Flames Set for NCAA Athens, Ga. Regional
5/28/2026 4:09:00 PM | Baseball
Game Coverage
Games: Liberty vs. Boston College
NCAA Athens, Ga., Regional
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Foley Field
TV: ESPN+ (Dave Neal & Gordon Beckham)
Quick Hits
• Liberty will be making its ninth NCAA Regional appearance and its first under second-year head coach Bradley LeCroy this weekend in the Athens, Ga., Regional. The Flames received their fourth at-large bid to the NCAA field.
• With a 41-19 record, the 2026 Flames are the seventh team in program history to win 40 or more games in a season. Liberty's 41 wins are the second-most in school history behind 43 by the 2010 and 2019 teams.
• The Flames have posted a 19-6 record on the road this season, the sixth-best record this season. In addition, Liberty went 21-9 in CUSA play to finish second in the league standings, its first winning record in its three years in the conference.
• Liberty head coach Bradley LeCroy is in his second season. LeCroy has led the Flames to a 71-46 record. LeCroy, who has been a head coach for four years, captured his 100th career coaching victory earlier this season with Liberty's 10-7 victory over Hofstra on March 1.
Liberty in NCAA Regionals
• Liberty will be making its ninth NCAA Regional appearance and its first under second-year head coach Bradley LeCroy
• Liberty has previously participated in an NCAA Division I Regional in 1993, 1998, 2000, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
• Liberty has obtained a regional berth with a conference automatic bid five times and earned an at-large selection four times. The Flames captured Big South Championships in 1993, 1998, 2000 and 2013 and the ASUN Championship in 2019 to earn inclusion in the NCAA field. The Flames received at- large selections in 2014, 2021 and 2022.
• The Flames are 6-16 all-time in regionals.
Liberty in Athens, Ga. Regional
• Liberty faced eight teams during the year that are in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Flames squared off with
Jacksonville State, Missouri State, NC State, The Citadel, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and NCAA Regional host West
Virginia during the regular season. The Flames went 8-11 against those teams this season.
• Of the three teams in the Athens Regional, Liberty has only faced Georgia on the baseball diamond in team history,
with the last time being in 2015. The Bulldogs hold an 8-2 edge in the all-time series between the two schools.
• Liberty has never played Boston College or LIU.
One of 7 in Program History to 40
• The 2026 Flames are one of seven Liberty teams to win 40 or more games in a season in program history. With 41 wins, Bradley LeCroy's 2026 team has posted the second-most
wins in school history.
• The last time the Flames won 40 games in a season was in 2021, when Liberty went 41-16.
• The school record is 43, set by the 2010 and 2019 teams.
• Liberty also won 40 or more games in 1983 (40), 2013 (41), 2014 (41) and 2021 (41).
Racking Up The Ks - 3rd All-Time
• Liberty pitching has combined to strike out 548 batters this season, the third most by a Flames team in a single season.
• The Flames are averaging 9.43 batters struck out per nine innings.
• Liberty's strikeout total is the most since 2019, when the Flames struck out 557. The school record is 620 in 2022.
• Liberty is 17th nationally with a 2.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Marsh Joins 200-Hit Club.
• With a single in the seventh inning on May 6 vs. Virginia Tech at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, Liberty shortstop Tanner Marsh became the latest member of the Flames'
200-hit club.
• Marsh is the 24th player in program history to collect 200 or more hits during his career.
• The junior, who has started every game of his Flames' career, enters the week with 208 career hits. During the regular season, he led Conference USA in hits. He enters the week with
83 hits on the season.
• In addition, Marsh is one run shy of tying Chad Miller's Liberty single-season run record of 68. The shortstop enters the Athens, Ga., Regional having scored 67 runs in 2026.
Blair Reaches 100
• With nine strikeouts against Louisiana Tech at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium on May 8, right-hander Ben Blair reached 100 for the season. The junior has averaged 7.1
strikeouts per start in 2026.
