It’s like night and day for Grayslake Central senior outfielder Trevor Meathe.
After learning firsthand how difficult it can be to crack the Rams’ lineup as a junior, getting very few at-bats at the varsity level last season, Meathe has become the one who is difficult to crack.
“It’s been a big jump, that’s for sure,” he said. “I put in a lot of work in the offseason, but I didn’t think I’d be in the position I’m in now. Hitting .500 going into May feels pretty good.”
Indeed, Meathe began the week with a .513 batting average, 20 hits, 14 walks, 12 stolen bases and 22 runs scored, pacing Northern Lake County Conference leader Grayslake Central (12-4, 6-0) in each category.
Senior third baseman Ian McGowan, who also plays travel ball with Meathe, thinks he got a sneak peek last summer.
“The first couple of tournaments he was hitting right out of the gates, and in the last tournament, it was like he couldn’t make an out,” McGowan said. “The biggest thing I’ve seen with Trevor is his confidence. I’ve been playing with him since we were 13, and to be able to see him competing like this and doing so well means a lot.”
Meathe agrees that confidence has made a difference.
“Last year was pretty rough,” he said. “I was in my head a lot. I would mess up on the base paths, and I was afraid that I’d do something to get into trouble with the coaches. This year, I’m not putting as much pressure on myself, and this is a lot more fun.”
Meathe worked with Grayslake Central hitting coach Tony Tichy and got into the batting cage a lot during the offseason, concentrating on hitting would-be line drives off a tee into the back net and going the other way.
Meathe also hit the weights. Being a 5-foot-8-inch leadoff hitter, Meathe doesn’t walk to the plate calling his shots. But the ball is jumping off his bat consistently.
“I’m hitting the ball way harder than I have in any year I’ve played, and I’m hitting a lot more balls into the gaps,” he said. “Last year, I had a problem catching up to velocity. Now I’m on time with everything, and I don’t get overpowered.”
Meathe showed that during the Rams’ loss against Mount Carmel on April 19, when he knocked a base hit up the middle against hard-throwing Notre Dame commit Connor Elenteny.
“For a little dude, he comes with a big package,” Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen said of Meathe. “Pound for pound, in my opinion, he’s the toughest player on the team. He competes on every pitch, and that extends to base running and defense. He’s our catalyst.”
As Whalen suggested, Meathe’s contributions haven’t been limited to offense. Meathe figured he would get most of his playing time in the middle infield this season. But with junior Carson Woods and sophomore Charlie Surowiec holding down those spots, Meathe went to the outfield. He began in left but has moved to center, where he has shown a remarkable ability to get up to speed on the intricacies of a new position.
Meathe, who said he hopes to continue his baseball career at the College of Lake County, made one of the best plays of the season during the Rams’ 9-8 win against Loyola on April 21. With two outs and the go-ahead runs on base in the sixth inning, Meathe chased down a ball hit near the wall in right-center.
“I had to run really far to get to that one, and the wind was howling out,” he said. “It was a big play, but it was really just instinct. I’ve shagged a ton of fly balls and gotten pretty used to the footwork and drop steps you need to make out there.”
All in all, this is a much different season for Meathe, who took a moment to appreciate that before Grayslake Central’s 7-2 win against Von Steuben on Saturday.
“Those home games on Saturdays, a lot more people come to watch, and seeing all the people felt great,” he said. “It was a lot different than sitting in the dugout last year.
“Helping us win big games is the big focus from this point on, and I’ll do whatever I can do to help that happen.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.