FROM UW ATHLETICS
It wasn’t supposed to be this way for Husky outfielder Jack Meggs. The plan – which is shared by so many college baseball players with professional hopes – was to play three years at the University of Washington with his dad, Lindsay, as his coach and then leave after his junior year to begin a fruitful pro career.
Like so many of the best laid plans, things didn’t go exactly as designed for the younger Meggs. After a 2016 season at Washington where he earned All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honors, Meggs did not hear his name called during the June MLB Draft.
“I wanted to get drafted, that was a goal of mine,” Meggs said. “I had a good summer after my sophomore year and I thought I was probably going to be drafted. I don’t want to say I was going to be a high pick, like in the first seven rounds, but I thought I’d go in the top 20.”
Fortunately for Meggs, while one door was temporarily shut, another one was re-opened. He quickly circled the wagons and formulated another plan with guidance from his mother, Theresa, and father, Lindsay, who is entering his eighth year as Washington’s coach. This plan included Jack taking the summer off from playing – his first downtime since probably seventh grade, he guessed – going to summer school, recharging his batteries and returning to Washington where he would play his senior year, earn a degree and help the Huskies work towards their first trip to the College World Series.
“When we realized he wasn’t going to be drafted in the first 15 rounds and when people were calling him we talked about if he wanted to be a 25th-round draft pick and pass up on a chance to get to Omaha one more time,” Lindsay said. “We kind of realized that this is another great opportunity for him and that pro ball will still be out there.”
As both Jack’s father and coach, Lindsay wanted what was best for not only his son, but Jack the player. Luckily since he’s been around the business for almost his whole life, Coach Meggs has a different perspective of pro ball and was able to help his son make a sound decision about what to do.
“What we talked about is that minor league baseball is not a team thing,” recalled Lindsay. “Minor league baseball is just a developmental process where they don’t care about wins or losses. They just try to make everybody better so they can help out at the big league level when it becomes a team thing.
“I think one of (Jack’s) biggest strengths and one of the things that he likes about the game most is the team thing,” Lindsay continued. “He loves being on the team and he wants to get to the College World Series. He wants to win and I think we’ve got a good group. He’s enjoying them and they’re enjoying him, so I think it’s a good situation.”
Jack is the fiery leader and the backbone of a core group of returners. The Huskies will have to replace their every day starter at third base, Chris Baker, but they return every other regular – including the Friday and Saturday starters on the mound. Coupled with a top-10 recruiting class, the Huskies are poised to be a legitimate contender to punch one of eight tickets to the College World Series.
“We can really play,” said Jack, who is one of two returning First Team All-Conference Huskies, along with catcher Joey Morgan. “I love all our young guys and all the returners that we have. We have all the right pieces and we have a lot of depth that we didn’t have last year.
“We have so much depth on the mound, some good guys coming back and a mix of young guys coming in. We have that offensively too, and everyone can play. It’s been a lot of fun being on the field.”
Jack also gets a final opportunity to play under his dad’s guidance. It will mark the eighth-straight year that the elder Meggs has coached one of his sons.
Joe, who currently serves as the UW Director of Baseball Operations, redshirted during Lindsay’s first year as coach at UW in 2010. But since then, it’s been six-straight years of either Joe (2011-13) or Jack (2014-16) playing on the field under the watchful eye of their father. It’s been an experience that the skipper will always cherish and one that he is going to particularly enjoy this year.
“It’s such a unique set of circumstances coming to work every day knowing you’re going to see him and being on the field knowing that you get to work with him,” Lindsay reflected on coaching Jack. “That has been a lot of fun for me.
“I know he’s going to get a chance to play when the season is over, so it’s not like I’m never going to see him play again, but it’s going to change. I’ve talked to people who have said that when they stop coaching with a son in the program that everything is a little different. They warned me that ‘you better enjoy it while it lasts’ because for all the tough days when you wish it were different, it’s never going to be like this again.
“So I’m enjoying every minute of this and we’re having a lot of fun together. He’s a heckuva player and a great teammate. I’m proud of him.”
Jack agrees with his dad. The ride has been great and something to cherish. But, there have also been some interesting times when there has to be a distinction between the coach/father and player/son relationship.
“When he’s yelling, I’m going to say like 50 percent of the time, I’m the one getting in trouble,” joked Jack about his dad. “It’s the best of both worlds. At times it gets a little awkward, but it’s worth it.”
Jack is definitely looking forward to one last ride with his dad by his side.
“I think it took him a while to get adjusted to having me and Joe in the program,” he said. “Now he’s been used to it; he’s been used to seeing us and coaching us every day. It’s going to be different, but I’m looking forward to this year too because I get to be with Joe and my dad one last time. It’s going to be special for all of us.”
Jack hopes to spend the year helping his team make a long NCAA Championship run, while also improving his pro stock. All the scouts know he is a grinder; someone that plays all out at all times. He now just needs to get more consistent with his production.
“I’m kind of a streaky player,” Jack said about himself. “I’ll get off to a good start, slowdown in the middle of the season, then maybe pick it back up again. I just have to work on improving every day and just staying with it and taking more quality at-bats.”
Either way, Jack is going to play more relaxed this year than last season. He no longer has the pressure of the draft on his mind like so many juniors playing collegiately. He will focus on controlling what he can control, which is playing hard every day. Jack will play with a chip on his shoulder, but he will not let that keep the team’s goals from getting out of focus.
“I felt disappointed not getting picked up, but I think it’s for the best and I’m happy I get to come back to school and get a chance to compete for a Pac-12 championship and to go to Omaha, which has been my goal since I got here,” he said.
“I want to get this program to Omaha with my dad and change the culture. I’m very excited that I get that opportunity, that I get the opportunity to graduate. I think I’ll be ready for pro ball once I get out of here and I think I’ll have an advantage that some guys might not have.”
When one door closes, another one opens. A three-year plan, becomes a four-year plan. Jack has no regrets and is ready to fully embrace the new path his life has taken on and off the baseball field.
“It feels like yesterday that I came in here as a freshman,” he said. “It’s crazy how it flies by. Looking back at it now, I’m in my fourth year and there are some things I wish I had done differently, but it’s awesome, and I can’t wait to get back on the field.”
