Name: ALEXANDRA “ALEX” MCMANUS
Grad Year: 2019
Pos: Pitcher/1B
High School: Rogers Mounties (Ark.)
Club: Jersey Intensity
Accomplishments: 2014 ASA/USA 12U “A” National Champions, 2013 Arkansas Fall State Champions (14U “A”), 2012 USSSA State Champions (10U “A”)
Height: 5-foot-10
College: Notre Dame

***

FloSoftball.com: So how does a girl from Arkansas end up committing to Notre Dame just weeks into her freshman year?  Do you have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s real?
Alex McManus: I’ve never once had to pinch myself during this entire process, because I know what I’m capable of better than anybody. It’s kind of crazy to think about—trust me I know!—but I think it happened ultimately because I was absolutely blown away by everything at Notre Dame. Ask any of the other commits, there’s just something about it that makes you fall in love with it as soon as you step on campus.

FS.com: Walk us through the recruiting process: where did Notre Dame first see you and when did you become aware they were following you?
AM: They had started following me before I was actually aware that they were following me. I went on my very first tour of Notre Dame in September of 2014, and while I was there I got to meet Coach (Deanna) Gumpf. After I introduced myself, Coach Gumpf said, “I know who you are.” That’s when I became aware that they had been following me for a while, prior to that first visit.

FS.com: How and when did the official offer come to you and how and when did you commit?
AM: I received my official offer in January of 2015, and I believe it was right after one of the D9 Classics down in Florida. It was a very special moment for my family and me. I committed this past weekend on September 6th while I was on a visit at Notre Dame. We actually worked out some of the dates and we found that the day I came on my first tour of Notre Dame was the day I committed, almost exactly a year apart.

FS.com: Describe your emotions around telling them, were you nervous, excited, something else?
AM: I have to say it was very emotional for my parents, the coaches and me. I had tears of joy in my eyes the entire way through the conversation. My dad had actually been holding off on letting me commit to Notre Dame for a while, so when he sat down and looked me in the eyes and said “You decide what you want to do,” it really hit home. I started to cry and everyone else in the room was about to, too. It was a moment I will never forget, because of the absolute sincerity from my family and the coaches.

FS.com: You were recruited by great colleges… did you have a system for comparing schools or did it just come down to a gut feeling?
AM: I used gut feeling for the most part, and my parents were very analytical about the entire process. I imagine you can say that there were a lot of arguments that came along with that. My dad was all about the facts; if it was a gut feeling, he would give me some long lecture about how you can’t rely on a gut feeling! If I had relied on my gut, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. I would’ve ended up at a school that wasn’t meant for me. So that’s one of the bigger things that I’ve taken out of this process.

FS.com: What was the highlight of your summer for you?
AM: The highlight of my summer was definitely going to Notre Dame for a visit and camp. I loved getting to meet some of my future teammates and getting to spend more time at the one place I knew I could rely on no matter what.

FS.com: We saw you in Chicago at the DeMarini Invitational and you had traveled a long way to get there as well as Boulder… have you stopped to figure out how many miles you and your family drove this summer?
AM: No I really haven’t stopped to think about it. To be honest I’ve really kind of become numb to all of the travel, just because I do it so much.

FS.com: Being from Arkansas, what is high school and club ball like there?  Do you feel the athletes are just as good there with you and EC Taylor (Florida commit) coming from the state?
AM: I’m a few weeks into high school so I’m not sure on that.  But I have no doubt there are absolutely some talented athletes here. Arkansas has some of the top players in the country. I’ve managed to bring some attention to Arkansas but we have others like my teammate, Joley Mitchell (Mizzou) who, like me, grew up playing ball in small Arkansas towns, against the same teams.   It means a lot to be able to say that we are both now committed to two of the top schools in the country. My best friend, Hallie Wacaser, is just now starting her process and is being recruited by schools like Florida State, and Southern Mississippi. She is by far one of the best athletes I’ve ever met, she’s super fast, and she’s hit more home runs than anyone else I know. And guess what? She’s from Arkansas. They’re here, it just takes time to find them.

