Liberty Christian came out on top against Glass on Friday thanks in part to the team’s impressive nine-run fifth inning. The Bulldogs walked away with a 12-9 win over the Hilltoppers. The victory continues a trend for the Bulldogs in their matchups with the Hilltoppers: they’ve now won six in a row.

Eston Tanner Runs Batted In (Career) 05/23/25 @ Glass 4 05/16/25 @ Brookville 2 05/09/25 @ Liberty 2 05/06/25 vs Rustburg 2 04/04/25 @ Rustburg 2

Eston Tanner was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ayden Walker, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI.

Liberty Christian pushed their record up to 15-3 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.0 runs over those games. As for Glass, their defeat dropped their record down to 13-7.

Liberty Christian does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Glass, they will take on Halifax County at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Comets will roll in looking for their 15th straight win, something the Hilltoppers surely won’t give up without a fight.

After Franklin Pichardo’s game-winning single to right and the ensuing celebration that followed Monday night at DeSales University’s Weiland Park, the Liberty baseball team took a collective knee near the team’s dugout and prayed.

The Hurricanes were right to give thanks because they had just pulled off another amazing rally, scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh to post a stunning 6-5 victory over Nazareth in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference semifinals.

Liberty, going for its third consecutive EPC title, will play Parkland at 7 p.m. Wednesday back at DeSales. The Trojans edged Freedom 2-1 in the earlier semifinals.

The Hurricanes have some sort of magic when they play at DeSales. They have won 13 of their last 14 league, district or state playoff games in Upper Saucon Township.

“This team is different from the last three years in a lot of ways, but one way they are not different is that they never get disheartened,” Hurricanes coach Andy Pitsilos said. “They have a lot of heart, and they fight to the bitter end. They come back. That’s about our fifth one like that. They never quit, and that’s all you can ask from kids. Things went our way tonight. Nazareth is a good team and played really well, and we got a little lucky.”

It was Liberty’s second big seventh-inning rally in as many games. They ‘Canes (18-4) fought back from a 4-2 deficit with three runs in their last at-bat on Saturday to beat Pocono Mountain East 5-4 in the quarterfinals.

Nazareth, which has suffered nothing but heartbreak in the playoffs in recent years, looked to be in position to get back to the finals for the first time since 2022 when the Blue Eagles lost a 10-inning thriller Emmaus.

Nazareth, the fifth seed, erased a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the third when Matt Daems and Chase Kilareski doubled in runs. Even though Kilareski was tagged out at third trying for a triple for the first out of the inning, the Blue Eagles regrouped and got a third run when Landon Glovas singled, went to third on Adam Unangst’s single, and scored on a passed ball.

Nazareth (16-6) tacked on a run in the fifth on Bobby Grzenda’s two-out hit, and even after Liberty picked up a run in the bottom of the sixth on a Justin Frey single, the Blue Eagles got out of a base-loaded jam to take a 4-2 lead to the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, Nazareth regained the three-run lead on Chase Biedermann’s two-out single to left, but Evan Shak was thrown out at the plate for the inning’s last out to keep it a three-run game. That play proved costly when Liberty rallied in its half of the seventh.

Liberty had left 10 on base, including the bases loaded twice, before the seventh inning. But the Hurricanes never lost faith.

“There was a lot of chatter over there and that got us hyped up,” said senior first baseman Jacob Matthews, who had two of the Hurricanes’ eight hits. “We weren’t hitting early on, but we couldn’t let that chatter get to us and fall down. We used that chatter to pick us up and stay with it all the way through. We have a lot of belief. Every single one of these guys loves the game, and we just fight, fight, fight until the end.”

Kam Kensicki started the seventh-inning surge with a single up the middle. Jaxon Horvath walked, and Matthews singled to left to load the bases.

A fielder’s choice grounder to third got Nazareth an out, but it also got Liberty a run to pull within 5-3. Willie Cruz grounded out to short to plate another run.

Then both Frey and Max Landis were hit by pitches to load the bases.

The count was 1-2 on Pichardo when he went with an outside pitch and took it to right to score Unangst with the tying run and Frey with the game-winner.

“We came back and did the job,” said Pichardo, a University of Maryland commit. “I was just trying to get a run in and get the game tied. It was an outside pitch, a curveball, and I just stayed back and did it. I had a feeling. The biggest thing about our team is that we have guts and we never give up and we just love to play.”