• The junior right-hander enters the week with 106 strikeouts, placing him second on Liberty's single-season strikeout list. Benji Miller holds the record with 119 in 1998.
• For his career, Blair has 242 strikeouts. The total is currently third on Liberty's career strikeout list, tying him with former Flame Tim Harrell (1995-98). Mike Brown (1994-97) holds the all-time
career mark with 287.
• The right-hander leads CUSA and ranks 25th nationally in strikeouts. He is also 14th nationally with a 6.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Among National Leaders in Fielding
• For the second year in a row, Head Coach Bradley LeCroy's Flames are among the national leaders in fielding percentage.
• After finishing 2025 third in the nation with a .983 fielding percentage, Liberty is once again among the national leaders,
ranking 17th with a .980 fielding percentage. The Flames have led Conference USA in the category both seasons.
• Leading Liberty's defensive efforts is shortstop Tanner Marsh. The CUSA Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Marsh, finished the regular season with 133 assists. He enters the week having committed just seven errors in 240 chances for a .971 fielding percentage. Marsh has not committed an error in his last 19 games. His last came on April 22 at Virginia.
Harrington Among National Leaders in Saves
• Liberty right-hander Cooper Harrington enters the week fourth in the nation with 13 saves.
• The sophomore right-hander was one of 61 of the nation's top relief pitchers named to the 2026 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List when it was revealed on April 22.
• He enters the week with a 2-1 record and a 3.80 ERA to go along with his 13 saves over 24 appearances, two starts. In 54 innings, he has struck out 54 and walked 13.
Since taking over the closer role for the Flames in a 9-3 victory over Missouri State on March 15, he has converted 13 of 14 save opportunities.
• The right-hander is tied for second on the Liberty single-season save list with Evan Brabrand (2019). Josh Brey holds the program record for saves in a single season with 16 in 2000.
Games: Liberty vs. Boston College
NCAA Athens, Ga., Regional
Location: Athens, Ga.
Stadium: Foley Field
TV: ESPN+ (Dave Neal & Gordon Beckham)
- Friday, May 29 - 12 p.m. - ESPN+ Broadcast Link
- Saturday, May 30-June 1 - TBD - ESPN Networks
- Friday, May 29 - 12 p.m. - Audio Broadcast Link
- Saturday, May 30 - TBD. - Audio Broadcast Link
Quick Hits
• Liberty will be making its ninth NCAA Regional appearance and its first under second-year head coach Bradley LeCroy this weekend in the Athens, Ga., Regional. The Flames received their fourth at-large bid to the NCAA field.
• With a 41-19 record, the 2026 Flames are the seventh team in program history to win 40 or more games in a season. Liberty's 41 wins are the second-most in school history behind 43 by the 2010 and 2019 teams.
• The Flames have posted a 19-6 record on the road this season, the sixth-best record this season. In addition, Liberty went 21-9 in CUSA play to finish second in the league standings, its first winning record in its three years in the conference.
• Liberty head coach Bradley LeCroy is in his second season. LeCroy has led the Flames to a 71-46 record. LeCroy, who has been a head coach for four years, captured his 100th career coaching victory earlier this season with Liberty's 10-7 victory over Hofstra on March 1.
Liberty in NCAA Regionals
• Liberty will be making its ninth NCAA Regional appearance and its first under second-year head coach Bradley LeCroy
• Liberty has previously participated in an NCAA Division I Regional in 1993, 1998, 2000, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
• Liberty has obtained a regional berth with a conference automatic bid five times and earned an at-large selection four times. The Flames captured Big South Championships in 1993, 1998, 2000 and 2013 and the ASUN Championship in 2019 to earn inclusion in the NCAA field. The Flames received at- large selections in 2014, 2021 and 2022.
• The Flames are 6-16 all-time in regionals.
Liberty in Athens, Ga. Regional
• Liberty faced eight teams during the year that are in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Flames squared off with
Jacksonville State, Missouri State, NC State, The Citadel, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and NCAA Regional host West
Virginia during the regular season. The Flames went 8-11 against those teams this season.
