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Austin Bream Discusses Baseball at Liberty University

January 17, 2013

By Greg Williams
PA Director of Scouting

BreamIf your name is Bream and you want to play college baseball I would suggest that you begin by looking at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Austin Bream is the third member of his immediate family to play college baseball for the Flames. His father Sid (1979-81) was an All-American baseball player for Liberty who had an 11-year Major League career and his brother Tyler (2009-11) was a Freshman All-American for Liberty. Tyler was drafted in the 42nd round by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011 and hit .272 in Rookie League baseball last summer. Austin has two uncles, Sheldon (1990-93) and Dave (1982-85) who also played baseball at Liberty.

Austin is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound right-handed hitting 1B/OF from Seneca Valley HS who is the current Bream wearing a Flames uniform. The WPIAL All-Star finished his senior season ranked No. 24 in the final Prep Baseball Report Pennsylvania Class of 2012 player rankings. 

PBR was able to talk with Bream about his college choice, life as a student-athlete and a few of his tips for how to handle the recruiting process.

PBR:  Now that you have begun your 2nd semester of college baseball what has been your biggest adjustment?

Bream: I would have to say just managing my time a little better than I did during the first semester. School takes up a lot of time for a regular student, but add baseball to it and you are two times as busy. I try to plan my day out before I go to class and have an idea of what I want to accomplish for that day. You really need to stay on top of things and be responsible to get your class work and baseball done before anything. You need to get your beauty sleep, work hard in the classroom and on the field.

PBR:  High school players don’t always give a lot of thought to the time constraints placed on college athletes. Could you describe a typical day for you from the time you get out of bed until you turn in for the night?

Bream: The first semester I had two classes Monday 8:40-9:30 and 11:25-12:15. I would catch a quick bite to eat and head to the field for early hitting and ground balls at 1:00. Practice started at 2:00 and ended at 5:00. We would lift from 5:30 to around 6:30. I would take a quick shower and head over to study hall which is mandatory for incoming freshmen athletes at 7:00 and stay there until 9:00 for three nights of the week. I’d get dinner around 9:30 every night and then head back to the dorm to get some sleep. It’s not an easy schedule at all but you have to sacrifice free time for the things you love.

PBR:  What type of advice would you give to potential recruits who are just beginning the recruiting process?

Bream: Enjoy the process of recruiting and do not take for granted the skills the Lord has given you. He put you on the earth for a reason so give all the credit and glory back to Him. It’s a fun process but it can also be long and strenuous. It’s a lot of work once you get here, but work your tail off and you will succeed.

PBR:  You are playing college baseball at the same university where your father, your brother and two of your uncles played as well. How did you make your college choice and do you feel pressure to produce due to your family ties to Liberty University?

Bream: Liberty University was at the top of my list going into my recruiting process. I had received offers from some other schools before Liberty had offered me and I had turned some down. I wanted a Christian atmosphere to grow as a believer but I also wanted to embrace what was being put in front of me on the baseball side of things. My father and brother had both been drafted out of Liberty and showed me what numbers I needed to put up and how I needed to perform to follow in their footsteps. They paved the way for me and now all that is left is on my hands to get there.

Going into my first semester I felt a little bit of pressure when I first stepped onto the field but as the fall season went on it went away. I calmed my nerves and put the family part behind me and realized I am not playing for either one of them I am playing for the Lord and that is the most important part of it all.

PBR:  What are your goals for your freshman season at Liberty University?

Bream: I think all freshmen want to steal one of those starting spots in the lineup so I would say that is my first goal for my freshman year. I need to be a leader and an example to the people and fans around me, and be a team player no matter what the circumstance. On the team goals side of it we have got to beat Coastal Carolina and win the Big South. Once we get to the regionals anything can happen. We are going to shock the world.

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