Southern Miss Exclusive: Nealy McManus Passion for Softball 'A Gift from God'

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After seeing a lot of action in 2025, redshirt junior shortstop Nealy McManus has elevated her game, making her one of the Golden Eagles softball team's biggest contributors so far. To start the season, McManus has a stellar batting average (.333) and on-base percentage (.462).

While being an asset on the field, she also carries herself as a leader both on and off the field for Southern Miss. In an exclusive interview with Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI, McManus talks about her faith she has carried with her throughout her life, development under head coach Natalie Poole's staff, factors leading to early-season success, and more.

The Process

Regardless of the sport, every player has a unique way of getting to their current state. For McManus, her story started to flucuate right in the middle of the COVID pandemic.

"The coach that showed interest in me was a great lady," McManus said. "She was strong in her faith, and that's really important to me. She left, but that didn’t lose my interest in the university. I said to myself: 'You know what? I'm going to go to a camp and see how the new coaches are.' After that, I decided to sign and commit to coaches that I never actually ended up playing for."

After a couple of years within the program, she started to see her hard work pay off. She credited a lot of it toward her coaches and the people of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

"It was a blessing that the Lord brought our program Coach Poole and her staff, who were strong in their faith as well and really cared about growing us as women and winning, of course. It helped that it wasn't terribly far from home. It was about three and a half hours, but most importantly, the people who run the place, more than anything, have been nothing short of incredible.”

Setback in 2025 Season

Unlike many freshmen, McManus played her way into a starter role her freshman year with the Golden Eagles. She carried her momentum into 2024 with a stellar start until she suffered a torn UCL in her sophomore campaign. McManus went in-depth about the process following her injury.

“Last season, I had Tommy John surgery which was not fun. It's really hard to go through something like that, but while waiting and watching, I learned patience and the qualities it takes to be a great teammate," McManus said. "There's absolutely nothing that I could physically contribute, but being the pick-me-up, staying after practice with somebody that plays the same position as me who’s called up in the moment to step into that role, and being exactly what your team needs you to be is a very fulfilling feeling."

When asked about what she learned, McManus says she found her true character through that process.

"The emotional, spiritual aspects were heightened for me. Being the biggest cheerleader in the dugout and grabbing snacks if players need them," McManus said. "It seems so small and mundane these things that we take for granted every single day. When I was ready to get back into the game, I realized how much that period in my life had taught me how to be an even better teammate."

Softball Field = Mission Field

If you've ever met Nealy McManus, one thing is evident: her faith is a top priority. As a student-athlete, there can be times when stress arises, such as her injury in 2024. She attributes her faith to her reason for staying in the present moment.

“My passion for this game is a gift from God. When I was four years old and first introduced to the game, I knew that it came from Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior," McManus said. "It's my mission field. I’ve learned to not take any moment for granted. Grabbing dinner and/or coffee with teammates is a door that is wide open. I have to be willing to walk through it boldly."

With her faith, she believes that the past couple of years have been monumental in helping her find herself.

"My identity is in Jesus Christ, not in this game. He’s given me an opportunity to meet girls all over the country with so many different backgrounds who were raised in different churches or denominations," she said. "On the flip side, I’ve met girls who haven’t heard anything about Jesus, and being able to be that person to teach them about His love has been an incredible part of college.”

Development under Coach Poole

Natalie Poole is currently in her third year as the head coach at Southern Miss. Since taking over, the Golden Eagles are off to their best start with her at the helm. McManus discussed how valuable she's been to each player.

“Being a former softball player, Coach Poole is very knowledgeable, but even more than that, she cares about us as people. She pours everything she has into us," she said. "Every girl who comes through our program goes through a leadership program where she talks about how to be a leader on and off the field. You can get put back into that program if you're messing around. Some of those key lessons that I learned three years ago have stuck with me, and I’ll never forget them."

Throughout her career, McManus has been provided all the resources necessary to be at top of her game.

"Anything that we need, the staff works hard to meet those standards and provide for us all of those things," she said. "I love the staff here and couldn’t ask for any better coaches.”

Gameday Tradition

Throughout the interview, McManus' everyday approach about life was consistent. She sticks to the basics regardless of when or where the team is playing.

“I always wake up at 7 a.m. When we’re at home, I can get in a good routine. Grab some breakfast, hit early in the day, and get some ground balls on the dirt before the game," she said. "On the road, it looks different for traveling reasons, but you always get the advantage at home due to you being able to flow right into the things that you always do, like hanging out, trying to be relaxed, doing visionary, and studying for the opponent, so when gameday arrives, I’m ready to go get it.”

Early Season Success

At Southern Miss, the expectation is clear: win championships. In order to accomplish that goal, standards are crucial for each program.

“We serve with grace. We're mission minded. We're tough in every moment. We take initiative. Most of all, we're team over self," McManus said. "Every single day, we are all striving for the same thing. With my injury, I had to learn that the hard way. This year, we decided to create intangibles that have nothing to do with our physical performance. You don't have to be on the field to pour into your intangibles that we're promising each other every single day to bring to the table, whether it's encouragement, good spirit, or adversity.

"Are we going to get it done every single day? No, but having a common goal, that's how we have to continue to elevate our program and to better it for the next people coming in."

McManus has brought incredible energy to Hattiesburg that hasn't been here in years prior. After her walk-off hit on Friday night, the Golden Eagles finished off the weekend with a big Sun Belt series against Georgia Southern to push their record to 29-17 overall and 10-5 in conference play. The Golden Eagles are a perfect 5-0 in Sun Belt series so far this year, with wins over Georgia Southern, James Madison, Troy, App State, and Louisiana.

Next weekend, the ladies will travel to San Marcos, Texas, for a weekend series against the Texas State Bobcats that could have seeding implications for the SBC tournament. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for updates on the softball team as the season progresses.