Pitsilos said he was happy Pichardo got an opportunity to come to the plate and get his chance after being intentionally walked an inning earlier.

“He’s a very good hitter and has been doing it for three years,” Pitsilos said. “For him to come through in that spot shows he’s a clutch kid. I was just happy that he didn’t try to hit the ball nine miles and just met the ball and hit a line drive.”

Pitsilos acknowledged that his team will have to play better to beat Parkland. Liberty had four errors, and one of Nazareth’s runs was unearned.

But he credited pitchers Mikey Mariano Jr. and Dimitri Condoulis for doing a good job of holding down Nazareth, scattering 11 hits and keeping the game within striking distance.

There’s plenty of uncertainty in the forecast when it comes to Wednesday’s title game, but Pitsilos said his squad will remain focused.

“We’re going to keep ready,” he said. “We pride ourselves on being mentally tough and the weather shouldn’t bother us. If it does, I’ll be disappointed.”

Nazareth – 003 010 1 — 5 11 0

Liberty — 100 001 4 — 6 8 4

Novak, Kilareski (6) and Sanford; Mariano, Jr., Condoulis (6) and Pichardo. W: Condoulis. L: Kilareski.

2B: Unangst (L), Kilareski (N), Daems (N)

Warriors Previous Games 04/24/25 vs Southlake Carroll 4-0 04/11/25 vs Nolan Catholic 6-1 04/08/25 vs Parish Episcopal 9-4 03/31/25 vs Fort Worth THESA 8-1 03/28/25 @ Nolan Catholic 10-7 + 10 more games

Liberty Christian faced Southlake Carroll in a battle between two of the state’s top teams on Thursday. The Warriors never let the Dragons get on the board and left with a 4-0 win. The Warriors are really starting to get used to good results now that the team has won 15 straight.

Colton Zahorik tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over five innings pitched.

At the plate, Liberty Christian let Drake Hawpe and Evan Wells run wild. Hawpe got on base in two of his three plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base, while Wells went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI. Wells is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he’s now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he’s played.

Liberty Christian’s victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 29-4. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.4 runs on average over those games. As for Southlake Carroll, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 22-7-1.

Coming up, Liberty Christian will be playing in front of their home fans against Boyd at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. Southlake Carroll does not have any more games scheduled as of now.

I was in elementary school when my dad took me to the Providence Civic Center for the first round of the 1989 NCAA Tournament. We watched the afternoon games, got dinner, and then he asked me if I wanted to go back for some of the night session. There were two games on tap, but only the very late one seemed like it would be any good. The earlier matchup was between a No. 1-seeded team and some hopeless No. 16 seed. It would be a boring blowout.

Tough luck, my dad told me, there was no way we were staying out until midnight. We could catch the first game and then go home or just leave right now. I remember it being a tough choice, but for whatever reason we stayed — and then got to witness a game that I am still telling people about almost four decades later, one that oh-so-nearly was (and should have been) among the most monumental upsets in sports history.

That’s when I came down with a full-blown case of March Madness, and it hasn’t let up since. I’m just one of the many fans who consider the next two days the absolute best two days on the annual sports calendar and the entire three-week tournament the single best of any sporting event. I claim no expertise (my national championship pick last year fell a little short), just undiminished enthusiasm and a weakness for the underdog.

With that in mind, here are just a few of the teams and storylines on my mind as the 2025 edition of the NCAA Tournament gets underway.

Sleeper team that might make a run: BYU

This is a risky pick, since the No. 6-seeded Cougars face a trendy upset pick, VCU, in the first round. The game will be a clash of styles. Offensive-minded BYU scores more than 80 points a game, averages nearly 11 made 3-pointers and boasts one of the highest effective field goal percentages in the country. VCU’s stifling defense, meanwhile, limits opponents to just 61.6 points per game and 37.8% shooting from the field. Something will have to give here and it would be no shocker if the Rams (whose coach, Ryan Odom, led No. 16 seed UMBC to an upset for the ages in the 2018 tournament) take down the Cougars.

But if BYU can get past this first-round landmine, they might just get on a roll. This is a confident team that closed the season with nine straight wins, including a 34-point dismantling of Kansas, road victories over Arizona and Iowa State, and another win over the Cyclones in the Big 12 Tournament. Only a title game loss to mighty Houston kept BYU from coming into the NCAA Tournament on a 10-game win streak.