FS.com: Let’s talk about you on the field: what did the college coaches say impressed them enough to offer you?
AM: I have been told that they like my velocity and my ability to spin the ball well.  But even more so, they really liked the presence I brought to the mound. Every time I pitch, I’m coming in to win.  I’m very competitive.  I’ve had people tell me that if you want to win a national championship, Notre Dame is not the place to be. Well I’d like to change that and prove them all wrong. With the pitching staff Notre Dame has recruited, it’s going to make us one of the best. Pitcher Alexis Holloway, the No. 1 player in the 2017 Hot 100 on FloSoftball, is committed to Notre Dame along with 2018 Peyton Tidd, who is also one of the best in the country.

FS.com: Pitching wise, walk us through what you throw and what’s your go-to pitch when you need an out…
AM: I throw a curve, drop curve, change-up, and a rise. My go-to pitch is definitely my rise, that’s my out pitch though I’ve been working really hard with my drop curve and my change-up, really trying to perfect the way I throw those pitches.

FS.com:  How do you fight the natural tendency to relax now that you’re committed and not work as hard as before?
AM: I find myself constantly saying that there is a reason I’m committed, one of those reasons is because of my work ethic and if I relax for one moment, somebody is beating me out. Every morning I wake up I have a note next to my bed that says: “They are replacing you.” I read it and it reminds me that there’s always someone out there that is stronger than me or someone that can throw harder than me, but it’s all determined on whether or not I’m willing to put in the work.

FS.com: What is an area of your game you want to work on and improve over the next few years at the high school and club level?
AM: The mental part of pitching. Really understanding the hitters and knowing what pitch I need to throw.  


Quick Hitters


Nervous about being a high school freshman?
No. I’ve had lots of support.

Fill in the blank… The best part of softball is: ________________________
Competition.

Who has been your biggest inspiration and why?
My dad because he always knows what to do when times are rough. I might hate him sometimes, like when he tells me to go run, but ultimately I love him for actually telling me to go run! A lot of dads won’t even do that, so I’m very lucky.

Weirdest food you’ve ever eaten:
A peanut butter and bacon milkshake (It was actually really good!).

What’s something unusual or different about you that few know?
I’m a reading fanatic. On average I finish about 4-5 books a week. And that’s like 300-400 page legit books.

Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?
I see myself as a successful person in life, who is doing everything in her power to give people the same opportunities she got.

Do you have any softball superstitions or rituals?
I’m a superstitious person, but I don’t have like a ritual I do before every game.

What’s been the funniest thing you’ve ever seen on a softball field?
In the middle of practice with one of my old teams, we were doing some fielding drills, and my teammate standing in front of me got a bird poop bomb right on top of her head! It was so funny! She screamed so loud!

Are you a goal-oriented person?  In other words, do you write goals down or have anything written out?
I’m very goal-oriented. And right before every season starts I make a list of my goals for the season.  I set long term goals as well. 

What’s your “guilty pleasure,” something you hate to admit you love?
Pretty Little Liars the TV show. I don’t have very much time to watch it, but when I do I love it! Kind of embarrassing to admit that.

If you could have a super power, what would you want it to be?
Super speed. I’ve always wanted to be really fast.

If movies or TV shows were “real,” which one would you want to be part of and why?
To Kill A Mockingbird, because I’d really like to understand from personal experience what it was like to live during that period in that kind of society.

If you were made President of the United States for one day with unlimited powers, what’s the first project you’d tackle?
I would declare a National Softball Holiday, where everyone gets out of school and there would be no homework. And softball players would get new equipment and stuff like that!

What did you want to be when you were little?
A meteorologist. I don’t know why, but I was always fascinated with the weather.

Nickname(s):
Al or Alex or Monkey.

Favorite color:
Blue.

Favorite ice cream topping?
Cherries.

Favorite item in your closet?
My Chicago Blackhawks sweatshirt.

What’s your No. 1 goal in life right now?
To be the best possible person, teammate, sister, daughter, and softball player.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Throughout my entire process I was anxious about telling a coach I was selecting another school. One of the coaches I interacted with really helped me come to an understanding with this. He put it very straightforward with me by saying that for college coaches it's a business and if you decide that's not where you want to go, yeah they're not going to be happy about it, but it's their job so they'll figure things out around your decision.