Around Iredell Sports

2008 Jun-14

Meadows shined on mound and at plate for Blue Devils

By Brad Norman

Aubrey Meadows gave everybody a glimpse of what he could become as a baseball player early in his high school career.

Staring down the imposing lineup of eventual state runner-up Northwest Cabarrus when he was a baby-faced freshman, Meadows was fearless in mowing down the Trojans to pick up a memorable victory.

“That was when Northwest Cabarrus had that power line-up,” Blue Devils coach Jeff Burchett said. “Aubrey played well that night. He got the win and that really started his high school career there.”

As a senior, Meadows finished what he started.

Meadows, the 2008 R&L county baseball player of the year, was the ace of a Blue Devils team that went 21-6 and advanced to the regional semifinals.

After a dominant regular-season performance, Meadows took his game up a notch in the postseason, chewing up innings and overwhelming opposing batters.

He started two playoff games and made multiple-inning relief appearances in the two games he did not start.

“It was tough, man,” Meadows said. “It was nerve wracking and very, very tiring. But there’s no such thing as arm pain in the playoffs. I think any ballplayer will tell you that.”

After close victories against Newton Foard, West Rowan and Kernersville Glenn, the Blue Devils fell to North Piedmont 3A foe East Rowan 5-4 in the state quarterfinals.

It was the deepest playoff run in school history, and Meadows’ electric left arm was a big reason why.

“He was our go-to guy,” Burchett said. “He was a senior that didn’t want to hang up those cleats in high school for the last time. He really led us that far. He pitched in all four playoff games. What more can you ask?”

Meadows’ season was full of impressive numbers and clutch performances, at the plate as well as on the mound.

He finished 9-3 with a 1.62 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 78 innings and batted .370 with eight doubles, 13 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .446.

But still, after having three weeks to digest the success he and the Blue Devils achieved, Meadows still remembers what might have been.

“I’ve thought about the season,” Meadows said. “The only thing that really came to mind is how much further we could have gone. We had the team, we had the potential. It just wasn’t meant to happen. That last inning against East Rowan, I ran out of gas. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

Maybe not, but Meadows still has plenty of time for continued postseason success.

He’ll pitch for UNC-Charlotte in college. The 49ers finished the year 43-14 and were one of 64 Division I teams to advance to the NCAA tournament.

“I think he’s got room to grow,” Burchett said. “I know UNCC has said that, too. They’ve watched him basically since his 10th-grade year and he has gotten better every single year.”

The Blue Devils will certainly miss Meadows in their bid to repeat this year’s success.

Burchett will miss him on a personal level, too.

“It’s gone so fast,” Burchett said. “We had a few tears and a hug there at the East Rowan game. As a coach, you get to see them grow up, as a kid to the young man that he’s turned out to be. You hope as a coach you have a little bit to do with that. He’s a kid of great character and a great baseball player, too.”

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Meadows shined on mound and at plate for Blue Devils

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