After VCU, the Cougars would likely face Wisconsin, which staggered toward the end of the year with one of its key players, Max Klesmit, banged up. The Badgers could be vulnerable. So too could Alabama, BYU’s most likely opponent if they make it to the Sweet 16. The Tide dropped three of their last five games and there are questions about the status of Grant Nelson and his injured leg.

For that matter, no one can be sure what to expect from the region’s top seed, Duke, with star Cooper Flagg returning from his own ankle issues. BYU hasn’t advanced to the second weekend since the glory days of Jimmer Fredette in 2011, but the way this team is playing, that hardly seems out of reach.

First-round upset I’m eyeing: No. 12 Liberty over No. 5 Oregon

It’s true that 12 seed vs. 5 seed matchups have historically been upset-prone, but that’s not the reason this one is on my radar. What does get my attention, though, is this: Liberty can shoot the 3-pointer. The mid-major Flames rank sixth nationally (out of 355 teams) in 3-point shooting percentage. They have three players who hit at over a 40% clip, including Taelon Peter, Conference USA’s Sixth Player of the Year, who can come in and heat up fast. Lighting it up from outside can go a long way to leveling the playing field in a game like this. Nor is Liberty a slouch on the defensive end, ranking No. 10 nationally in points allowed.

Oregon is a tough draw. They’re on a roll, winners of eight out of their last nine, and figure to have plenty of support from fans with the game in Seattle. But in a one-game situation, the Flames’ potential to catch fire (see what I did there?) makes them an upset candidate.

If you like the tournament the way it is, you should probably hope these teams lose early: Oklahoma and Texas

Nothing against either one of these schools or states, but they both play in the now-enormous SEC and both posted the same conference record this season: 6-12. That’s the worst conference winning percentage (.333) for any team that’s received an at-large bid to the tournament since its expansion to 64 teams in 1985.

The committee’s decision to include the Sooners and Longhorns comes as the campaign for further expansion of the field — 76 teams now seems to be the consensus target — seems to be gaining steam. The pro-expansion argument is that more schools than ever now play at the Division I level, so more spots are needed for worthy participants. The reality, though, is that expansion may look more like this: Power conference teams that are short on actual wins slipping in because even picking off a few big fish in a power conference will produce some impressive-seeming metrics.

Plenty of fans are fine with this, no doubt. And success for the Sooners and Longhorns would offer validation for their view. But for those who like the tournament as it is and fear what adding even more teams would mean, it’s probably best if both teams make early exits.

Team my head thinks will win it all: Houston

The Cougars blitzed through the Big 12, winning 19 of 20 games and the regular season title, then went three-for-three in the conference tournament. Overall, they’re 30-4 and have lost only one time (by a single point, in overtime, to a strong Texas Tech team) since the first week of December. This is the third straight tournament that Houston has earned a No. 1 seed, but this edition stands out for two reasons: They’re experienced and used to playing together (more than 80% of last year’s scoring returned this season), both premiums in the transfer portal era, and they finally have an offense to match their perennially elite defense.

Previous Houston teams had to hope their suffocating defense would compensate for woeful shooting. But this one has three players who shoot over 40% from behind the 3-point line (they had none last year), and they rank fourth in the country as a team in 3-point percentage.

A concern is the status of big man J’Wan Roberts, who sprained his ankle last week. He’s expected to be available for the tournament, though he might not be 100% in the first two rounds. If they can get through the first weekend and emerge with a healthy Roberts, this will be the most complete of Houston’s recent tournament teams — and those teams were all title contenders.

Who my heart wants to win it all: St. John’s

And maybe they will! The fact that Rick Pitino, essentially blacklisted from college coaching at the age of 65, is now, at 72 years old, taking a 30-4 team ranked No. 5 in the country to the NCAA Tournament is improbable enough. That he’s doing it with St. John’s, a powerhouse from an earlier era of the sport that until now has gone a quarter century without a tournament win, makes this feel like a plot from a movie.

My heart wants them to win it all, but my head can’t quite get there. This is partly because my sentimental favorites almost never actually come in, but mostly because of the Johnnies’ (maybe) fatal flaw: shooting. More specifically, they’re abysmal from outside — a mere 30.4% from beyond the arc, 335th out of all 355 Division I schools — and positively atrocious from the foul line, where they’re 68.9% as a team. (Pitino knows firsthand how costly missed free throws can be in a tight tournament game.)

