No. 25 WVU (3-0) returns to the road after several days of rest to face Liberty (2-1) in a three-game series. The non-conference trifecta pits the Mountaineers and Flames against each other for the first time since 2020. Read more: Series preview: WVU, Liberty set for weekend series.
The 2020 matchup between WVU and Liberty ended up being the final game before the country essentially shut down due to COVID-19. The other three games in the all-time series took place in April 2013.
Flash forward to present day, and WVU is coming off a weekend where the team tallied 31 runs against Georgia Southern. Liberty did just enough to win its series, taking games one and three.
About the opponent
Al Worthington launched Liberty Baseball in 1974, and coached the Flames for 13 years. They never had a losing season under Worthington, and named a stadium after the coveted founder. The Flames played at the namesake venue from 1979 until 2013, when Liberty Baseball Stadium opened its gates.
Since the program’s inception, LU has made eight NCAA tournament appearances and won conference titles in the Big South (2013) and Atlantic Sun (2019).
Liberty is currently coached by Bradley LeCroy, now in his second season at the helm. LeCroy led the Flames to a 30-27 record in 2025, notably going 20-10 in non-conference action.
LU is a member of Conference USA.
Coming off big opening weekends
Both teams are riding early-season momentum into the series.
WVU swept a rather inexperienced Georgia Southern squad on the road, outscoring the Eagles, 31-15, on the weekend. Meanwhile, Liberty took two of three against The Citadel on the road, holding its opponent to four or less runs per game.
Jordan Jaffe and Nick Barone headlined LU’s offensive production. The pair put out 15 total bases, five RBI, three doubles, a home run, and a triple on seven combined hits.
WVU touts hot bats, too.
Related: Three first impressions following WVU Baseball’s opening weekend
Matthew Graveline, the Ohio State transfer, walloped two home runs in his first weekend with the Mountaineers. Matt Ineich carried the load of consistency, though, batting .667 against GASO.
Gavin Kelly, who got dinged up but should be good to go, tallied three doubles and two RBI.
All around, it is a Mountaineer lineup that can score.
Pitching
Official rotations are still to be determined at time of publication, but there are some notes.
Despite being behind schedule to start, WVU’s star pitcher Chase Meyer picked up a win in a relief appearance. Meyer, recovering from a finger injury, pitched 1.1 innings in the effort. There is no word yet on his potential workload against LU.
WVU likely rests its laurels on its three DII pitchers once again, especially Dawson Montesa. Montesa put on the best showing of the three, with Korn showing early pitfalls.
Liberty’s Ben Blair was a killer in his first appearance of 2026. Other than a hit-by-pitch, Blair rocked his way to eight strikeouts and did not allow a hit in the 19 at-bats he dealt with.
Bradley Zayac picked up the other win for the Flames, pitching four relief innings with seven SO.
It should make for an interesting duel, if offenses somehow fail to get going.
Tune in
All three games are streaming on ESPN+. And, do not forget to tune in to 100.9 FM The Torch for game coverage throughout the season.
First pitch on Friday is slated for 4 p.m. in Lynchburg, Virginia. Scheduled start times for the rest of the weekend include a 2 p.m. open on Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Related: Gators Invitational: WVU Golf finishes 18th in spring season opener
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