Liberty to Begin Play in ASUN Baseball Championship, Thursday

ASUN Baseball Championship
May 27-29
Harmon Stadium
Jacksonville, Fla.

Thursday - 11 a.m.
Friday - TBA
Saturday - TBA

Television Coverage: ESPN+

LFSN Audio Coverage: Liberty Online Audio

Quick Hits
• The No. 1 North Division seed Liberty Flames will face the No. 4 South Divison seed Jacksonville Dolphins in Game 1 of the ASUN Baseball Championship, Thursday at Harmon Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Liberty is the ASUN defending championship, having won the title in their first year in the conference in 2019.
• Liberty, 37-12 overall, finished the regular season in first place in the ASUN North Division with a 19-2 record and last weekend, swept their best-of-three series with No. 4 seed Bellarmine, 2-0, to advance to Thursday's contest.
• The Flames are 35-7 since March 2. Liberty enters the week with the fifth best winning percentage, .755, in the country.
• Due to divisional play this season, Thursday's contest will be the first between the Dolphins and Flames. The two teams met twice in the 2019 ASUN Baseball Championship, splitting the two meetings.
• The 2021 ASUN Coach of the Year, Liberty head coach Scott Jackson is in his fifth season. He has led the Flames to a 154-89 record and a NCAA Regional appearance in 2019 during his tenure.

Locklear Nears Games Played Mark
On Thursday at Harmon Stadium, Liberty shortstop Cam Locklear will tie former Flames shortstop Dalton Britt (2013-16) for the most games played in program history with 239. He is then expected on Friday to become Liberty's all-time leader in games played, by playing in his 240th contest.

Of the 238 games he has currently played, Locklear has started 235 contests during his time with the Flames, all at shortstop. Along with third baseman Trey McDyre, Locklear decided to return for another season after the NCAA granted eligibility relief to members of 2020 teams after last year's shortened season. He has hit .255 with 128 RBI and 143 runs scored during his career.

Around the Horn

C Gray Betts has reached base safely in 38 consecutive games, the longest streak of the season by a Flame. The Liberty leadoff hitter is second in the ASUN Conference in runs scored (49). The all-conference first team catcher also is fourth in the conference in on base percentage (.459) and third in walks.
1B Logan Mathieu is second in the ASUN Conference with 12 home runs.
2B Will Wagner leads the Flames and is third in the ASUN with 47 RBI. Over the last 10 games, he has hit .432 with seven RBI and scored 11 runs. The two-time ASUN All-Conference first team member has had two or more hits in each of the four last games, including back-to-back three-hit games in Liberty's two games, this past weekend against Bellarmine.
SS Cam Locklear is tied for third in the ASUN with 16 doubles. The 2021 ASUN Defensive Player of the Year has made only four errors in 191 chances, a .979 fielding percentage. The senior leads the conference with 137 assists.
3B Trey McDyre collected his ninth multi-hit game of the season
in Liberty's 5-2 win over Bellarmine in game one of the ASUN Quarterfinals, Friday. The third baseman also had two RBI in the Flames' 12-6 victory in game 2.
LF Aaron Anderson went 8-for-10 (.800) in the two games of Liberty's quarterfinal series against Bellarmine. Saturday, the outfielder went 5-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored in the Flames victory. The all-conference first teamer leads the ASUN with a .371 batting average and in doubles with 20.
CF Jaylen Guy reached base three times in the Flames' game two win over Bellarmine, singling, walking and being hit by a pitch, Saturday. He had an RBI and scored two runs.
RF Jake Wilson has had at least one hit in eight of the last 12 games and four with two or more hits.
DH Brady Gulakowski has hit a team-high five home runs and 17 RBI over the last 10 games. He leads the ASUN with a .612 slugging percentage.
SP Trevor Delaite leads the ASUN in wins (10), innings pitched (91), complete games (4) and shutouts (2). He is second in the conference with a 2.18 ERA. The 2021 ASUN Pitcher of the Year allowed two runs on seven hits over seven innings of work in recording his 10th win of the season, Friday. He struck out a season-high eight batters.
SP Dylan Cumming pitched a season-high 7 2/3 innings in the Flames' 12-6 win, Saturday to clinch the ASUN Quarterfinal series. As a starter, Cumming is 4-1 with a 4.00 ERA in six games.
RP Fraser Ellard recorded his team-leading seventh save in Liberty's 5-2 win, Friday. The first team all-conference reliever is second in the ASUN in saves and fourth in appearances.

Schedule