• Of the three teams in the Athens Regional, Liberty has only faced Georgia on the baseball diamond in team history,
with the last time being in 2015. The Bulldogs hold an 8-2 edge in the all-time series between the two schools.
• Liberty has never played Boston College or LIU.
One of 7 in Program History to 40
• The 2026 Flames are one of seven Liberty teams to win 40 or more games in a season in program history. With 41 wins, Bradley LeCroy's 2026 team has posted the second-most
wins in school history.
• The last time the Flames won 40 games in a season was in 2021, when Liberty went 41-16.
• The school record is 43, set by the 2010 and 2019 teams.
• Liberty also won 40 or more games in 1983 (40), 2013 (41), 2014 (41) and 2021 (41).
Racking Up The Ks - 3rd All-Time
• Liberty pitching has combined to strike out 548 batters this season, the third most by a Flames team in a single season.
• The Flames are averaging 9.43 batters struck out per nine innings.
• Liberty's strikeout total is the most since 2019, when the Flames struck out 557. The school record is 620 in 2022.
• Liberty is 17th nationally with a 2.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Marsh Joins 200-Hit Club.
• With a single in the seventh inning on May 6 vs. Virginia Tech at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium, Liberty shortstop Tanner Marsh became the latest member of the Flames'
200-hit club.
• Marsh is the 24th player in program history to collect 200 or more hits during his career.
• The junior, who has started every game of his Flames' career, enters the week with 208 career hits. During the regular season, he led Conference USA in hits. He enters the week with
83 hits on the season.
• In addition, Marsh is one run shy of tying Chad Miller's Liberty single-season run record of 68. The shortstop enters the Athens, Ga., Regional having scored 67 runs in 2026.
Blair Reaches 100
• With nine strikeouts against Louisiana Tech at Worthington Field at Liberty Baseball Stadium on May 8, right-hander Ben Blair reached 100 for the season. The junior has averaged 7.1
strikeouts per start in 2026.
• The junior right-hander enters the week with 106 strikeouts, placing him second on Liberty's single-season strikeout list. Benji Miller holds the record with 119 in 1998.
• For his career, Blair has 242 strikeouts. The total is currently third on Liberty's career strikeout list, tying him with former Flame Tim Harrell (1995-98). Mike Brown (1994-97) holds the all-time
career mark with 287.
• The right-hander leads CUSA and ranks 25th nationally in strikeouts. He is also 14th nationally with a 6.24 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Among National Leaders in Fielding
• For the second year in a row, Head Coach Bradley LeCroy's Flames are among the national leaders in fielding percentage.
• After finishing 2025 third in the nation with a .983 fielding percentage, Liberty is once again among the national leaders,
ranking 17th with a .980 fielding percentage. The Flames have led Conference USA in the category both seasons.
• Leading Liberty's defensive efforts is shortstop Tanner Marsh. The CUSA Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Marsh, finished the regular season with 133 assists. He enters the week having committed just seven errors in 240 chances for a .971 fielding percentage. Marsh has not committed an error in his last 19 games. His last came on April 22 at Virginia.
Harrington Among National Leaders in Saves
• Liberty right-hander Cooper Harrington enters the week fourth in the nation with 13 saves.
• The sophomore right-hander was one of 61 of the nation's top relief pitchers named to the 2026 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List when it was revealed on April 22.
• He enters the week with a 2-1 record and a 3.80 ERA to go along with his 13 saves over 24 appearances, two starts. In 54 innings, he has struck out 54 and walked 13.
Since taking over the closer role for the Flames in a 9-3 victory over Missouri State on March 15, he has converted 13 of 14 save opportunities.
• The right-hander is tied for second on the Liberty single-season save list with Evan Brabrand (2019). Josh Brey holds the program record for saves in a single season with 16 in 2000.
Players Mentioned
Wednesday, August 05
Tuesday, July 14
Friday, June 26
Friday, June 19