When Dot Richardson took over the Free Softball program in July 2013, the coaching office, locker room and training room were located in a double-width trailer.

"We have a recreational venue," recalled Richardson, a two-time Olympic gold medalist. "Previous staff had built canoes with cinder blocks and painted them blue. It was like a hobbit canoe. It was perfect for me, but everyone else had to bend over to get into it. A humble beginning."

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These sparse roots are part of the reason for being dissatisfied with the Texas A&M overall seed No. 1 seed last weekend. It provided the Flames with 50 wins, allowing the Aggies to beat the Aggies to a questionable difference being the first No. 1 seed to miss the NCAA Championship area and most importantly - putting freedom in the super area for the first time in school history.

“We just tried to prove what we could do and played a lot on our shoulders, knowing we could do it, and we believed each other,” outfielder Paige Doerr said. “I don’t think I’d forget that feeling.”

Richardson's team won 11 games in 2014, her first season on the Lynchburg campus in Virginia. A year later, Liberty opened a new state-of-the-art stadium and won 29 victories. By 2018, Richardson had flames in the NCAA area.

This year, Liberty has played in NCAAS for the fifth consecutive year. And, after a painfully close to the Super Super game last season, the Flames took the next step, defeating the Texas A&M on Saturday, losing to the Aggies on Sunday afternoon, and then winning a 6-5 win over the night's championship full game.

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Starting Friday, that guy sent them to the best super area in Eugene’s best area. Starting at Oklahoma City on May 29, the winner will be in the Women’s College World Series.

“We’ve done it over the years,” Richardson said. "But this year, we've been able to overcome that hump. This team has never really focused on winning or losing. We're focused on being the best. Everything we have the best is enough to be where we are now."

Richardson said the team was her most talented and complete free term. After having one or two batsmen, she confidently could pencil into her coaching for the first few years, Richardson said it was a fight every day to find all capable batsmen on this year’s roster.

The depth of the season has been on display as 11 players have made multiple home runs, six of whom have been hit in at least 30 runs, while six players have hit more than 50 base hits, led by Rachel Rupe on the plate’s excellent vintage. Roupe hit .392 in home runs (23) and RBI (73).

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In the circle, five pitchers won multiple games, with three pitchers exceeding 75 strikeouts, led by Elena Esocabar's 25-3 points, 2.43 ERA, 15 full games and 175 strikeouts.

"I'm not surprised," Richardson said. "They just enjoy so much freedom. That's what happens when you see great athletes playing against freelancing."

Freedom and power.

Liberty has reached the regional finals over the past three years. Last season, Flames went away to beat Georgia and advanced to Superball, but the Bulldogs hit a pair of RBI singles at the bottom of the seventh inning to win.

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"I think the reason why we were here and why we were able to win this game was due to last year," said sophomore receiver Savannah Jessee. "It left such a sour taste in our mouths that we were so close that we couldn't get the job done last year. But we proved ourselves. We proved that we could hang with anyone. I think last year gave us a confidence this weekend."

Ropp said the flames celebrated their historic victory in the early hours of the morning by jumping out of the fence and jumping into the pool at the convoy hotel. The Aggies logo is carved on the pool floor beneath it, and at that moment, Liberty is located in the university softball world.

It hopes to stay there this weekend in Oregon.

"In the end, I think people are starting to see we're not playing," Jesse said. "We're ready to take it to the next level."

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