Liberty University has announced that the school and head baseball Scott Jackson have agreed on a contract extension through 2028.
“I am humbled and honored to be Liberty’s baseball coach”, Jackson said. “My staff and my family are thankful for the constant support shown to us by Ian McCaw, President Prevo and Flames Nation.
“I am proud of what our program has accomplished in the last five years and proud to be part of such a special school and athletic program. Liberty has seen unprecedented athletic success in the last three years, and we look forward to taking things to new heights here on the mountain. Go Flames!”
The 2021 campaign was arguably the most successful in Liberty Baseball history, as the Flames made their second straight NCAA postseason appearance (2019, 2021). The ASUN Coach of the Year, Jackson led the Flames to a 41-16 (.719) record, setting the school mark for best winning percentage in a season at the NCAA Division I level and securing an NCAA at-large bid for the second time in the program’s history. After its selection to the NCAA Knoxville, Tenn. Regional, Liberty posted two wins over ACC foe Duke, before seeing their season end in the regional final against host and College World Series participant Tennessee.
Liberty finished the year as the best defensive team in the country, posting a nation’s best .984 fielding percentage to eclipse the previous school record of .977 set by Jackson’s 2018 squad. Liberty also completed the year 12th nationally with a 3.57 ERA.
From March 2-26, the Flames won 13 consecutive games, a Liberty NCAA Division I era record. After starting the year with a 2-5 mark, Jackson’s team did not lose consecutive games for the rest of the 2021 campaign.
Meanwhile, off the field, outfielder Aaron Anderson became the sixth Flames baseball player to be named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Baseball Team and Liberty was one of 94 NCAA Division I teams to receive an ABCA Team Academic Award for 2020-21.
During his five seasons at Liberty, Jackson has continued Liberty’s successful tradition on and off the field. During his tenure, the Flames have won the 2019 ASUN title and have made two NCAA Regional appearances, winning three games against Tennessee and Duke. Liberty has also won 40 or more games in a season twice (2019 & 2021).
The Flames have also made their mark in the classroom, posting cumulative team GPAs of 3.0 or better in each of Jackson’s seasons at the helm.
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Chris Graham
