FROM PRESS RELEASE
Clearwater, Fla. – The Liberty Flames plated four runs in the fourth inning and never looked back in a 6-2, season-opening victory over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Friday afternoon in the first game of the Clearwater Invitational at Jack Russell Stadium

Winning in head coach Jim Toman’s coaching debut, the Flames move to 1-0, while the Fighting Irish fall to 0-1. Read the rest of this entry »

FROM PRESS RELEASE
Lynchburg, Va. – Liberty Director of Athletics Jeff Barber and the Liberty Athletics Department announced today, the department has entered into a contract which will allow lights to be installed at Worthington Stadium.

“The coaching staff and players are extremely excited to be adding lights to Worthington Stadium,” stated Liberty Head Coach Jim Toman. “It will benefit us in many ways.”

“We are certainly appreciative of the athletics department and the school’s administration commitment to Liberty Baseball. It will allow more people to come out to the games and hopefully, benefit us in recruiting.” Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CONFERENCE PRESS RELEASE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Coastal Carolina University’s baseball team has been unanimously voted the Big South Conference’s preseason favorite, as voted by the League’s Head Baseball Coaches and Sports Information Directors, it was announced today by the Conference office. In addition, Chanticleers’ junior outfielder David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C.) has been voted the Conference’s Preseason Player of the Year, while junior teammate Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J.) was voted Preseason Pitcher of the Year by the panel. Read the rest of this entry »

FROM PRESS RELEASE
Lynchburg, Va. – The Liberty University baseball program and head coach Jim Toman announce the signing of twelve student-athletes to national letters of intent for the 2008-09 academic year, during the early NCAA Nov. 14-20 signing period. Highlighting the class is Tyler Bream, son of former Liberty All-American and Major League Player Sid Bream.

“We are extremely excited to be adding these twelve student-athletes to our Liberty family,” commented Toman. “Tyler Bream is a very good player. His commitment is special to us because he obviously has Liberty roots and he was the first commitment of the new staff.

“The signees are a good start to our first recruiting class. We expect to sign a few more players in the spring, and feel all of them are capable of helping us reach our goals of winning the Big South Conference, as well as competing nationally.”

Liberty opens the 2008 season against Notre Dame, February 22 in Clearwater, Fla. The Flames home opener is February 29 against Rider. Game time at Worthington Stadium is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Tyler Bream 3B/1B/RHP 6-3 185 R/R Seneca Valley HS Zelienople, Pa.

Bream helped lead his Seneca Valley High School team to the 2007 Pennsylvania State Championship. The son of former Liberty All-American and Major Leaguer Sid Bream, the corner infielder hit .397 with eight doubles and two home runs last season, earning selection to the West Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Class AAAA All-Sectional team. Bream has played in the prestigious East Coast Professional Showcase in Lakeland, Fla., and has also been a member of the Allegheny Pirates travel team.

Tim Dudley LHP/1B 6-1 200 S/L Appomattox HS Appomattax, Va.

As a junior in 2007, Dudley went 6-4 with a 1.19 ERA. The left-hander was named 2007 Seminole District Player of the Year, and was selected to 2007 first team all-regional and all-district squads, as a pitcher. He also hit .333. Dudley played in the 2007 Virginia Commonwealth Games.

P.J. Jimenez INF 5-11 165 R/R Arizona Western College Yucaipa, Calif.

Jimenez hit .359, with a wood bat, with 61 hits, 10 doubles and 31 RBIs this past year at Arizona Western College. The infielder was named a 2007 second-team Arizona Community College Athletic Conference member.

Steven Keener 1B 5-11 185 L/R Allenghany HS Clifton Forge, Va.

Keener garnered Virginia Reviews Player of the Year in 2007. The first baseman was also an All-Timesland, All-Region III and All-Blue Ridge District first-team selection. Keener captured his area’s Triple Crown, hitting .441 with eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 2007. He also played with the Hitting Zone, a United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) travel team based in Roanoke, Va.

John Long 3B/OF/RHP 6-0 180 R/R T.L. Hanna HS Anderson, S.C.

Long is ranked by The Diamond Prospects as the top third baseman in South Carolina. He hit .456 with 10 home runs last season. The third baseman was honored with selections to the Region 1 AAAA All-Region and Anderson Independent All-Area teams in 2007. Long was the High School Sports Reports All-State and South Carolina 4A home run leader, and represented the state in the National Home Run hitting contest. He is also a member of powerhouse Diamond Devils travel team.

Chris McDougal C/P/UTL 6-2 185 R/R Denbigh HS Poquoson, Va.

McDougal hit .470 with 29 RBIs and a .592 on base percentage in 2007. On the mound, he was a perfect 5-0 with a 0.75 ERA. He garnered 2007 All-District third base, All-Region and honorable mention All-State honors. A member of the Carolina Hurricanes travel team, Long played in the 2007 Virginia Commonwealth Games.

