LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA - Marist baseball heads down to Virginia to compete in a three game series at Liberty, which will begin on Friday, February 28 and continue through the weekend. The Red Foxes (2-4) have exhibited strong play this season, and hope to win their first series against the Flames.

This week we featured two pitchers, Trevor Backman and Will Van Beusekom, who do an excellent job of balancing their work in the classroom and on the field. Both pitchers are on a Pre-Health track, and exemplify what it means to be a student-athlete. Just last weekend, Van Beusekom struck out seven of the eight batters he faced in 2.2 innings of work at George Washington. Backman is working his way back from injury, but the two of them have shown they have what it takes to contribute to team success while furthering their studies.
 

HOW TO FOLLOW

• Live stats will be provided via Liberty on Statbroadcast.
• All three games will be covered by LFSN Radio.
• Sunday's finale will be carried on ESPN+.

SCHEDULE

Friday, February 28

• Game 1 - 4 p.m.

Saturday, February 29

• Game 2 - 2 p.m.

Sunday, March 1

• Game 3 - 1 p.m.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Red Foxes won their second extra-inning game of the season in their series-opening 12-8 victory over George Washington.
• Robbie Armitage got the Red Foxes off to a fast start with five RBIs in the opening game, which included a first-inning three-run homer and an RBI-double in the seventh.
• Reece Armitage caught fire in the finale, going 3-for-4 with a solo homer.
• Ryan Cardona pitched 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned run in the rubber match.

MAAC WEEKLY AWARDS

• The Red Foxes have picked up a MAAC Weekly Award for two consecutive weeks.
• Alex Pansini was named Pitcher of the Week for his six shutout innings at South Florida.
• Robbie Armitage earned Player of the Week honors for his recent performance at GW. 

SCOUTING THE FLAMES

• Liberty is currently 4-4 overall, most recently taking a 16-6 victory over Longwood. 
• Trey McDyre leads the Flames with a .500 batting average and a .607 on-base percentage.
• Noah Skirrow has been the top pitcher for Liberty this season with a 0.73 earned run average over 12.1 innings. He also has nine strikeouts this season.

REECE FINDING RHYTHM

The Red Foxes have had two series to open the season where every close loss could have gone either way. Both the pitchers and hitters have shown moments of sheer dominance, and they know they have the potential to be exceptional.

"I have a lot of confidence in our pitching staff right now, and they've proven how much depth this team has," complimented Reece Armitage. "We have a lot of things to improve on both on offense and defense, and each week we have shown improvements by taking tougher approaches and bearing down on the little things. Once things start to really click, I don't think teams will be able to touch us."

Armitage currently leads the team in batting average at .375. He has shown the ability to string together hits and take over games, with multiple connections in three appearances this season. Marist's center fielder has worked hard to be a threat every time he takes the plate, and hopes to continue that trend.
 
"There's something positive you can take from every at-bat, regardless of the outcome. I've been focusing on the positive things, rather than letting the negative dictate the rest of the game. I feel like that approach has been working for me," noted Armitage. "With the lineup we have, it's not easy to pitch to any of us. We're all confident in one another, and we are able to build off of each other's at-bats."

UP NEXT

The Red Foxes head to Johnson City, Tennessee for a weekend tournament where Marist will take on the host East Tennessee State, Ohio, and Wagner, beginning on Friday, March 6.