University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Getting to Know Breck Kline
2/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
This is the third of a five-part series on getting to know Southern Miss baseball players. The Golden Eagles begin their 2015 season Friday, Feb. 13, against Murray State -
Q: Why did you choose the sport of baseball?
A: I played three sports in high school. I quit basketball my freshman year and football after my sophomore year. That’s really when I started getting looked at, so I figured that was going to be my best chance to make it college and then the next level.
Q: On baseball being a family tradition?
A: My dad didn’t play college ball because he got hurt, but my brother (Kris) was a pitcher at Tulane and then Oral Roberts. He played on Tulane’s first College World Series team (2001).
Q: What was your most memorable baseball moment?
A: My sophomore year in high school we went 34-2 and won the state 5A baseball championship in Louisiana, which was probably one of the best moments of my life, but my leadoff home run against East Carolina last year in the conference tournament trumps that.
Q: Who was your childhood idols?
A: Growing up, I was always looked up to my brother. He was 11-years older than me. So when I was really young, he was already excelling in high school, getting looked at by colleges and pro teams. Once he got to college, it really hit home to me that I wanted to be a better college player than he was. He was my idol and drove me to try to be better than he was.
Q: What makes baseball such a special game?
A: You can go from 0-for-4 to 4-for-4 in the next game. It is a game of failure, but you have to be consistent and humble to be good at this game. It is the best sports around because you can’t kneel the ball with 30 seconds left. You keep playing until the last out has been made and that is what makes it the best game around.
Q: Why did you choose Southern Miss?
A: I really wanted my mom and my dad to be able to see all of my baseball games as well as the rest of my family whenever they wanted to. The first thing that drew me was how close it was and then their interest in me. I was a sophomore when I committed. The interest level was high on both ends and I really felt good here. When I came here on my visits, Coach (Chad) Caillet did a great job of recruiting me and I wanted to be around Coach Caillet during my college years.
Q: If you were to pick another sport to play, which one would it be?
A: I wish I could say that I was 6-4 or something to that effect so I could be a quarterback. I really loved football when I was playing it. I think I would want to be a wide receiver or something like that.
Q: What is your academic major and why did you choose that?
A: I am majoring in sports coaching with a minor in physical education. I chose that because I want to stay in the game of baseball for the rest of my life so I figured it would broaden my area of expertise because I have been playing baseball since I was the age of four. So now I am learning the coaching side of it in class.
Q: What is the greatest thing to wear the Black and Gold?
A: Knowing that there is always going to be a couple thousand people in the stands rooting for you, screaming for you wanting you to do well. The fans are probably one of the best things about wearing the Black and Gold, as well as my teammates. Some of these guys are going to be in my life forever and that is another reason.
Q: What do you like to do when you are not playing baseball?
A: I like to relax with my roommates, James McMahon and Austin Roussel. We are always are in the house cooking up some dishes, listening to music, watching movies and hanging out. I am also a big hunter and I am big in to fitness and working out.
