TYLER BREAM, liberty flames

Fielding quality clubs that have always stacked up favorably against competition, the Liberty Flames baseball program has always been first-rate since its mid 70's inception. Rarely do the Flames finish below .500, and since 2000 LU baseball has finished with a winning percentage over .600 five times. However despite their regular season success, post season triumphs have been somewhat scarce. It's been ten years since Liberty made it to the NCAA Regionals and capturing a conference crown has been a challenging task akin to getting a stuck pea out of a toddler's nose (thanks largely in part to Big South bully Coastal Carolina who alone has eliminated the Flames six times since 2001 in the postseason tournament).

However things are changing in Lynchburg. Head coach Jim Toman has led the Flames to the best record of any Liberty skipper during his first two years at 68-47-1, and the Flame's home field of Worthington Stadium has undergone a number of changes including updated locker facilities, indoor batting cages, private boxes and lighting to make it one of the nicest facilities on the entire east coast. Nevertheless, the biggest changes have occurred on the field for the Flames.

As an assistant coach at South Carolina Toman earned a reputation as one of the top recruiters in college baseball. His ability to find and sign top players made the trip with him from Columbia as his first recruiting class at Liberty was named the top in the Big South and was listed among the sleepers in the Southeast region of the country by Baseball America. This accomplishment is even more notable considering Liberty is a private fundamentalist Baptist university whose religious roots are not for everyone.

One of Toman's most notable young athletes has been a player who didn't require much convincing to come to Liberty. Tyler Bream, the Flames' sophomore third baseman, is the son of former Liberty All-American and MLB star Sid Bream (or “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” to Pittsburg Pirate fans). Last season Bream was honored as a Freshman All-American after hit .337 with 57 RBIs (third in the Big South) with 35 runs scored. He also accumulated 16 doubles, two triples and eight home runs to place him ninth in the conference in slugging percentage at .572. Despite an injury that sidelined up at the end of the season and kept him out of summer ball, Bream has continued to rack up awards, earning the Big South Player of the Week the first week of this season after batting .700 against Kennesaw State and is hitting .462 with a team leading 15 RBI so far in 2010.

On accomplished player and person on and off the field, playing for an up and coming team, Bream was a must chat for Ping!Baseball:

Ping!Baseball: I grew up in the 80's and 90's and remember your father's career well (especially when he scored the winning run in the seventh game of the 1992 NL Championship Series). Were your teammates familiar with your father's legacy playing professional baseball?

Bream: Most of the team that comes from anywhere south knew of the play, and being the son of a major leaguer, word gets around quickly that your dad played pro ball. So if they didn't know of him when they met me, others were soon to tell them.

Ping!Baseball: Who were some of your favorite players that your father played with?

Bream: I really loved the three pitchers for the braves, in Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux. A couple other guys where Van Slyke and Doug Drabek.

Ping!Baseball: I saw that you are listed on the 2010 roster for Wareham of the Cape Cod League. You didn't play in the Cape last summer did you? How did you spend your summer?

Bream: I actually dislocated my shoulder and missed the last eight games of the season, so I took the summer off and rehabbed. Just relaxed all summer, it was kind of nice having a whole summer off to just rest. Haven't had one of those since I was like nine.

Ping!Baseball: Other than Coastal Carolina, what games or series are you most looking forward to playing this year?

Bream: Coastal Carolina is definitely the biggest games for us, but we also play St. John's. They will be a big test for us, along with our series against Winthrop .

Ping!Baseball: What is your favorite non baseball related aspect of going to school at Liberty?

Bream: When I first started looking at schools, first and foremost I wanted a Christian environment. I wanted to attend a school where my relationship with Christ would grow, and I would be around people, and beautiful girls, who loved Jesus.

Ping!Baseball: If you were selling the Liberty baseball program to a recruit, what would be your number one selling point?

Bream: First off, Liberty isn't a fit for everyone, you have to be acceptive of the religious aspect of Liberty. But, our baseball program is definitely on the rise. Last year we were sixteenth in the country in fielding percentage, and after this year we will have made it to a regional. A lot of money and effort is being poured into the program, only good things can happen.

Ping!Baseball: How do you feel about the Flame's chances of winning the Big South this year?

Bream: We have a very good chance of winning Big South. We have much more depth in the pen this year, and have three awesome weekend starters. We returned seven of our eight starters, and have added a couple new faces that will definitely see time.

Ping!Baseball: What is the best baseball advice you've ever received?

Bream: Well being the son of a major leaguer, everything my dad has ever said to me would probably be equally important. He took the talents and the abilities that Christ blessed me with, and made me into what I am today. So, I don't think I can narrow it down to one thing other than “take the pitchers head off every time you step into the box.”

Ping!Baseball: Any chance of you replicating your father's trademark mustache?

Bream: Funny you should ask that. All the guys were trying to have me debut the stache for opening weekend this year, I just don't think I can pull it off the way He does. Maybe not now at least. Give me a couple more years and I'll see what I can do.