Mann recounts the event with a slight smile on his face—describing how he and his batterymate amazingly ended up striking out the batter on the next pitch, only to hear a mysterious, excruciating “pop” in his arm on a routine throw to third—but the residual disappointment manages to show through the pleasantries.

“For me to be playing as well as I had been, kind of leading the team in offense, it was just a really difficult situation,” he says. “Everything just really seemed like it was starting to click, and that all the hard work put in in high school and college was starting to pay off.”

But now, months later and fully healed, his teammates will be looking to him to pick up right where he left off this summer: calling games, defending the basepaths, and producing runs in the middle of the lineup. It’s a role Mann has been looking forward to ever since that day in Alaska, and is all too eager to provide.

“Just being around the guys and getting into games, getting back into the routine of things, all that stuff [about injury] goes to the back of my mind like nothing ever happened,” he says.

His teammates, likewise, are excited about his prospects.

“He hits the ball harder than anyone on our team,” Farkes says. “His role on the team is absolutely vital, being our number four guy, to really drive in a lot of runs.”

“He’s definitely a guy that can drive the ball out of the ballpark,” pitcher and right fielder Lance Salsgiver adds. “He’s got a lot of power and he’s got the ability to drive the ball to all fields. [With] guys like him and [pitcher and first baseman] Trey [Hendricks]…you’re just trying to get into scoring position.”

But the most pressing question on the tip of many tongues may not be “How good is Sky Mann?”—which his grateful teammates can readily answer for you—but rather, “How does he fill the gap left by All-Ivy Brian Lentz?”

Coach Joe Walsh, for those wondering, estimates that Mann may have an edge, both defensively and offensively, over his former All-Ivy first-teamer—the fellow long-notorious for his cannon, .373 average and a team-leading 57 hits and 16 doubles last year.

“They’re both physical, big, strong guys,” he says, turning the subject over in his mind. “I think Schuyler’s got a pretty strong arm, and I think he might—from what we’ve seen this year—even have a little bit of an edge there. And I think Schuyler’s going to hang up a few more power numbers than Brian did for us last year.”

But still, that’s not all there is to Mann: you also have to remember the consistency at the position. As Walsh continues, his face lights up with every word. He seemingly remembers exactly what he has in Mann, the junior whom he considers one of the team’s “best pro prospects.”

“He gives you a real good combination of not only being a really good receiver, and a catcher, defensively—where we look to recruit guys—but he’s a plus-plus in the offensive column for you. You just don’t see that with catchers. You’re real happy if you get a guy who can throw somebody out and he hits eighth in the lineup.”

MANN OF THE HOUR

As of late, Mann can feel the difference in years. Whereas he was once the poster-boy for the platoon situation—both serving as DH and catcher, and forcing the elder Lentz to learn first base and the outfield to accommodate his emergence sophomore year—this year provides a self-admitted “different role.”

While he’ll be spelled by Walsh’s pick from the team’s quartet of back-up catchers in the occasional double-header, the junior will have his work cut out for him now more than ever before.