FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Liberty baseball program has announced the addition of former Liberty pitcher Dustin Umberger to its coaching staff. Umberger joins the staff as an volunteer assistant coach.
“We are delighted to be adding another Liberty alumnus to our staff,” said head coach Jim Toman. “We decided to move Matt Hagen to a student assistant coaching position in order for him to complete his degree requirements, after playing 10 years of professional baseball. Dustin spent one year in professional baseball and is ready to begin his coaching career as our volunteer Âassistant coach.”
“With his competitiveness, work ethic and bulldog mentality he displayed on the mound, we feel he will make an excellent coach,” Toman said. “Dustin will be in charge of maintaining Worthington Stadium, helping with camps and assisting Coach Garrett Quinn with the development of the pitching staff.”
Umberger, a Liberty co‑captain during his senior year, ranks as one of the top pitchers in Liberty baseball history. He was selected to the Big South Conference All-Tournament team in 2007 and 2008 and was also a member of the Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll in 2007. The Hummelstown, Pa., native ranks third in Liberty history for innings pitched with 317 2/3 career innings and fifth all-Âtime with 230 career strikeouts. During his junior season, the right-hander led the Big South Conference with 88 strikeouts and tied for second in the league that year with eight wins. In his one year in professional baseball, he was selected as the Frontier League Rookie of the Year. Umberger earned a degree in sport management from Liberty in 2010.
In 2011, the Flames had a Liberty and Big South-record seven players taken in the Major League Draft after posting a 35-24 overall record and an 18-9 second-place finish in the Big South standings.
Liberty opens its 2012 season at the Citadel Challenge in Charleston, S.C., Friday afternoon against the Richmond Spiders. Game time is scheduled for noon. The Flames will open their 2012 home schedule at Worthington Stadium on Feb. 21, when Liberty hosts the Radford Highlanders for a nonconference game. The contest is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
