Mancuso to Play Baseball at USC

Mike Mancuso will join Chatsworth High teammate Reed McMackin next season at USC, from which he has accepted a partial scholarship.

Mancuso, a catcher, signed a national letter of intent Wednesday night, choosing USC over Cal State Long Beach. McMackin, a pitcher who was the City Section 4-A Division co-Player of the Year in the spring, also accepted a partial scholarship from USC. The teammates, who led Chatsworth to the City title, will room together in college, Mancuso said.

“We’re best friends and going to the same school was a factor for me,” he said. “That should make the transition to college easier.”

Casey Burrill, a sophomore from Hart High, is the Trojans’ starting catcher but Mancuso expects to see playing time as a freshman. He batted .323 for Chatsworth with 29 runs batted in, 12 extra-base hits and eight stolen bases last spring. He also was regarded as one of the area’s top defensive catchers.