A proud native of Mamou, Louisiana, Manuel’s baseball career began at Mamou High School before continuing at Louisiana State University under the legendary Skip Bertman. As a key player for the LSU Tigers from 1984 to 1987, Manuel was part of the first LSU team to reach the College World Series in 1986, followed by another appearance in 1987. In 1986, he earned College Baseball All-American honors, finishing the season with a 10-3 record, a 2.35 ERA, and 91 strikeouts.

After his standout junior season, Manuel was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 2nd round of the 1987 MLB Draft. Over the next decade, he played professionally, spending five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Texas Rangers, Montreal Expos, New York Mets, and Arizona Diamondbacks from 1991 to 1998. He also had a stint with the Seibu Lions in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League in 1999.

Manuel’s coaching journey began in 2000 when he took on the role of player-manager for the Bayou Bullfrogs in the Texas-Louisiana League alongside baseball legend Ron “Louisiana Lightning” Guidry. Over the following 21 years, Manuel built a successful high school coaching career, working at Westminster Christian Academy in Opelousas and St. Edmund Catholic School in Eunice. Currently, he serves as the Athletic Operations Manager and Assistant Baseball Coach at Louisiana State University Eunice (LSU-E), where he helped the Bengals capture the 2024 NJCAA National Championship.

Manuel joined the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators as an Assistant Coach for the team’s inaugural 2024 season. As he takes the helm for the 2025 season, Manuel shared his excitement about the future of the team: “Going into the Gumbeaux Gators’ second year, I have high expectations for the upcoming season. I’m really excited about helping our players develop their skills and grow as a team. Our ultimate goal is to bring home the team’s first of many championships, and I believe we will have the talent and determination to make it a reality.”

A proud native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Tyler Mathis’ playing began at Barbe High School, where he helped lead the team to a 5A State Championship in 2012 during his Senior year. After graduating, Mathis played for LSU-Alexandria from 2012 to 2017, where he played a key role in leading the Generals to their first three conference titles and first three regional appearances. Over the course of his career at LSU-A, Mathis posted a .270 batting average and a .380 on-base percentage.

Tyler Mathis’ coaching career began in 2017 when he joined the Sulphur High School baseball staff as an Assistant Coach under then-head coach, and the current Gumbeaux Gators General Manager, Sam Moore. He was with the Sulphur Tors from 2017 to 2021, helping the team secure a 5A State Runner-Up finish in 2018. In 2021, Mathis made the move to Barbe High School, where he currently serves as an Assistant Coach on Glenn Cecchini’s staff. During his time with the Bucs, the team has achieved remarkable success, including winning the 2023 5A State Championship, the 2023 National Championship, and earning a 5A State Runner-Up finish in 2024.

Mathis joined the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators as an Assistant Coach for the team’s inaugural 2024 season. He will return to the organization for 2025, as the second in-command behind head coach Barry Manuel. When asked about his thoughts on returning to the organization, he stated: “I am grateful for the opportunity to return and continue building on what we started last year. I’m excited to work with Coach Barry Manuel to help develop our players into better baseball players and, more importantly, better individuals. I look forward to seeing our team come together and grow both on and off the field in 2025.”

Jeff will bring his expertise to the Gumbeaux Gators, boasting more than 14 years of experience in the human performance field and a proven track record with top athletes.

Some of See’s notable achievements include winning the 2012 California League Championship with the Lancaster JetHawks, a former Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, and being named the 2014 MiLB Double-A – Southern League Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year while working with the Chattanooga Lookouts, a former affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He is also the owner and director of performance at Maximum Kinetics Sports Performance (MKSP) in Lake Charles, which will serve as the team’s official performance training facility.