HAMMOND, La. – When Matt Riser walked toward home plate before his eighth season opener as the head baseball coach at Southeastern Louisiana, things felt somewhat unusual.

It wasn’t the smaller crowd of fans attending the game – or that everyone had masks covering their faces. For the first time in fourteen years, he sported a uniform that did not bear his traditional No. 17.

He temporarily awarded that privilege to a graduating senior. Instead, he planned to honor someone who had fought a much harder battle than anything the Lions would encounter on the diamond this season.

Former Lion pitching coach Kaleb Manuel was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive type of brain cancer in September 2019, only three months after taking the job.

The number 18 jersey, which Manuel wore throughout his playing and coaching career with the Lions, now represented the months that had elapsed since he began treatment.

It also stood for the authentic character, mental toughness, courage, and perseverance that Manuel brought to the baseball field every day. The same energy and mentality drove his struggle against cancer.

Riser sent a Snapchat message to Manuel before the Lions’ first game against Mississippi Valley State, wearing the number 18 jersey as a tribute to that fight. 

Manuel showed his gratitude, then he responded with a quip: Riser looked small in it. 

Riser would be the first one to acknowledge that he felt small after watching Manuel’s journey as a cancer patient. He could do nothing but pray and wait for the results as Manuel underwent a grueling thirteen-hour procedure to remove the tumor.

He witnessed Manuel endure fierce rounds of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, performed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Before long, even doing the least strenuous task challenged one of the toughest players he had coached.

“Life starts to get a little difficult,” Manuel said about the process to eradicate the cancer. “When you go through radiation and chemo, you’re struggling to get up to go brush your teeth in the morning.”

Then one April morning came a phone call from Manuel, who had made the inevitable decision to give up his duties as the Lions’ pitching coach – a job that he treasured the opportunity to have. It wasn’t an easy conversation by any stretch for either of them.

“He discussed what he was going through. He just knew that he wasn’t going to be able to do the things that he wanted to do from a recruiting standpoint and being with the guys,” Riser said. “The chemo was going to take away from some of the months that he needed to do that. [I told him that] I was very grateful for his time here.”

Riser knew that words were not enough to express his appreciation for Manuel’s contributions to the team.

He needed to venture an effort that also credited what Manuel personally did for him.

Wearing the number 18 jersey seemed like an appropriate way to commemorate the legacy of a Lion baseball alumnus, a former staff member, and most importantly, a treasured friend.

He had always noticed similarities between himself and Manuel, even when the young pitcher first arrived in Hammond via LSU-Eunice. They both hailed from small towns and took great pride in their work, showing determination and grit at every turn. 

He especially does not want the young men in his care to forget the relationships that Manuel built with the players whom he recruited and then guided through the program.

And the weekend rotation’s most dominant pitcher won’t let that happen anytime soon.

Junior starter Will Warren remembers spending his freshman season under Manuel’s influence. 

He quickly learned the rich traditions which have become ingrained in the Lion baseball culture, like the mentality and energy that it takes to succeed on the field. 

Now a leader himself, Warren hopes to leave behind the same impact.

“He’s one of my favorite coaches that I’ve ever played for,” said Warren. “As a starry-eyed freshman, he showed me the ropes. I want these younger guys to understand what [playing for this team] is all about. Coach Mamou [Manuel] set that example for me as a freshman and I want to help set the example for other guys.”

Riser recognized an opportunity for Manuel to reach the baseball team’s new members, despite the responsibility of shuffling between cancer treatments, medical burdens, and team practices. 

He approached Manuel about speaking at the team’s annual First Pitch Banquet before the 2020 season. 

A senior player usually takes the podium to give his testimony about what playing Lion baseball has done for him, so that others might be inspired by his passion as the next season unfolds. But, given the situation, all five available seniors bowed to Manuel. 

“We try to get somebody who can talk about their experiences and help our young men in their path and their time here,” Riser said. “I felt like nobody had a better story than Mamou, considering what he was going through at the time.”

Manuel shared practical wisdom during his speech at the banquet, receiving thunderous applause for showing the bravery that carried him through his time at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and sharing his advice on reacting to unforeseen circumstances.