Part of what makes St. John’s so compelling is that they’ve won so much in spite of all of this, thanks to a relentlessly disruptive defense that creates deflections, steals and transition points — and that can either erase deficits or blow games open in a matter of a few possessions. It’s no coincidence that St. John’s has trailed by double-digits in eight games this season and come back to win seven of them. But relying on escape acts in the tournament is a dangerous game. I’m hoping for a magical run from Pitino and his team, but fearing the worst.

Oregon vs. Liberty score updates

Final: Oregon beats Liberty

Oregon’s perfect record in NCAA Tournament first-round games during the Dana Altman era remains intact.

Jackson Shelstad and the No. 5-seeded Ducks ripped through No. 12 Liberty Friday night in Climate Pledge Arena, winning 81-52 in a game that was never competitive.

Oregon got out to an 18-2 lead and were up by double digits for the final 36 minutes, 27 seconds as it cruised into a second-round game against No. 4 Arizona at 6:40 p.m. Sunday.

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Shelstad finished with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. He was 7 for 11 from the field and 3 for 4 from 3-point range.

Shelstad capped a 15-point first half with a thrilling final minute. He scored on a jumper with 41 seconds left, then stole the inbounds pass by diving on the ball. He recovered and dribbled out the clock from the perimeter until sinking a 3-pointer in the last second to send the Ducks into the locker room up 44-20.

In the first NCAA Tournament game of his four-year career, Nate Bittle had a double-double – his eighth of the season and second on the last three games – with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The win made Oregon 9-0 in first-round games in Altman’s 15 seasons, including a first-round forfeit in 2021. It was the Ducks’ seventh first-round win by at least 13 points, but it wasn’t their most decisive as they opened the 2016 tournament with a 91-52 win against Holy Cross.

Zach Cleveland 10 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Flames (28-7).

Nate Bittle gets his double-double

A 3-pointer and then a score off of a rebound gives the Oregon center his eighth double-double of the season. He has 14 points and 10 rebounds and the Ducks lead 71-41 with 4:28 to play

Oregon leaning into its bench

With their lead 64-36 with 6:32 to play, the Ducks are giving their reserves extensive playing time. Jadrian Tracey, Kwame Evans Jr., Ra’Heim Moss and Supreme Cook have all logged at least 12 minutes on the court.

Oregon in cruise control

The pace of the game has picked up but the Ducks’ lead is still a comfortable 52-31 with 14:33 left in the game.

Half: Oregon 44, Liberty 20

Jackson scored five points and had a steal in the final 41 seconds of the half to send the Ducks into the locker room up by 24 points. Shelstad hit a jumper, stole the inbounds pass, dribbled out the clock and hit a 3-pointer with one second to play.

He has 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting with three 3-pointers. Nate Bittle is nearing a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.

Oregon is outrebounding Liberty 22-13.

Oregon’s lead stretches into the 20s

Nate Bittle scored seven straight to put the Ducks up 34-14 and later a 3-pointer from Jadrian Tracey made it 37-16 with 3:49 to play in the first half.

Oregon lead still growing

Jackson Shelstad has 10 points and the Ducks lead 27-11 with 7:55 to play until halftime.

Oregon still up big as first half nears midpoint

The Ducks lead 23-8 with 11:41 to play in the first half. Oregon has made 8 of 13 from the field and has scored eight points off of four Liberty turnovers. The Flames are shooting 3 for 10 from the field.

Jackson Shelstad with eight points in first 5 minutes

The sophomore point guard is 3 for 3 from the field with two 3-pointers and Oregon is up 18-2 on Liberty with 14:37 to play in the first half.

Oregon up big to start the game

Brandon Angel, Jackson Shelstad and Keeshawn Barthelemy have made 3-pointers for the Ducks and Oregon leads Liberty 13-2 at the 15:54 mark of the first half. The Ducks are shooting 71.4% from the field (5 of 7).

Who is Nate Bittle: Oregon basketball big man at center of Ducks’ March Madness run

The evolution of Nate Bittle was a slow and challenging process during the first three years of his highly anticipated Oregon men’s basketball career.

