In most cases when it comes to the transfer portal season it’s all about a team replacing what they lost in the last year. For a lot of college baseball programs that can look very different. Some of our top ranked teams are ranked in the Top 25 because they added 12+ new quality players for the upcoming season, which causes them to soar to the top of the rankings leaderboard.
In terms of the 22nd ranked Liberty Flames, they added only 8 players from the portal, all of them being pretty proven outliers at the college level already. For Head Coach Bradley LeCroy the portal is pretty straightforward: “It’s not rocket science. Sometimes we as coaches, we try to do way too much. We need to just get out of the way and let the players play.”
When it came to the portal Coach LeCroy kept it simple this season, where he saw holes in their lineup he was able to go in and find players with that veteran experience that every team needs. A big change for Liberty this year came in the form of a top of the line pitching lab that they just started utilizing this fall, which will certainly help advertise Liberty to potential pitchers in the portal.
“The data and analytics are everything, it's a huge piece on two parts” explained LeCroy. “First of all in recruiting and then once you get the players here you use it to develop them, we've seen the results already just in the month we've been on campus.”
Inside Liberty’s pitching lab you’ll find every different type of data capture technology that your heart could desire as a recruit, and fans should be excited about the development that will be happening in there for the Flames staff this season.
This season the Flames were heavy on picking up experienced arms on the mound. The addition of new pitching Coach Bradford from Southern Miss, and a brand new pitching lab, Liberty has never been more attractive to pitchers who are looking to seriously develop.
“We’re very fortunate to be able to get Coach Bradford from Southern Miss” LeCroy said. “One of the top non-power 4 programs in the country, they've always pitched and they've always competed. He's been a great addition and once we got him locked in, we were able to lock in some really good arms.“
Starting things off they added our #124 ranked player in the portal this season, Jaxon Lucas. Jaxon, now joining the Flames after two seasons at NC State, brings a ton of experience and potential to the pitching staff. Last season for the Wolfpack he made 11 appearances out of the bullpen, showing solid control with just six walks over 19.0 innings pitched and collecting 20 strikeouts. With his ability to limit free passes and generate swings and misses, I think Jaxon will be a key piece of the bullpen this spring.
Ayden Decker-Petty joins Liberty this season after spending three seasons at Indiana. This past season he appeared in 14 games and logged 24.2 innings for the Hoosiers while striking out 19 batters. With his experience at the college level and continued development, Ayden could contribute a lot of quality innings this season for the Flames in 2026.
Another interesting arm with some solid experience is LHP Matthew Porter, who over his two years at Pitt picked up 49.1 innings pitched. He was solid in relief, racking up 51 strikeouts and picking up 4 wins for the Panthers, while holding hitters to a .246 avg. He has a real funky delivery that can really be a nightmare for lefty’s, if he can limit the walks he’ll we a real weapon for the Flames this season.
Bradley Zayac joins the Flames after posting a 5.40 ERA across 36.2 innings last season at East Carolina. He delivered an impressive 7.1 inning outing in the Conway Regional allowing just one run against a strong Chanticleer lineup in June. He is ranked #317 in the portal and brings experience along with his ability to step up in key situations for his team.
The Flames did end up returning a lot of talent from last years team which already made them a program you will want to watch, but with the three bats they picked up they are on a serious track to do damage in 2026. Every bat they added has been tested at the college level, so let’s take a look at who all they’ve got.
Jordan Jaffe brings an impressive track record of success to Liberty. During his three seasons at Richmond, Jaffe hit .330 while collecting 51 doubles, 35 home runs, and driving in 171 runs. His offensive production was not only consistent but also clutch, helping to anchor Richmond’s lineup throughout his career as a Spider. In 2023 he earned the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year honors. Now ranked #155 in our transfer portal, his combination of power and experience makes him a key pickup for Liberty.
Ryan Drumm joins the Flames with valuable experience and an offensive skill set that will strengthen the team's outfield and lineup. Last season at Butler Ryan mainly played left field, posting a strong .303 batting average. He hit 14 doubles, two triples, and six home runs, knocking in 38 RBI over the course of the season.
Kyle Hvidsten brings a blend of athleticism and versatility to Liberty, adding depth behind the plate. In 2025 he appeared in 44 games, primarily as a catcher for Western Kentucky, where he showcased his ability to contribute on both sides of the game. Hvidsten hit .282 with six home runs, five doubles, and a triple.
While a lot has changed over the years in college recruiting, athletes wanting to play somewhere that the team looks good has never wavered. In terms of looking good on the field, it will be tough to find a uniform combo cleaner than the Liberty powder blues.
More than just looking crisp on the field these jerseys actually get recruits to campus. “We have the powder blues that we wear at home on Fridays with the red hat, I think it's a it's a very sharp, clean look” said LeCroy.
“We have recruits on campus and we do the photoshoot they always want to wear the powder blues and it's a really good look” LeCroy said. “Our guys get excited to wear it. Most of the time we play really well in it, so maybe we need to wear them a little bit more often.”
This is where recruiting is unique, in what other field can you be looking to lock down a prospect and it’s the team uniform that wins them over? These are all of the tiny details that college coaches are tasked with making sure are elite within the program to draw the best talent to their schools, and Coach LeCroy at Liberty has done just that.
Now, with a reloaded roster, the Flames definitely look on track for a big 2026 season. Every name they’ve added from the portal looks to be a “plug and play” type of guy who can make an immediate impact and I’m excited to see the Flames take the field in February.