Liberty Lions Baseball

2024 Desert Region Champions

2021 6A State Champs

2018 West Valley Coach of the Year

2018 3A State Champs

2017 AZBCA 5A Coach of the year

2017 Northwest Region Coach of the Year

Chris Raymond will enter his 9th season as the Head Coach of the Liberty Lions. He is also entering his 21st season in Arizona high school baseball. Before joining Liberty, Coach Raymond served as the Pitching Coach at Sunrise Mountain High School from 2008 to 2015. From 2004 to 2006, he was the Freshman Coach at Sunrise, and in 2007, he was the Head JV Coach. Raymond is a member of the USA Baseball Task Force at the Arizona Championships (2021-2024) and was selected by Perfect Game to coach the 2022 All-American Game at Chase Field.

Liberty High School Lions have achieved significant success on the diamond, winning three Region Championships (2017, 2018, 2024). The Lions also captured the 2018 5A State Championship and the 2021 6A State Championship. In 2021, the Liberty Lions reached the highest ranking in school history, finishing #6 in Baseball America and #10 in MaxPreps. Over the past eight seasons, the Lions have posted a 138-62 record, boasting a .657 winning percentage.

The Liberty Lions have produced several All-State performers during this time, including Chandler Murphy, Isaiah Montoya, Brady Welch, JD Wadleigh, Luke Pauga, Patrick Steitz, Kaden Schiefelbein, Andrew Biddle, Kolby Felix, Gerardo Gonzalez, Braden Watson, and Jacob Croxford. Many players have also earned All-Region selections.

Coach Raymond has had the privilege of coaching several Major League Baseball players in both high school and club baseball, including Jaff Decker, Aaron Bummer, Seth Martinez, Joel Kuhnel, Scott Kingery, Sam Haggerty, Josh Rojas, and Logan Porter. Additionally, he has coached hundreds of players who have advanced to college baseball, ranging from the Division I level to NAIA.

A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Coach Raymond has been married to his wife, Christie, since 2005. They have two children, Tristen and Kenny. Tristen is committed to Pepperdine University for indoor volleyball, while Kenny is a sophomore participating in the football and baseball programs.

Baseball Experience:
Coach Raymond played at St. Mary’s High School from 1996-1999, All Arizona Selection 1999, All-State selection 1999, 1st team all region 1997-1999, member of 1999 Arizona Sunbelt Team. Coach continued his career collegiately at Grand Canyon University, coached by David Stapleton 2000-2003, Member of 2000 Jayhawk League Champion Topeka Capitals, played in the NBC World Series in 2000 & 2001, played in the West regional at Grand Canyon University in 2000 & 2002.

Coach Knight grew up in Northern California and moved to Arizona after serving in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper assigned to the 74th Long Range Surveillance Detachment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Vicenza, Italy. Since moving to Arizona, Coach Knight has coached football, basketball and baseball for multiple seasons at Sunnyslope High School where he was a member of the varsity coaching staff that won the state title in 2012. He is now entering his third season as the freshmen basketball coach at Liberty High School and his first year as the JV baseball coach. He is proudly married to Erin Knight and they have two daughters.

Ken Raymond is a graduate of South Mountain High School where he lettered in football, basketball and wrestling then followed his passion for football at Phoenix College as a middle linebacker. Now retired, he worked for Arizona Public Service as a high voltage Electrician for 34 years and has been married to his high school sweetheart, Louise, for 46 years. They have two children, Jenny and Chris, and 5 adorable Grandchildren, Tristen, Kenny, Richard, Steven and Joey, his pride and joys. Ken loves fishing, attending any sporting event his grandkids are playing but especially enjoys coaching baseball at Liberty High School.