The former five-star recruit from Central Point who scored, rebounded and blocked shots at will during his standout high school career arrived in Eugene in 2021 not physically ready to meet the demands of playing collegiately, and just as he looked ready for a breakout season as a junior, injuries and an illness limited him to just a handful of games.

But this season, a star player has emerged.

Bigger, stronger and healthier, the center will lead the Ducks into the NCAA Tournament on Friday when No. 5 seed Oregon (24-9) takes on No. 12 Liberty (28-6) at 7:10 p.m. at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

Read more here.

Oregon vs. Liberty probable starters

Ducks: PG Jackson Shelstad, G TJ Bamba, G Keeshawn Barthelemy, F Brandon Angel, C Nate Bittle.

Flames: G Colin Porter, G Kaden Metheny, G Jayvon Maughmer, F Zach Cleveland, F Owen Aquino.

The winner of Oregon vs. Liberty will play Arizona

The No. 4 Wildcats cruised to a first-round victory against No. 13 Akron, winning 93-65 in the third game of Friday’s session in Seattle.

Jaden Bradley scored 19 to lead Arizona, which moves on to a second-round game Sunday against either the Ducks or the Flames.

\What channel is Oregon vs. Liberty on today? How to watch, stream live

TV channel: TruTV

TruTV Streaming: Sling TV

Sling TV Radio: KUGN (590 AM, 98.1 FM), KUJZ (95.3 FM), KFXX (1080 AM, Portland), KYKN (1430 AM, Salem), Sirius: 381

Oregon will tip off vs. Liberty on TruTV. Streaming options include the NCAA March Madness Live app and Sling TV . Announcers for the game are Lisa Byington, Robbie Hummel, Jalen Rose and Andy Katz.

What time is Oregon men’s basketball vs. Liberty?

Date: Friday, March 21

Friday, March 21 Site: Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle

Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle Start time: 7:10 p.m. PT

What to know about Liberty men’s basketball

The Flames are in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 and they got there with a combination of scoring and defense that was too much for the rest of Conference USA.

Liberty ranks in the top-10 nationally in scoring defense (62.9 points allowed per game), scoring margin (plus-13 points) and 3-point percentage (39%).

But the Flames’ strength of schedule is ranked 127th (the Ducks’ SOS is 28th) and they’re No. 60 in the NET (the Ducks are No. 29) with no games played against Quad 1 teams.

Liberty’s leading scorer is reserve guard Taelon Peter, who was the CUSA sixth-man of the year after averaging 13.9 points and 4.1 rebounds this season.

The Flames’ coach is Ritchie McKay, who was Oregon State’s head coach from 2000-02.

Oregon vs. Liberty odds, betting line, spread

Odds according to BetMGM

Spread: Oregon by 6.5

Oregon by 6.5 Over/under: 139.5

139.5 Moneyline: Oregon -300, Liberty +240

Oregon vs. Liberty prediction, game picks

Oregon beat reporter Chris Hansen writes: “Anything can happen in the NCAA Tournament, especially in the first round. But everything is pointing to an Oregon win in the opener, from experience to talent, to a history of opening-round success by (Dana) Altman. Expect the Ducks to play again on Sunday.”

Oregon vs. Liberty stats

OREGON

PPG: 76.2

76.2 PPG allowed: 70.9

70.9 FG% 45.7

45.7 3PT% : 34.0

: 34.0 KenPom ranking: No. 32

LIBERTY

PPG: 76.6

76.6 PPG allowed: 62.9

62.9 FG% 49.4

49.4 3PT% : 39.0

: 39.0 KenPom ranking: No. 60

Oregon vs. Liberty championship odds

Odds according to BetMGM:

OREGON: +15000

LIBERTY: +100000

Oregon men’s basketball schedule 2024-25

The past five games of Oregon’s 2024-25 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here

DATE RESULT March 1 Oregon 82, Southern California 61 March 4 Oregon 73, Indiana 64 March 9 Oregon 80, Washington 73 (OT) March 13 Oregon 72, Indiana 59 March 14 Michigan State 74, Oregon 64

Liberty men’s basketball schedule 2024-25

The past five games of Liberty’s 2024-25 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here

DATE RESULT March 6 Liberty 86, Middle Tennessee 81 March 8 Liberty 90, Western Kentucky 61 March 12 Liberty 81, UTEP 60 March 14 Liberty 81, Kennesaw State 79 March 15 Liberty 79, Jacksonville State 67

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Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG