Led by Weaver and Owen, the talented Bulldogs are ready to contend for a Class 3 state tournament

Liberty Baseball Stadium is a comfortable place for Liberty Christian’s Braden Weaver.

He said he grew up attending games there, played there several times and will only add to that when he joins the Liberty University baseball program next season.

Perhaps it’s a fitting end to his LCA career that his final home game takes place in this stadium Tuesday night, where LCA will begin its march toward a Class 3 state title in the quarterfinals against Lord Botetourt .

There will be plenty more games on this diamond to come, but Tuesday’s is about the teammates he currently has — a group that shares the tenacity to leave a mark on the program.

“This group, no one thought they would be in this situation after losing the amount of guys we had last year, losing the talent we had last year,” Weaver said. “We’re just here to push each other to a higher level of play.”

Coach Randy Tomlin said this year’s team, especially his group of senior leaders, is “already a special group, no matter what happens next week.”

“It’s how they relate to each other,” he said. “They really pull each other and encourage each other and push each other; and not just talking about it, but doing it.”

This year’s Bulldogs team is a tight-knit group. But they are not crowded.

“Our nickname is Gideon’s Army,” Landon Owen said. “That’s because we don’t have a lot of people. I think with the JV orders we have about 15 people, up from 24 last year.”

The smaller squad size allowed the team to get closer throughout the season, he said, leading to results he wasn’t sure were possible at the time. beginning of the year.

“I’m really amazed at what we’ve done this year,” Owen said. “If you want me to be completely honest, I thought we would have a few losses under our belt, but our coaches did a really good job preparing us for the games. The juniors played a big role. It’s simply good. to see a plan come to fruition.

But it’s not just about juniors. This year’s seniors have also taken on bigger roles since last year’s state semifinalist.

First there’s Owen, who is used to big playoff games, pitching 5⅓ innings of one-run relief as a sophomore in the 2022 Class 3 state championship against Abingdon before LCA advanced to the championship in seventh.

“He embodies the Bulldog name on his chest,” Tomlin said. “He doesn’t back down, and that’s what we’ve seen from him since we brought him up as a freshman for this experience. And then as a sophomore, he’s had some good things happen.”

Owen hit .440 this season, driving in 19 runs and scoring 20 times. On the mound, he worked 56⅓ innings, striking out 74 batters while allowing 23 runs.

On a stacked LCA pitching staff in 2023, Owen worked exclusively in relief. Now that he’s starting out, he credits his time putting out fires as why he still thrives outside the gates.

“I’ve always been one to say, ‘Okay, we’ve got bases loaded, we’ve got an out and I need you to come over,’” he said. “And I think it started with those five innings against a really good Abingdon team. After that, I felt like I was built for a relief role or closer.

“Now it just translates to being a starter. It’s still the same, you just go out.”

One junior who has emerged is Ayden Walker, who has moved into the middle of the Bulldogs’ lineup and pitching staff. He didn’t look new doing that.

At the plate, Walker is hitting .350, but has reached far more on base, with 19 walks. All season, he was behind Weaver – who had 31 points – but still scored 17 points while scoring 27 times.

The junior was often in command on the mound, working to a 0.93 ERA in 45 innings. He fanned 78 batters while allowing just 11 free passes in as many appearances.

“He has a great swing and great recognition for his throws at the plate,” Tomlin said. “He and Landon have been huge for us; he’s 8-0 and Landon is 9-0 (on the mound).”

“(Walker) was definitely capable of starting the varsity team last year, but we had some weapons,” Tomlin said. “So he’s done a good job gaining experience and stepping right in for us this year.”

Behind these two, there is a whole army of other Bulldogs who stepped up to the plate in big moments.

Tomlin’s field extension at wide receiver Danny DeMoss hit a three-point bomb in last year’s state semifinal. Tyler Murray hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning against Rustburg, which was the difference in LCA’s 3-1 victory. And Reid Fanney has set the table for the Bulldogs from first place, especially in regional play, where he is 5-for-8 with three walks, five runs scored and three RBIs.

But at the top of it all for LCA is Weaver, the team’s leader and “the one I count on,” Tomlin says.

Aside from a very brief slip midway through the season, Weaver has fueled the Bulldogs’ fire. He’s blasted homers multiple times, including a three-run blast in ACL’s homecoming against Amherst and one in each of ACL’s last two regional playoff games.

“I feel like there’s been a few times where those spots have come up, but there’s also been all kinds of guys on this team, especially young guys, who have been in big spots for us as well.” , Weaver said. .

On the year, Weaver hit five home runs and had 31 RBIs, 13 with two outs, Tomlin said. He hits 0.413.

Tomlin said he knew pretty quickly when he saw Weaver play on JV that he would be “pretty special.” Now a senior and a proven leader on the team, the guys feed off him, Tomlin said, and Weaver feeds off the pressure moments.

“Think back to Tuesday’s game,” Tomlin said. “Fluvanna took the lead in the first, we went in and Fanney hit a double and Braden got a base hit, and we were immediately tied. Then he hit the home run late, which broke it open.

“It’s so contagious.”

Led by a talented senior group that includes Lawson Sweeney, DeMoss, Murray, Owen and Weaver, Tomlin doesn’t have to worry about his team missing out on a championship opportunity.

“They’re all Bulldogs,” he said. “They’re just not going to let themselves be bullied, they’re not going to back down and they’re not going to go crazy.

“Whatever happens in the end, we’ll at least be able to look at it and know that there’s nothing left, because they gave everything they had. And they showed it all the way.” .