The Liberal baseball team opens their season Friday. The Redskins are sophomore laden in 2026 as eight of the 13 varsity players to begin the season are sophomores. The Skins will aim to hit for contact and use their defensive versatility as a strength.
The Redskins graduated their outfield from last year’s 8-18 team including first team all WAC player Alex Schwindt and second team all WAC Landon Martinez.
The current seniors have been leaders during practices in Blayden Betts, Austin Dodge, and Alec Madden. The Redskins will lean on Betts on the mound, at catcher, and on the corner infield positions. Dodge has made a move to the outfield and will anchor centerfield. Madden plays second and third. The only junior is corner infielder Elder Ramirez. The sophomores include Kye Morris (P, SS), Ethan Olmstead (P,C,UTL), Eathan Hernandez (P,INF), Bren Kappelmann (P,C,INF), Landry Fitzgerald (OF), Bentlee Betts (P,OF,1st), Jonathan Santos (P,C,OF), and Kale Miller (P).
The Redskins were 8-18 last year finishing in the middle of the WAC at 4-8. In 2024, LHS was 13-11 for their first winning season since 2019. The Skins were 10-11 in 2023. The Redskins were 9-12 in 2022, an improvement from their return to the diamond in 2021 when they went 6-14. The 2020 season would have likely marked a sixth straight winning season, but it was canceled due to covid.
Eric Olmstead has guided the past 20 years and is in his 19th season as Redskin head coach. He is responsible for two of Liberal’s three WAC titles and one of the two state tournament appearances. Olmstead is 204-182 at LHS.
The Redskins will be featured during Sportsguys Friday morning on 1270 and 92.3.
Schedule
March 20- vs. Ark City (12:45) and Newton (3) at Maize
March 24- at Holcomb DH 4pm
March 26- at Hugoton DH 4pm
March 31- at Garden City DH 4pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
April 7- at Goddard Eisenhower DH 4pm
April 10- at Great Bend DH 4pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
April 16- at Woodward 5pm
April 21- Garden City 6pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
April 24- at Cimarron DH 4pm
April 28- Great Bend 6pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
April 30- Hays DH 4pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
May 2- at Manhattan 11am
May 5- Dodge City DH 4pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
May 12- at Dodge City 6pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
May 14- at Hays 6pm (1270 and 92.3 FM)
May 18-21-Regionals (1270 and 92.3 FM)
May 28-29 State (1270 and 92.3 FM)
