Liberty community cheers on former Flames pitcher in 2025 World Series 

Former Liberty University Baseball pitcher Mason Fluharty is now making his name in the big leagues as he seeks to propel Toronto to its first World Series title in over 30 years. 

Fluharty played for the Flames for three seasons, 2020-22. He was selected by the Blue Jays in the fifth round as the 158th pick of the 2022 MLB Draft. 

Fluharty has pitched in three of the World Series games against the reigning champion Dodgers. The Blue Jays lead the series 3-2; Game 6 kicks off Friday at 8 p.m. EST. 

Fluharty is only the second former Liberty Flame to play in the World Series. He follows in the footsteps of first baseman Sid Bream, who competed with the Atlanta Braves during their 1991 and 1992 World Series appearances. 

The southpaw from Milton, Del., became the highest Liberty draft pick since Jason Jones was taken by the New York Yankees in the fourth round of the 2004 MLB Draft. 

Fluharty served as a reliever on both Liberty’s 2021 and 2022 NCAA regional teams. In the final collegiate game of his career, he recorded five strikeouts, zero hits, zero runs and zero walks in five innings pitched against Central Michigan, with the Flames ultimately falling to the Chippewas in a 12-inning contest. 

One of the ASUN Conference’s top relief pitchers in 2022, Fluharty was selected to the ASUN All-Conference second team as a junior, after posting a 6-3 record with a 2.84 ERA and two saves over 50 2/3 innings, all in relief. Fluharty finished third in the ASUN with 26 appearances.  

Athletics Audio Coordinator Nick Pierce, who serves as play-by-play announcer for Flames Baseball, said he remembers watching Fluharty join the squad and quickly develop into a force to be reckoned with. 

“Seeing Fluharty pitch on TV now is incredible. I love watching guys leave this program better than they found it and go on to have success at the highest level and represent Liberty,” he said. “He’s done that and continues to do that. The Blue Jays have had him on their postseason roster for this entire run. They trust him in big spots. They had him in the game the other night and he strikes out Shohei Ohtani and gets Freddie Freeman to fly out and end the inning. He just casually retired two future hall-of-famers like it was no big deal. It’s so cool to see. I’m rooting for him and the Jays.” 

If Toronto defeats Los Angeles, Fluharty will become the second former Flame to win the World Series and the first to do so as a player. Liberty alumnus Tony Beasley won the 2023 World Series with the Texas Rangers as the third base coach. 

Fellow Liberty alumnus Will Wagner, Fluharty’s teammate at Liberty in 2020 and 2021, spent a portion of the 2025 campaign with the Blue Jays before being traded to the San Diego Padres in July. 

With 10 postseason appearances so far in 2025, Fluharty has recorded nine strikeouts and two walks, with eight hits and four runs allowed in six innings pitched. On Tuesday, he recorded one strikeout and zero walks and allowed zero hits or runs in 0.2 innings.