Mann, a left-handed pitcher/outfielder from Newark, Ohio, posted 13 wins on the mound in three years on the varsity baseball team at Newark High School. He was named to the Ohio Capital Conference First Team as a senior as well as being a two-time All-District Honorable Mention selection. He was also selected as Newark’s Most Valuable Player and Most Outstanding Pitcher by his team.

"Josh is a critical piece to our recruiting process for next year,” said MVNU head coach Keith Veale, who has posted a 602-289 record in 18 seasons at the helm of the Cougars. "We are looking for arms that can come in and compete right away. Josh has the potential to do that. He is coming out of a solid high school program at Newark High School under Coach Neff. He is also playing for the Licking A’s this summer, which has provided a quality and challenging schedule. I have seen Josh pitch on a few occasions and have been impressed not only with his arm but also his competitiveness on the mound and potential for further development.”

In addition to playing baseball at Newark High School, Mann was a three-year varsity letterman in football as a linebacker and quarterback. He was named to the All-OCC Team as both a junior and a senior. He also received the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association scholarship.

MVNU is an NAIA school that competes in the American Mideast Conference. The Cougars captured a share of the AMC South Division title in 2007 - the program’s 12th conference title - and advanced to the NAIA Region IX Tournament championship game for the eighth straight year as the team finished with a 38-16 overall mark. Over the years, MVNU has had 13 players drafted by Major League teams including Tim Belcher, who was the top pick overall in the 1983 draft. Six other former players have signed free agent contracts to play professional baseball.