J.J. McLeod RHP 6-1 175 R/R Skagit Valley College Burlington, Wash.

In 2007, McLeod posted a 5-2 record and a 2.08 ERA in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (MWAACC). In 43 innings, the right-hander gave up 24 hits, while striking out 42 batters and walking 23.

David Mitroff C 6-2 180 R/R Praire Ridge HS Crystal Lake, Ill.

A two-year varsity starter at Praire Ridge High School, Mitroff is considered one of the top defensive catchers in the Midwest. The catcher has played on the powerhouse McHenry County Hurricanes Showcase team. His father and sister both attended Liberty.

Justin Richardson OF/LHP 5-10 190 L/L Riverdale HS Lehigh Acres, Fla.

Richardson is a three-year varsity stater at Riverdale High School. Last season, he hit .354 and went 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA as a pitcher.

Kizuku Scott INF/OF 5-11 190 R/R Bethel HS Hampton, Va.

Scott earn selections to the Daily Press All-Star and all-district first teams in 2007. He hit .464 with 18 doubles, 25 RBI’s and 19 stolen bases this past season. Scott played in the 2007 Virginia Commonwealth Games and is a member of the Carolina Hurricanes travel team.

Mark Swanson RHP 6-2 210 R/R Young Harris College Buford, Ga

Swanson posted a 7-2 mark with a 2.65 ERA in 2007. In 63 1/3 innings, the right-hander struck out 59. He pitched in the 2007 Juco World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.

Matt Williams SS 5-10 155 R/R Centennial HS Franklin, Tenn.

An all-district and All-Mid State performer, Williams hit .424 with seven triples and 24 stolen bases in 2007. The shortstop also played for the Brentwood A’s travel team.

FROM VALLEY BASEBALL LEAGUE
Baseball website PGcrosschecker.com recently compiled its list of the top 20 players in the Valley Baseball League. The list was compiled by Allan Simpson with input from the league’s managers and scouts.

Similar to the recently released Baseball America list, PG Crosschecker identified Winchester’s Luke Greinke as the league’s top prospect. He was also the league MVP. He was followed by Covington outfielder Jason Kipnis, but then six of the next seven players listed were pitchers.

Simpson noted that league officials felt that the 2007 season saw a jump in overall talent around the league, in particular in the pitching department. The numbers appear to support that assertion. In 2007, league pitchers as a whole had a 3.70 earned run average while hitters had a .247 batting average as a league. In 2006, hitters posted a .258 average while pitchers compiled a 3.88 ERA, and the year before saw a .257 batting average and 3.97 ERA as a league.

While Waynesboro finished first in the regular season and won the Jim Lineweaver Cup as league champions, the Generals placed just three players in the top 20 and none higher than #11. In fact, many of the top prospects come from the lower half of the standings. Simpson noted that was a sign of the league’s improved depth.

PGCrosschecker.com Valley League Top 20 Prospects

1. Luke Greinke, UT, Winchester (Auburn)

2. Jason Kipnis, OF, Covington (Arizona State)

3. Zac Blakney, RHP, Fauquier (Montevallo)

4. Shayne Moody, SS, Woodstock (Charlotte)

5. Ashur Tolliver, LHP, Harrisonburg (Arkansas-Little Rock)

6. Donald Jordat, RHP, Luray (Miami-Dade C.C.)

7. Rob Gilliam, RHP, Luray (UNC Greensboro)

8. Tim Sexton, RHP, Staunton (Miami-Dade C.C.)

9. Josh Judy, RHP, Haymarket (Indiana Tech)

10. Tyler Kuhn, SS/2B, Luray (West Virginia)

11. Pat Irvine, C/OF, Waynesboro (Elon)

12. Garrett Parker, RHP, Harrisonburg (Oklahoma City)

13. Bobby Hernandez, RHP, Staunton (Barry)

14. Josh Eidell, RHP, Woodstock (Villanova)

15. Elih Villanueva, RHP, Luray (Florida State)

16. Jeremy Cruz, 1B, Luray (Stetson)

17. Chris Masters, LHP, New Market (Western Carolina)

18. Brandon Sizemore, 2B, Waynesboro (Charleston)

19. Kurt Davidson, C/1B, Waynesboro (Akron)

20. Dustin Umberger, RHP, Luray (Liberty)

Full scouting reports from the summer on each player are available here. A subscription is required to view the insider-level reports.

Five Cavaliers Named to 2007 VaSID All-State Baseball Team

Liberty University has hired Jim Toman to lead their baseball program. Toman was the Associate Head Coach at South Carolina before accepting this position. He has spent the last 18 years as a member of Ray Tanner’s staff at South Carolina and previously at NC State. He is regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation as he has lead the Gamecocks to a top 25 recruiting class every year for the last eleven years.

