[FlameBBFan]

Nice article on Liberty Baseball

Three Strikes: Week Four

Posted Mar. 12, 2012 2:41 pm by Aaron Fitt
Filed under: Three Strikes

Strike One: Give Me Liberty . . .

Jim Toman never thought his Liberty team would be sitting at 16-2 at this point in the season with a team that returned just three everyday regulars and just one pitcher who threw more than 30 innings a year ago. And after the Flames took three out of four from a talented (but struggling) St. John's team that went to a regional last year and entered this season just outside the Top 25, it's time to recalibrate expectations for Liberty.

The Flames, whose resume also includes an 8-0 midweek win at Virginia, have played well in all facets through the first month of the season, hitting .309 as a team, fielding .983 and posting a 2.37 ERA.

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[LUminary]

It is rather amazing that this team is doing so well after losing so much talent and so many draft picks from last season's team. It seems as if that team underachieved and this one is certainly exceeding expectations. Perhaps not having such high expectations this time around has helped.

[rogers3]

And then we lose to Bryant. So typical of LU athletics.

[BJWilliams]

Oh shove it...

[jbock13]

Oh shove it...

Uhm, Beej, he's right. Prove him wrong.

[BJWilliams]

Oh shove it...

Uhm, Beej, he's right. Prove him wrong.

Yes we lost to Bryant yesterday but Its been said already that baseball is one of those sports where any given day a team that is said to be "not as talented" or something can get a win...if the #1 team in the country lost. does that somehow make them not as good? Or look at Sly's boys down in Austin...they are 6-8 as of the last round of rankings released on Monday. Does that mean that Coach Garrido has "lost his touch" or something?

[From the class of 09]

shut your mouth jbock don't ever question the great beejay

[BJWilliams]

I'll say this as well...it is disappointing for us to lose games like we did yesterday, that I can agree with...but you dont throw away everything that happened before because of it

[jcmanson]

if the #1 team in the country lost. does that somehow make them not as good?

yes

[bigsmooth]

Oh shove it...

it is really necessary to say that? I totally agree with you BEE-JAY on your logic, but really man...why say that?

[FlameBBFan]

Let's BELIEVE in the them and their abilities.....

[rogers3]

Oh shove it...

I've been following Liberty sports since before you were born BJ- so I've earned the right to say what's on my mind, even if it is backed up by 30+ years of history.

[BJWilliams]

Though I shouldnt have said that, going out and smacking JMU around (a team who we traditionally have struggled with even when they really werent that good) tells me that this team isnt like the teams of the past. They wont win every game (as the last couple days leading into today showed) but this could be a not so "typical Liberty" kind of season. Lets hope the good vibes continue into this weekend.

[rogers3]

Though I shouldnt have said that, going out and smacking JMU around (a team who we traditionally have struggled with even when they really werent that good) tells me that this team isnt like the teams of the past. They wont win every game (as the last couple days leading into today showed) but this could be a not so "typical Liberty" kind of season. Lets hope the good vibes continue into this weekend.

Don't mind me BJ, Ive got thick skin! I really do hope this team makes waves. Very impressed with the 6'5" 210 lb freshman pitcher yesterday that allowed 1 hit.

[jbock13]

I'm so excited for the future of our baseball program. It's really going in the right direction. I can't say that for all our sports.

[ballcoach15]

Good post jbock. it would be nice to see most all sports at LU ranked 26th (or better).

[jcrew4]

So hopefully someone can explain to me why I don't see LU ranked in the top 25 in any poll, NCAA, Baseball America, ESPN, http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d ... e_baseball . USA Today is the closest to giving us 25 but come on. Texas is 10-8 and their ranked? I know they get some on going respect but their apparently in a rebuilding year. Give the LU some love already!

[prototype]

So hopefully someone can explain to me why I don't see LU ranked in the top 25 in any poll, NCAA, Baseball America, ESPN, http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d ... e_baseball . USA Today is the closest to giving us 25 but come on. Texas is 10-8 and their ranked? I know they get some on going respect but their apparently in a rebuilding year. Give the LU some love already!

SOS

Can't command respect until you play a respectable schedule... We might be a top 10 team, but unless we play a top 100 schedule, no one cares.

[ballcoach15]

LU is at 26th again this week. If we had not lost Saturday I think we'd be 25th or better.

[jbock13]

So hopefully someone can explain to me why I don't see LU ranked in the top 25 in any poll, NCAA, Baseball America, ESPN, http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d ... e_baseball . USA Today is the closest to giving us 25 but come on. Texas is 10-8 and their ranked? I know they get some on going respect but their apparently in a rebuilding year. Give the LU some love already!

SOS

Can't command respect until you play a respectable schedule... We might be a top 10 team, but unless we play a top 100 schedule, no one cares.

How dare you use reason!!!

Proto is right folks. Listen up. Kentucky won a ton of games, but nobody cared. Until they swept South Carolina. That got folks attention.

[BJWilliams]

Really our OOC SOS hasnt been helped much. UVa took a dive after we smacked them around their own stadium and that has been out biggest win to date. St JOhns is 13-10 which isnt exactly anything to write home about either, and ODU and JMU...God bless em...they stink. The biggest single game we have left is UNC (who G-W beat) and then we have a down Coastal team and then the series with Campbell next week. Yeah itd be nice Im sure to get a South Carolina or a Rice or Texas or Florida on the schedule, but much like with football and basketball, a lot of teams see not much to gain and everything to lose by playing us. If they win, they dont exactly get a bump in their own SoS but if they lose, much like UVa did, they probably get hammered.

[ballah09]

1-0 vs RPI in the top 50 (Virginia)...which didn't take a dive. blew 2 late leads to the number 3rd ranked team in FSU. Just swept Clemson

4-1 vs RPI top 150. (St. John's, Towson, Radford, GWU)...St. Johns took 2-3 in their Big East opener. They have a lot of talent and is one of Big East contenders this year. Towson is sitting in 2nd place early in the CAA with 6-3 record.

Richmond is figured to be a top 3 Atlantic 10 team this year.

I think the schedule is a little bit tougher than what the numbers say it is....you can thank Siena and Coppin State for that.




With the Stadium opening up next year hopefully with Liberty can get some good teams to come for multiple tournaments. I know Liberty is opening up for South Carolina next year in a 3 games series.

[jinxy]

That top 150 record should be 8-2

Beat towson twice
Radford once
took 3 of 4 from St johns
2 of 3 from Gwebb

Actually 9 and 2 because UVa is still a top 150 RPI team. UVA's sweep of Clemson will help them a lot.