Jim Mashek

GAME TWO SET FOR GOOD FRIDAY AT 4 P.M.; TOPS DROP TO 16-14 OVERALL, 4-6 IN CONFERENCE USA

Liberty University catcher Kyle Hvidsten returned to a familiar haunt on Thursday evening, as the Flames resumed Conference USA play with a critical three-game series against Western Kentucky at WKU’s Nick Denes Field.

Hvidesten, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior from Jordan, Minnesota, is known for his defensive prowess, and he was primarily a backup catcher for fifth-year WKU coach Marc Rardin in 2025. By the same token, his presence certainly could have paid dividends against the Hilltoppers’ veteran players, sluggers such as first baseman Kyle Hayes and catcher Camden Ross.

“It was fun, our (WKU) group was so close last year,” Hvidsten said.

The Hilltoppers would break a 16-year drought from NCAA Tournament play last May, winning four straight games to claim the Conference USA Tournament championship. And, as fate would have it, the Tops pulled off the feat on the Liberty University campus, where Hvidsten is spending his final year of college baseball.

And the Flames are definitely making things happen.

Leadoff man Tanner Marsh, a junior shortstop, went 4-for-5 at the plate on Thursday night, delivering two doubles and driving in two runs in Liberty’s impressive 8-3 victory over Rardin’s Tops at WKU’s Nick Denes Field. It was Liberty’s first victory over the Hilltoppers in seven tries, and the Flames will get a chance to clinch the series on Friday afternoon, when the two squads tangle in a 4 p.m. contest.

Not only that, second-year Liberty coach Bradley LeCroy will be trotting out his ace, 6-foot-3 right-hander Ben Blair, in Game Two against the Hilltoppers. Blair, a junior, hits the high 90s on the radar gun and has compiled a 4-1 record while striking out 59 batters in 42 1/3 innings pitched.

Liberty improved to 20-9 overall and 7-3 in C-USA play, while the Hilltoppers dropped to 16-14 and 4-6, respectively.

“We had our chances,” Rardin said when it was over. “I can’t just keep throwing the same three or four guys, out of the ‘pen, every night. We’ve got to be able to control the damage, not add to the damage.

“Their bullpen was better than ours.”

Blair is a homegrown Flame-thrower, so to speak, having grown up in Graetna, Virginia, located just a few miles from the Liberty campus in Lynchburg. Rardin will counter with senior left-hander Aaron Robertson (1-1. 3.21 ERA) in hopes of forcing a rubber match on Saturday afternoon at The Nick.

Liberty extended its winning streak to five games Thursday at the Hilltoppers’ expense, and no one has to tell Rardin about what Blair can do on the pitcher’s mound. WKU left-hander Zach Serup gave the Tops a quality start in Game One of the series, departing a scoreless game in the top of the fifth inning after throwing 57 pitches.

It didn’t stay scoreless for long.

Liberty’s Easton Swafford was hit by a Serup pitch to open the inning, and WKU’s Trey Reinburg trotted in from the left-field bullpen to face the final two batters in the Flames’ batting order. Former WKU catcher Kyle Hvidsten lashed Serup’s first pitch from a double down the left-field line, and Liberty outfielder Josh Campos drew a walk to load the bases with no outs.

“We know our game, we’re going to stick with our strengths,” Hvidsten said.

That’s where Liberty shortstop Tanner Marsh comes in.

Marsh delivered a wind-blown, two-run double to the right-field corner, a ball that played tricks on WKU outfielder Cael Frost, and the Flames grabbed a 2-0 lead. An error charged to WKU shortstop Reid Howard, one of the Tops’ most accomplished players, brought in two more runs, and Western appeared to be in trouble.

Liberty reliever Jake Potts took his team through the sixth inning, without the Hilltoppers getting on the scoreboard, before WKU senior catcher Camden Ross made it happen at the plate.

The first three batters in the WKU order — outfielder Parker Coley, second baseman Austin Haller and Ross — collected back-to-back singles, with Coley scoring on Ross’ infield hit to make it 4-1.

Then, with two outs, Frost delivered a sinking line drive to center field for a two-run single, and the Hilltoppers appeared to be in business.

Not so fast.

Liberty answered, in a hurry, with Nick Barone’s two-run home run that fell inside the left-field foul pole for his third homer of the season. The Flames would add two more runs, in the top of the ninth, against WKU relievers Sam Frizzi and Conner Wolf, putting the pressure squarely on the Hilltoppers’ shoulders heading into Game Two of the series.

“We’ve got to show up (Friday) and face their best pitcher,” WKU coach Marc Rardin said. “It doesn’t get any easier. That’s life.”

The Hilltoppers struggled with situational hitting, loading the bases with one out in the fourth. That’s when before LU’s Jake Potts induced an inning-ending double play from WKU designated hitter Daniel Stewart. The Tops stranded 10 base runners, half of them in scoring position.

“We’ve played a lot of close games this year,” Liberty coach Bradley LeCroy said. “Give them credit, scoring three runs (in the seventh) to make it a one-run game … Nick Barone gave us a big lift with that two-run home run; it hooked right inside the foul pole …”

Hvidsten entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after the Hilltoppers’ memorable 2025 season. He played two years of JUCO ball at Iowa Western College, where Rardin forged his successful reputation over 21 seasons in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Coach Rardin, he’s a great coach,” Hvidsten said. “But I played here last year, so I kind of knew most of their (offensive) tricks …”

The Hilltoppers will try to change that narrative on Good Friday.