Liberty Release

Virginia 5 VCU 4

The Virginia Cavaliers picked up a 5-4 walkoff victory over Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday night. Tyler Cannon hit a two out single to drive in Tim Henry with the winning run. Sean Doolittle led the Cavs by going 3-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Andrew Carraway picked up the victory in relief by pitching 1.1 scoreless innings to up his record to 5-0 while Rams reliever Mick Mattaliano pitched 3.1 innings while giving up only the losing run in the ninth to even his record at 2-2.

Virginia Recap
VCU Recap

Virginia Tech 12 Liberty 9

The Virginia Tech Hokies got ten hits and Liberty committed seven errors as the Hokies easy got by the Flames of Liberty in Blacksburg on Tuesday. Bryan Thomas went 3-5 with 2 RBI to lead the Hokie offense. Rhett Ballard got the victory in relief for the Hokies by giving them six strong innings while limiting the Flames to three runs. His record is now 6-2. Liberty reliever Ryan Page picked up the loss as he gave up two unearned runs in his two innings of work to drop his record down to 2-3.

VT Recap
Liberty Recap

Boston College 13 Quinnipiac 2

Boston College continued their hot hitting as they knocked around the Bobcats pitching for 18 hits and 13 runs. Johnny Ayers led the Eagles attack by going 4-4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Ted Ratliff pitched eight strong innings while giving up no runs on four hits and striking out ten batters as his record heads to 5-2. Ryan Walfield picked up the loss by giving up seven runs in 3.2 innings of work to put his record at 1-1.

BC Recap
Quinnipiac Recap

Maryland 1 Towson 0

Four Maryland pitchers combined on a four hit shutout over Towson which broke a Terps losing streak of six games. Brad Taylor pitched 3.2 innings in relief to pick up the victory to up his record to 1-0 while Brett Cecil got his eighth save of the season. Nate Curd pitched four innings in relief for the Tigers but picked up the loss to drop his record to 1-4.

Maryland Recap
Towson Recap
Diamondback Online Recap

The Citadel on Sunday pulled out a dramatic 7-6 victory over the Number 1 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. The Citadel came back from a 6-1 deficit to pick up the victory. Bryan Altman led the offense with a huge three-run homer in the seventh inning to get the bulldogs within a run. Richard Jones provided a sacrifice fly to drive in the the eventual winning run in the eighth inning. Raymond Copenhaver pitched three innings while only letting up a single hit to pick up his first career victory. Link Saunders pitched a perfect ninth inning to get his first save on the season. Justin Smoak for South Carolina went 2 for 3 with a homer in the losing effort. Wayne Pelser picked up the loss for the Gamecocks.

The Citadel Recap
South Carolina Recap

Tim Nanry hit three home runs on Sunday to led the Liberty Flames to a 28-7 victory over the Richmond Spiders. Liberty collected 28 hits in the game which broke the school record in addition to tying the record for runs scored in a game also with 28.

Liberty Recap
Richmond Recap

The Liberty Flames took a 2-1 victory over The Citadel on Saturday afternoon. Dustin Umberger of Liberty picked up the win by pitching 7.0 innings while only letting up 2 hits and one run. Matt Crim pitched a career high eight innings in the losing effort for the Bulldogs.

Liberty Recap
The Citadel Recap

The University of South Carolina continued their strong start to the season with a 9-2 victory over the Richmond Spiders on Saturday. Jay Brown started the game and struck out nine batters in his six innings of work to pick up the victory. James Darnell also hit a homer for the second straight day to provide the offense.

South Carolina Recap
Richmond Recap

The Citadel took out the Richmond Spiders tonight in a very good game by a score of 7-6 in 10 innings to pick up number three for the win column against one loss. The Citadel was led by a clutch performance from Link Saunders who picked up the victory by pitching 2.2 innings of shutout baseball while striking out three against only one hit. Conrad Kellahan hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the tenth to drive in the winning run for the Bulldogs. The Citadel will face off against Liberty tomorrow while the Spiders will face South Carolina.

The Citadel Recap
Richmond Recap

The University of South Carolina picked up the victory over the Liberty Flames on Friday by a score of 10-2. James Darnell and Phil Disher both hit homeruns to led the Gamecocks to the victory. Harris Honeycutt picked up the victory by going 5.1 innings while letting up two runs on four hits. He extends his streak of victories to start his career to 10.

South Carolina Recap
Liberty Recap

The Crab House Shootout presented by Trademark Properties will take place this weekend in Charleston SC. The teams participating will be South Carolina, Richmond, Liberty and the host school The Citadel. The match-ups on Friday are South Carolina facing Liberty and Richmond facing The Citadel. On Saturday, South Carolina will face Richmond and the Flames will face The Citadel. The final games of the weekend will have Richmond and Liberty facing off in the early game and The Citadel facing off with South Carolina.

South Carolina Game Notes
The Citadel Game Notes
Richmond Season Preview
Liberty Game Notes