LSU Catcher Tyler McManus Making Most of Return Home Ahead of 2022 Season
Tyler McManus saw LSU as an opportunity he couldn't pass up. A journeyman in the world of college baseball the last few seasons, there isn't much the now fifth-year center hasn't seen in his time at college.
McManus spent his first collegiate season at Delgado Community College before making the jump to Division I at Samford, where he thrived as an offensive weapon.
He batted .346 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI during the 2021 season, helping guide Samford to its third ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, losing in the Starkville regional to eventual national champs Mississippi State. In an 8-4 loss to the Bulldogs in the regional, McManus went 2-for-4 at the plate but faced the likes of Auburn, Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M throughout the course of the 2021 season.
When McManus' coach Casey Dunn elected to depart Samford, he was left with a choice and the Slidell native ultimately wanted to be close to home, electing to transfer to LSU.
"It's a great opportunity and a great fit as well. Everything that happens, happens for a reason and with my head coach leaving I had an opportunity to come closer to home for my last year," McManus said. "There's no better place to play baseball than LSU. Growing up in Louisiana you learn that, you love that so it's cool to take this opportunity and run with it."
While he's never faced an all SEC schedule come conference play, that level of experience is a nice tool to have in his back pocket. McManus will bring a consistent, veteran bat to the table from the catcher position but there's still plenty up in the air about what Johnson is thinking behind the plate.
Alex Milazzo has proven to be a defensive wizard behind the plate over the last two seasons and has improved as a hitter according to Johnson. The Tigers also recently saw the return of Hayden Travinski, the best offensive catcher for this team a season ago who is recovering from UCL surgery.
The blend of experience and offensive potential with McManus is extremely enticing for an offense that already has so many options and high level hitters.
"I bring experience to the table, being my fifth year and this my third set of coaches I'm playing under I think I bring a lot of different mentalities to the game," McManus said. "Understanding the game, I take that to my approach at the plate, swing at strikes and defensively knowing the pitching staff and being able to adapt to the guys on the mound and their potential."
McManus has been up close and personal with perhaps the biggest question mark on this team entering the 2022 season which is the pitching staff. He echoed what coach Jay Johnson has relayed really since the fall about how consistent the staff has been at finding the strike zone and some of the growth that's been made in the last few weeks.
"They're all getting way more comfortable with me, with Alex. They're just being able to communicate what they're struggling with and what they're doing well," McManus said. "They use their strengths to their benefits and we're gonna throw a lot of strikes."
McManus is just of the many new arrivals to the program this offseason and says he's been met with nothing but open arms from his teammates. How connected a team is always important to its success and was one of the early goals Johnson and this coaching staff have addressed since the fall.
"It's been unreal from day one. I've been accepted from day one whole heartedly, everybody's awesome, we get along, we gel," McManus said. "It's been real fun and we enjoy coming to the ball park everyday and getting after it together so it's a great environment."