Liberty Flames Softball Prep To Defend ASUN Title And Reach World Series
Liberty softball enters the 2022 season as the heavy favorite to repeat as ASUN Champions, and the team also garnered national attention with a No. 24 ranking in a national preseason poll .
The ASUN preseason polls also favored Liberty with junior Kara Canetto heralded as the Preseason Player of the Year and senior Emily Kirby listed as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
The Lady Flames will open the season in tournament play Feb. 11, 12 and 13 at the Northern Lights/Summer Nights tournament in Leesburg, Florida. It will be a baptism by fire for the Lady Flames as three of their four games will be against nationally-ranked teams.
Head Coach Dot Richardson does not put a heavy focus on the pre-season rankings, but she is pleased with her squad’s current position at No. 24. She reasoned that a close loss against a higher-ranked program won’t hurt Liberty’s rankings while a win would help immensely. As a result, the team has little to lose and much to gain from high-ranked matchups.
“As we play a team, a lot of them are currently ranked above us. As we beat them, we are moving up in the rankings,” Richardson said. “I try and make sure that we are having those opportunities to really show that we belong where we’re ranked.”
Upsets over Missouri (No. 9), Northwestern (No. 23) and Kentucky (No. 19) in the tournament could bolster Liberty’s case.
The Lady Flames aren’t strangers to ranked teams. The University of Oklahoma edged out Liberty 5-4 last season March 14, and the Sooners eventually became the World Series Champion. The Lady Flames also had a near-win over unexpected semifinalist team James Madison University.
JMU also knocked Liberty out of NCAA regional finals. Senior pitcher Emily Kirby’s goals, however, focus on returning to the 2022 regional finals.
“The end goal is the World Series,” Kirby said. “It’s my last chance. I would love to just have the opportunity to go.”
Pitching remains key for teams with World Series aspirations, and Liberty has that in Kirby and the rest of the bullpen. Kirby was the top pitcher in the ASUN last season, recording a 1.92 ERA and earning nine shutouts, a mark that tied her for 10th in the country.
For Kirby, these early season contests will test how Liberty’s pitchers handle themselves against high-caliber opponents.
“It’s a true test to where we’re at and the adversity that we will face and just see how far we can go,” Kirby said.
Richardson has a host of strong hitters on her squad, but Kara Canetto remains a name to remember.
“Kara epitomizes Liberty softball and Liberty University. She’s a competitor, she’s talented, she loves the Lord (and) she’s a quiet leader,” Richardson said.
Canetto led the team with her performance in 2021, batting an impressive .385 average and ranking No. 11 in the nation with 75 total hits at 75.
University of Michigan transfer Lou Allen chose to spend her final year of eligibility at Liberty, adding to the Lady Flames already strong offense. Freshman infield duo Rachel Craine and Raigan Barrett also show promise in practice and could make an immediate impact.
The team’s “X” factor lies in the strength of its pitchers in the batters’ box. Having a lineup of pitchers who can also bat gives Richardson more options.
This talented and flexible roster establishes Liberty softball as one of the premier programs in the NCAA and a potential World Series contender.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Liberty is going to make it one day, so hopefully we can be the start of that this year,” Kirby said.
Cosentino is a sports reporter. Follow him on Twitter