SAN ANGELO – Kenneth Neumann has never tired of witnessing the amazement a swing of his son's bat has on people.

“I can remember when Lee was about 4, between tournament games he would drag one of our softball bats that was longer than he was tall to the plate and I would toss him softballs across the plate,” Kenneth said. “He hit a few that would end up falling into the outfield grass and the other guys would say 'Wow!'”

Lee Neumann continued astonishing fans in his first year at Angelo State last season en route to becoming the ninth Ram to be selected as an All-American. Neumann bullied the Lone Star Conference by hitting .451 in conference games and finishing the season with a .389 batting average. He set the single-season record at Angelo State with nine triples and also led the Rams with 19 doubles, seven home runs, 60 runs scored and 81 total hits.

The success must have seemed immediate for ASU baseball fans. Neumann showed up as junior after transferring in from Blinn College and started destroying baseballs. He would track down every pop fly and most line drives hit in the vicinity of center field. He routinely turned singles into doubles and doubles into triples with relentless hustle. Success seemed natural and for all we knew, he had always dominated.

It hasn't always been that easy though. Neumann's story is one of dedication and heart. He didn't make his varsity baseball team at Brenham High until he was a senior and feared he would never get his opportunity to prove himself.  

Part of Lee Neumann's identity at Foster Field involves Billy Squires' song “The Stroke” with fans and teammates standing up and clapping over their head as he comes to the plate. Neumann will continue using it as his walkup song this season.

“It was tough hearing people tell me that I couldn't play and that I never would,” said Neumann, who hit .398 with 27 RBI and helped lead the Cubs to the regional semifinals when he got his opportunity as a senior at Brenham. “I love proving people wrong when they doubt what I can do.”

A walk-on at Blinn, he was redshirted his first season and was tasked with proving himself again. He dedicated himself to the weight room and batting cages and earned playing time the next season and a starting role and all-region accolades as a sophomore for the Buccaneers.

“I was awful my first year at Blinn,” Neumann said. “I couldn't do anything right. I heard people there saying it wasn't going to happen for me and that just pushed me even harder.”

He would hit .346 with 37 RBI and 13 doubles as a sophomore at Blinn and chose Angelo State to continue his collegiate playing career and development. The hard work and dedication has him set up for goals that seem limitless as the 2013 season begins.   

“Waiting his turn behind all the other talented kids we have been around, being red-shirted his freshman year at Blinn because they had a strong upper class of outfielders has made him hungry,” said Kenneth, who makes the five-hour trip from Brenham with his wife, Denise, daughter, Kendall, and both sets of Lee's grandparents on the weekends to watch the Rams play. “The confidence of the coaches along the way built his confidence, made him appreciate the opportunity to be out there, do his best when he is on the field and to be able to play the game he loves.” 

Neumann started all 57 games last season in centerfield produced some gaudy statistics. He had 15 multiple hit games, 12 where he had three hits and his longest hitting streak reached 15 games. He reached base 23 straight games at one point in the season and had 11 multi-RBI games.

“He gets after it,” ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. “Lee is a person that I can identify with. He's had to work hard to obtain everything he's achieved. He has made himself into a 'guy' even though most people never thought he would be a 'guy'. That just doesn't happen without putting in tons of work.”

Neumann has gone from an underdog scrapping to make teams to being a leader at Angelo State and the Lone Star Conference's Preseason Player of the Year. He was a two-time LSC Hitter of the Week last season, including receiving the award after going 12 for 16 in a series at Tarleton State. His ability on the field is matched with intensity that his teammates feed on.

“He is a fierce competitor and brings a lot of baseball talent to the table,” ASU left fielder Ryan Greer said. “He's a guy that the young and older guys all look up to. He is always intense during the games and is pushing us to get the job done.”

Despite success in 2012, Neumann enters this season with the mentality that he still has plenty to prove. He always brings up team goals first with winning the conference championships, regional title and national championship being his priority. But naturally, individual success and progression is important in baseball. He wants to hit for a higher average, drive in more runs and not make an error in the field. He wants to be perfect, but also understands working through imperfect at-bats will make him a better baseball player.

“There are a ton of things that I want to do better and that I've been working on for this season,” Lee said. “I'm pushing myself to have a better batting average and become more consistent. I know that I could have started last season off better and that is a priority this year.

“I want to be the best. That can be looked at as being selfish or all about myself, but I try to be the best I can be so that I can help the team.”
 

Additional Quotes
Lee Neumann
On the support he gets from his family:
“It's unbelievable having them here for every game. It's not an easy trip for them. They're driving five hours just to get here to watch me play baseball. My parents get back home around midnight on Sunday and have to be at work early on Monday. It means the world to me that they're there and it really does push me to be at my best.”
 
On not being on his high school's varsity team until his senior season:
 “Looking back, that was what motivated me to get here. It wasn't easy at the time though. I went out there and worked hard to get my opportunities.”

On what continues to push him to improve:
I don't like being average or mediocre in anything I'm doing. Being an All-American last year was great, but in my mind I was only a second-team All-American.”

On the outlook for the 2013 Angelo State baseball team:
“We have a ton of potential on this team. We can hit throughout the lineup and we have tremendous pitching. Our defense is there too and it really is an all-around great team.”
 
Kevin Brooks  //  ASU head coach
On Lee Neumann coming into the 2013 season:
“He has to stay patient at the plate and carry over what he did for us last year. He had a tremendous year last season and has put in the work to have an even better year. Guys are going to try and pitch around him and attack him in different ways, but he just has to go up there with the right mentality like he did last year and he'll have another great year. He has grown mentally and approaches the game in a consistent manner. I expect great things from him.”
 
Kenneth Neumann  //  Lee Neumann's father
On watching Lee grow up and develop himself into an All-American:
“It's really been the greatest feeling! Brenham being the baseball town it is, he didn't play all the time because Lee was smaller for his age and there were kids bigger and stronger ahead of him.  I always knew he had the drive, but getting him to believe in himself and his ability didn't come until his freshman year in high school when he started tournament ball with Matt Forson and The Shiner Stars.  With Matt he had a coach that believed in him, taught him how to believe in himself and that is where he really began to build up to where he is now.  Not to mention the Brenham High School, Brazos Valley Renegades, Blinn College and ASU staff for tweaking that foundation that started in Shiner. We are having a blast. To watch someone you love play and have the success he has had is beyond words. Also all the friends and contacts we have made over the past years mean the world to us. Now we try to make every game we can to watch Lee and the guys come out and play the game we love and grew up around.  Also knowing that this is his last year to play college ball makes it bittersweet - remembering all the past games and friends and contacts we have made along the way - you don't want to miss anything!”