Liberatore attended Quigley Catholic High School in Baden, Pennsylvania, for three years, and transferred to Blackhawk High School in Chippewa Township, Pennsylvania, for his senior year. He pitched 6 ¹⁄₃ innings as a senior and graduated from Blackhawk in 2005. He played for the American Legion team after his senior year and the coach thought he was more comfortable in the outfield than at pitcher. In the summer of 2005, he received a scholarship attend Tennessee Technological University and play college baseball for the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.

Liberatore appeared in only six games and made one start as a freshman, while allowing twelve earned runs in 10 innings. In 2007, as a sophomore, he appeared in 15 games with four starts and a 8.42 earned run average (ERA) and as a junior he had a 8.68 ERA in 13 appearances (eight starts). He participated in the Valley Baseball League over the summer between his junior and senior seasons and won the pitcher of the year honors while leading the league with a .170 batting average against. In 2009 he was 2-0 with a perfect 0.00 ERA in three starts, with 21 strikeouts when he left his last game with a season-ending elbow injury. Liberatore underwent Tommy John surgery and received a medical redshirt season. In 2010, as a redshirt senior, he was 6-4 with a 5.30 ERA in 13 starts.

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