“He’s exactly what you tell these guys to be, day in and day out,” Riser said. “In the same sense, he’s real with it. We train our guys and ourselves as male athletes and male coaches to not be mentally weak and be tough. That doesn’t mean you can’t have moments of weakness or moments of doubt.”

The uncertainty and fears that are expected from a cancer diagnosis never crossed Manuel’s mind. He instead faced the illness with a simple mantra: Let’s win today.

“Like we do with baseball at Southeastern, I never filled my head with negative thoughts. When you tell yourself that you’re having a bad day, it’s going to be a bad day,” Manuel said. “I still want to work out and do the same things. I enjoy life a lot more now. If I get good news or bad news, I’m still going to react the same way.”

Manuel finished his last cycle of chemotherapy treatments a few months ago.

Doctors will evaluate his progress each year to make sure that the tumor has not resurfaced, but the toughest part is behind him. Manuel considers himself to be lucky to get through the rare cancer he developed, because few MD Anderson patients recover as quickly. 

“I’m very fortunate,” Manuel said. “Walking into MD Anderson is a punch in the mouth because you’ve got kids who can’t even walk yet and old people who are almost one hundred years old. Here I am, a year and a half from being diagnosed, and I feel like I’m back to my old self again.” 

Manuel never intended to serve as a source of encouragement or motivation for others, fearing that they might discount his achievements before beating cancer.

Nor does he want anyone to feel pity when hearing his story because he does not let it define him.

“I just don’t want people to take stuff from me or not give me a chance, just because of the situation I’m in now,” said Manuel. “I just put a lot of pressure on myself to not let this affect me and keep working hard as I can.”

Manuel has returned to the dugout as a high school baseball coach, recognizing that he needed to spend more time with his family.

Yet he remains grateful that he had the opportunity to work alongside his mentor at Southeastern for a short time. 

He employs the lessons he learned from Riser when coaching the high school players now under his care. Every day, he desires to lead with the enthusiasm and emotion that exemplify the spirit of Lion baseball.

“I’m trying to lead with big energy and teach these kids about my mentality,” Manuel said. “I’m trying to make them better people, too. I’m extremely blessed.”

UP NEXT

Southeastern opens Southland Conference play this weekend, hosting Sam Houston in a four-game series. Game times are schedule for 6 p.m. Friday, a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.

The first game of Saturday’s doubleheader is slated to be a seven-inning contest. If the first game goes extra innings, the second game would then become a seven-inning affair.

TICKET INFORMATION
Baseball single-game tickets, for games during March, are currently on sale. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to minimize ticket lines on game days. Southeastern students are encouraged to contact the ticket office prior to the game to reserve theirs in advance.

Single-game tickets can be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets or by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Fridays. The ticket booth at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens exactly one hour prior to the scheduled first pitch.

MOBILE TICKETING

Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary method for securing tickets during the 2020-21 school year. Tickets will be available via text message or email in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet. 

GAMEDAY PARKING

Gameday parking during the 2021 season is $5 per day for Southeastern baseball, while football parking is $25 per day for most vehicles and $85 for RVs.

CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics enforces a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. The policy mirrors safety precautions required for entrance to professional and collegiate sporting venues throughout the country. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/Clear.

SOCIAL DISTANCING ON GAMEDAYS

Proper social distancing techniques are required at all athletic events. Fans are asked to maintain a minimum distance of six feet from others, wear a face covering over both their nose and mouth, and wash their hands frequently. Hand sanitizing stations are located throughout Southeastern's athletic facilities.

While tailgating is currently prohibited, current health and safety guidelines set forth by state and local officials due to the COVID-19 pandemic allow for 25 percent capacity at athletic events. Capacity will be adjusted as state guidelines allow.

LIONS GAMEDAY EXPERIENCE APP
The Lions Gameday Experience app puts audio, stats, video, social media and more in the hands of fans. Those in attendance can also check in to earn reward points redeemable for Southeastern-related prizes. Available for both Android and iOS devices, it can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play or by following the link www.LionSports.net/App.
 
DIAMOND CLUB / S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the baseball program are encouraged to join the Diamond Club. Lion baseball alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Diamond Club and S Club (baseball) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern baseball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
  
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Lions Baseball, follow @LionUpBaseball or @MattRiser17 on Twitter, @LionUpBaseball on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.

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