AJ Manganello '24 Recruiting Profile

When I was 4 years old I started to develop a passion; one that carries on to this day...baseball. From the moment I could hold a bat, my father had a tee set up in our backyard. I spent hours hitting and chasing baseballs.  Still to this day I can be described as a hard working, self motivated player. I love being pushed as a player and learning new things to refine my game. I think the detail of my life that has influenced me the most is my parents' sacrifices to provide me with a good education and all the opportunities to become a great baseball player.  These sacrifices motivate me to work hard and achieve my goals.  

• 
  
• I am a true believer that academics come before everything else.  A quality education is the foundation for a successful, productive life. In school, I am a focused dedicated student, shown by my 4.5 GPA. For the past two years, I have been enrolled in four honors classes.  My academic goals are to finish high school with a 4.7 GPA. While a GPA is hard to bump up, I believe it is a achievable goal. In college, I would like to explore the vast academic area of Sports Management/Sports Communication.  At this time, Sports Journalism and Sports Analytics are two specific careers that interest me.  
• 
  
• On the baseball field I am a passionate, team player.  I believe a great baseball player needs to be a "student of the game".  Through the guidance of great coaches and mentors, I continue to develop my knowledge of the game.  That knowledge is crucial as a catcher.  When I am catching, I am a vocal leader on the field. I feel I have strengths in each part of the defensive game including framing, blocking, throwing and calling a game.  There is always room for improvement and I am willing to put in the work to become a better player. In the box, I am a very competitive hitter, battling every at bat, working to be a tough out for the pitcher. I have a gap to gap approach, which allows me to use all parts of the field.  I also am a versatile player.  Not only do I catch, I am also able to play the outfield.  During my sophomore year in high school, I played most of the season in left field.  Through the sport of baseball, I have learned many things such as sportsmanship, discipline, hard work and resilience. I am excited to continue this learning process at the college level.