuis Field at Liberty Softball Stadium for the Liberty Softball Classic on Feb. 24-26, with the team’s first home matchup against Northern Illinois on Feb. 24 at noon. Baseball opens its home schedule on March 1 at 4 p.m. against Longwood University. (For season and single game tickets, visit the team’s website.)

Junior pitcher Karlie Keeney will return for the 2023 season with the Lady Flames. (Photo by Chase Reed)

For Lady Flames Softball, last season should provide a template for conference success. The squad went 23-1 against ASUN competition and won the ASUN title after trouncing North Florida 9-1 (six innings) and 9-0 (five innings) on May 13-14.
Head Coach Dot Richardson and company entered the 2022 postseason flying high and defeated No. 19 Georgia 2-0 in the NCAA Durham Regional on May 20. The Lady Flames hit a wall after the victory, however, and 5-0 and 7-2 losses on May 21 to Duke and Georgia, respectively, sent the team packing.

The team will take on five opponents in Irvine. In addition to Oklahoma, the Lady Flames will see a rematch of the Regional game against No. 15 Duke on Feb. 10. After a one-game stint at UCLA, the team will travel south of the border for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Mexico.

The Lady Flames will look to their returning players for success this season, with several team veterans receiving preseason awards. Junior catcher Caroline Hudson was named ASUN Preseason Player of the Year and ASUN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. The team also boasts three Preseason All-Conference players including Hudson, senior infielder Devyn Howard, and junior pitcher Karlie Keeney.

Liberty catcher Gray Betts has received all-conference honors twice in his collegiate career. (Photo by Ellie Richardson)

Flames Baseball finished the 2022 season with a 37-23 record (19-11 conference) and advanced to a NCAA Regional for the third consecutive year. The Flames finished first in the ASUN North standings in 2022 but fell to No. 3 Kennesaw State 6-10 on May 28 in the ASUN Championship.

Following the defeat to the Owls, the Flames exited Regional competition early after a 3-16 loss to No. 9 Oklahoma on June 3, and a 2-3 loss (12 innings) to Central Michigan knocked the team out of contention.

Returning Flames pitcher Garrett Horn, who was named to the 2022 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team, received ASUN Preseason All-Conference honors. Other returning players include two-time all-conference catcher Gray Betts, 2022 ASUN All-Freshman team member Cam Foster, as well as outfielder Jaylen Guy, who missed the 2022 campaign due to injury.

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