The birth of Brady Neal’s LSU career was promising. He began his freshman year starting behind the plate for the Tigers, but a back injury sidelined him for the remainder of the 2023 National Championship-winning season.
Neal reclassified to a 2023 freshman after graduating high school a year early. Upon joining the Tiger team, his talent was evident.
Earning the starting catcher spot for LSU, Neal had a .209 batting average and .411 on-base percentage, including a game tying solo home run against Tennessee to help lead the Tigers to a comeback win.
As one of the most reliable catchers on defense in college baseball, Neal’s impact was showcased by his consistency for the purple and gold. Coupled with his hitting ability, Neal emerged as a key piece of the puzzle for LSU.
“He was a huge part of our team,” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “We were never not the No. 1 team in college baseball with him as the everyday catcher. [Neal’s injury] was a blow at the time.”
Neal’s character and work ethic proved to be important while he worked to return from injury. At the same time his teammates continued their season. Many athletes never return to their former glory following a severe season ending injury, but Neal was determined to return to his best.
“It goes way back for me. I have two older brothers, so I’ve always had somebody that’s hard on me,” Neal said. “When I hit a little adversity, I’m just confident in myself, and I’m gonna work really hard to come back and be healthy.”
When Neal suffered his injury, Johnson told him to stay close to star teammate Cade Beloso and learn how Beloso makes his impact on the team strictly with his slugging. From following Beloso closely, Neal realized how important mental strength is in baseball.
“Mental reps is an important point. How are those guys acting when there’s 30,000 fans on them, how do they bounce back from failure or success. Watching guys like Cade Beloso, just how he carries himself everyday on his high and his low,” Neal said.
While putting the time in to return from his injury, Neal took notes from Beloso and tried to positively impact his team on the road to Omaha, Nebraska doing whatever necessary to show his support.
“I tried to show up every day and try and help the team be better, whether it’s feeding the machine to hit before the games or picking up balls in the cage, it’s the little things to help the team win,” Neal said.
The little things paid off for the Tigers as they won the national championship, and Neal was there every step of the way. His actions behind the scenes helping his teammates improve everyday were evident in the team’s success during the postseason.
But the majority of Neal’s impact came from his leadership in the dugout. Even as an 18-year-old, Neal became a role model for his older teammates through his encouragement on the side.
“Brady’s an awesome locker room guy. He’s the first one there for you when you do good in the game, and if you’re having a tough day, he’s right there with you. The injury didn’t change him as a person,” second baseman Josh Pearson said.
While watching his teammates take the field, Neal was able to continue his support with the team in Omaha.
“The coaches didn’t even have to bring me to Omaha, but they chose to put me on the travel roster and bring me there,” Neal said. “I had all the confidence in the world that our guys were gonna battle and do whatever it took [to win].”
And win they did. As celebrations began following the end of their season, Neal’s eyes were already focused on his return to the field.
“I missed a lot of baseball, so it’s getting back in there and listening to the coaches, getting feedback and getting to know the new pitching staff,” Neal said about his time in the off season.
Neal has been continuing to improve as he edges closer to his return from injury, spending his entire summer and fall working to return to his prior form from last season.
With both Alex Milazzo and Hayden Travinski returning for the Tigers, Neal could be fighting to earn back his starting spot behind the plate, but Johnson is confident he will be a key asset for LSU in 2024.
“I’m proud of him. I’m proud of his growth and development,” Johnson said. “He’s going to be a huge part of this team this year and next year.”
For Neal, the season opener can’t come soon enough. The Tigers play their first game back Friday.
“I’m getting healthy now and I can’t wait to play this season coming up. I can’t wait to get back on the field, it’s been a while since I played at The Box, so I’m just ready to get back out there,” Neal said.
