Jacob Meadows has been a menace the last two seasons at the top of the Shady Spring lineup for opposing pitchers.
Now the 2023 Class AA all-state captain is hoping to create more havoc next year at Glenville State University.
Monday afternoon just outside the Dave Wills Gymnasium at Shady Spring High School, Meadows signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Pioneers.
“It is amazing to be able to sign before playing a game my senior year,” Meadows said. “Not to many kids can say they can do that and I am just really grateful for it.”
Meadows also admitted that signing prior to the season was a relief and now allows him to just focus on his senior baseball campaign.
“Of course I want to go back to states and be in the state championship,” Jake Meadows said. “Now it is just have fun and play the game.”
Shady Spring head coach Jordan Meadows, Jake’s older brother, talked about him signing with Glenville State.
“That is my younger brother. He is the last one, but he is the best of the three of us,” Jordan said. “He is fun to watch and he had such a great year last year. I am excited for his senior year and I think Glenville has a great kid coming up.”
Being the youngest of three brothers that played for the Tigers, as well as an uncle, Jake Meadows has been around baseball most of his life.
“He is exactly 10 years younger than me, so when I was a senior he was like seven or eight and just getting started,” Jordan said. “My middle brother was in the travel ball circuit then and Jake was the batboy. My dad was the coach and Jake went to all of the tournaments. Everywhere we went, he went. It was one of those things where we always did everything together.”
Jake gave his brothers credit for helping him become the player he is today.
“Jordan taught me baseball in the front yard from wiffle ball to now teaching me the real game. It is really great,” Jake said. “I have looked up to Jason because we are a lot a like in baseball terms. I knew with them by my side, I would do great no matter what. I am just happy they have been beside me the whole way.”
Being around the game and being a standout player are two totally different concepts.
The youngest Meadows has combined the instruction from his brothers with a relentless work ethic to make himself a college prospect.
“He is one of those guys that will out-work you so he can better than you,” Jordan said.
An even more relaxed Meadows is not exactly what the opposition wants to hear going into the 2024 high school baseball season.
Last year the Shady Spring senior hit .426 with a .578 on-base percentage, working 30 free passes. He touched home plate 42 times, drove in 25 runs from the lead-off spot and swiped 23 bases.
This after hitting .375 as a sophomore with 14 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 23 walks earned.
Meadows also helped lead the Tigers to their second straight sectional and regional title, earning a berth in the state tournament in Charleston.
However, resting on his laurels is not the mindset for the Shady standout.
“He is always texting me wanting to go the The Yard and hit and stuff like that,” Jordan said. “I can get into him because he is my brother, but at the end of the day, he has my full support. I am all in and I just love watching him from the third base coaching box.”
“We have been working on him hitting it to the opposite field, but also hit it in the gap in right-center,” Jordan went on to say. “When he hits it in the six-hole, I don’t know of a shortstop that can get him out. It’s not because he is my brother, but he is the fastest kid I have ever coached.”
One visit to Glenville and Meadows knew where he wanted to play after high school.
“They have DI facilities. Their facilities are great,” Jake said. “I just fell in love with the town. I fell in love with the team. I just love it there.”
With his future plans squared away, Jake discussed his focus for the upcoming year. It is a season where Shady Spring is not exactly the favorite to make a repeat trip to the state baseball tournament after losing six seniors off of last year’s team.
“I want to prove to people that we are still the top dogs in the section and region,” Jake said. “I want to be back at states and I want to show these younger guys what it is like to be at states. I want to lead the team to be the best.”
