Manhattan High teacher played pro baseball

John Ostermann, Online Editor-in-Chief

Stepping up to the plate with a deep breath and a little shoulder shrug, eyeing down the pitcher, watching a ball come in at over 80 mph and swinging for the fences. Manhattan High teacher Drew Biery was used to that feeling after playing baseball at Kansas State for four years.

After playing himself, Biery spent three years as a Graduate Assistant at Kansas State, helping lead the team to record setting seasons, including the Big XII Championship in 2012.

Now, Biery works at Manhattan High’s East campus as a special education teacher, and during the evenings and weekends he owns and manages his baseball academy known as The Barn. The Barn not only is a training academy, it doubles as a traveling team that has 12 Manhattan players spread out over their four high school teams. His professional play impacts the way he coaches.

“The knowledge he has for the game and mentality he has instilled in us is all stuff he learned from professional baseball,” senior pitcher Carson Marsh said. “He really works to teach us that work ethic that will get you to the next level.”

Coach Biery works at The Barn and tries to inspire all of his players from middle schoolers to high school seniors.

“He has really increased my confidence,” Marsh said. “He inspires all of his players to compete their hardest and think they are the best player on the field at all times. That really pushes us to be the best we can be and prepared us for college ball.”