Tyler Ganus didn’t know if he’d still be playing baseball this spring.

Oregon baseball coach Mark Wasikowski told him in his fall exit meeting that he was weak. He needed to get stronger.

Ganus took that to heart, gaining 20 pounds between September and January. He came back in time for his sophomore season as “a different person,” by his own admission.

“He’s a legend,” Wasikowski said. “A living legend.”

The curly-haired, jovial utilityman, who produces his own music while acting in Disney shows, has taken advantage of his opportunities on the baseball diamond. Despite not being an everyday starter, he’s injected energy into the Oregon baseball program with his hustle, hard work and pure determination.

“You can’t be a part of this program without having that mentality of just wanting to compete in everything you do,” Ganus said. “I don’t think it’s just on the field. I think it’s off the field as well. Dominating the details, and having fun while you’re doing it, and doing it for the guy next to you… it’s something that we all take pride in.”

What makes Ganus’ baseball journey all the more awe-inspiring is that he’s done it while pursuing other passions. He acted in musicals at Harvard-Westlake High School and played “Held Back Henry” on Disney’s “Walk the Prank” from 2016-2018. He also appeared on the “iCarly” spinoff “Sam & Cat,” while providing additional voices in movies like “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Monsters University.” His sister Spencer Lacey Ganus is an actor too, having voiced teen Elsa in the movie “Frozen.”

These days, Ganus’ main hobby outside of baseball is writing and producing his own music. In fact, he uses his song “NO CHANCE” as his walk-up music every time he steps to the plate. Last summer, he played for the Humboldt Crabs and wrote the song “Crabs Are Hot,” which includes a cleverly edited montage of an announcer calling a home run he hit.

Ganus said the key to balancing these interests is making a schedule to manage his time, which wouldn’t be possible without the support he gets from his teammates off the field.

“Having a team of people that really care about you, I think all the credit goes to them,” Ganus said. “It’s definitely not just a one-man show. Not everyone sees what goes on behind the scenes, and it’s incredible to have people that really care about you in your corner.”

Ganus provided a brief spark for the Ducks last year, going 2-for-7 in limited time off the bench. The highlight of his season was a game-tying hit by pitch in Oregon’s comeback win over Oregon State.

The strength he added last offseason made an immediate difference. In his second at-bat of the year on March 8 against Portland, he smashed a three-run homer for his first collegiate long ball. His teammates erupted in exhilarating fashion, leaping to the top step of the dugout while cheering emphatically for him. Ducks outfielder Tanner Smith said it felt “awesome” to see Ganus’ hard work pay off.

“It’s an everyday grind,” Smith said. “We start as a team at 7 a.m., but Tyler starts at 5. He’s the first one here, last one to leave. I think he holds the most respect in this locker room.”

Ganus, who started the year pinch running or getting at-bats in blowouts, was handed an opportunity on a silver platter April 10 against Ball State. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth in a 6-6 game, Ganus stepped up as a pinch hitter. He lined the first pitch he saw into left field for a walk-off single, prompting his team to explode from the dugout and drench him in Gatorade.

The moment made Wasikowski admittedly emotional.

“What he has inside of his heart is a tremendous work ethic,” Wasikowski said. “The kid is just unbelievable. He’s such a person you can root for. You kinda tear up when you talk about Tyler Ganus because nobody works as hard as him as I’ve ever coached in my life.”

Ganus, who also mentors high school athletes, said he applies the same mentality to everything he does. It’s how he’s found success from baseball, to music, to acting, all the way to academics, where he was named to the winter term Dean’s List.

“It’s so much bigger than baseball,” Ganus said. “You really look at what you want your mentality to be in life. You want to get the most out of life, right? You want to get the most out of everything you’re doing. It doesn’t matter if you’re here, in the classroom, doing whatever.”

Ganus has applied that mentality to his pinch hitting duties. He usually just gets one at-bat every few games, but the preparation and energy he brings is the same as any of Oregon’s starters. Before every game, Ganus can be seen taking reps at first base or in the outfield in the team’s warmups.

“I think confidence all comes down to your work ethic,” Ganus said. “If you’re really taking your work seriously and you have intent with every single thing you’re doing, you show up in the game and it’s gonna be so easy, or at least easier than it would be if you didn’t put that work in.”

When he’s on the sideline, he carries himself with an outgoing and friendly personality, going out of his way to talk to people with his signature smile and sociable presence.

His performance at the plate, which saw him go 5-for-9 with a pair of walks through May 1, earned him his first collegiate start in the Ducks’ May 3 game against Oregon State. He gave Oregon four competitive at-bats from the leadoff spot, sprinting down the line even on a routine groundout.

Arguably most impressive was that he extended his streak of not striking out to 26 plate appearances, dating back to 2021. It took until May 6 against the Beavers for Ganus to finally strike out at the college level.

“It really comes down to our preparation of the work we put in and the preparation from our coaching staff, and the way that our guys push each other in practice every day,” Ganus said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Ganus has served his role well and established his place on this nationally ranked Oregon team. The guy nearly cut in the fall has homered, hit a walkoff and started a game from the leadoff spot while remaining his genial self.

The legend of Tyler Ganus continues to grow.

“I’m just really grateful to be here, and for Waz and the coaching staff to give me the opportunity to continue being here,” he said. “It’s the biggest blessing of my life.”