By Gary Van Cleave
Special to hutchpost
The will to win has put Jayce Meyer on another level for starting pitchers. It’s also made him angry.
“As a pitcher, I would describe myself as being very intense and someone who throws with a little attitude,” the Maize South graduate said. “I like to pitch angry. For some people, if they try to pitch angry, they get too amped up and have a hard time focusing and throwing strikes. For me, when I bring some attitude and fire with me out to the mound, I feel like it unlocks a higher level of focus and makes me better. I throw with a lot of passion and I go out every time with one thing in my mind: I want to win.”
He gets razzed for his split personality.
“Some of my teammates like to tease me, because I am two different people: regular Jayce and pitching Jayce,” Meyer continued.“I have always been competitive, even when I am not in an active competition, but when I am not pitching, I am much more laid back, relaxed and have more of a ‘take it easy’ personality. When I step on the pitching mound, I become this person who is not only extremely competitive, but wants to absolutely dominate my competition. It is like flipping a switch.”
“I’ve known Jayce for 10 years and have played baseball with him for a good portion,” Maize South teammate Riley Reyes said. “Through those times I have had the honor to see Jayce grow as a pitcher/player and person. Jayce walks the lifestyle of bible verse Deuteronomy 31:6. In that verse it says ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.’ In so many ways Jayce shows his courageous nature by never giving up at what he wants to achieve in life.”
During games, Meyer noted, he doesn’t like to talk much.
“I stay as intense and focused as I can the entire time. There is a lot to be said about a pitcher’s presence on the mound. It changes the whole feel of the game. I want my team to know we are going to go out there and bring it,” Meyer said.
After his 2020 graduation from Maize South, Meyer signed with Division II’s Fort Hays State.
“I played there my freshman year, eventually working my way into a starting role, something I am still very proud of,” Meyer said. “My first start was against the University of Central Missouri, who was ranked in the top five teams in the nation in Division II baseball at the time. For my first college start, I feel like I did really well that game. I had a no-hitter going through the first four innings, and they got to me pretty good in the fifth inning.”
Meyer enjoyed his experience in Hays.
“I enjoyed my teammates, especially my roommate and fellow LHP, Dustin Menard, who remains one of my very best friends to this day,” Meyer said. “My cousin, Brett Meyer, was also a graduate assistant on the track team at Hays (who just finished competing in the Olympic Trials) which also contributed to me having a good experience in Hays. It was difficult, though, because we were not winning, which did create a stressful environment that season. After all of the successful teams I was on in high school, not winning was really difficult for me.”
“Jayce is a hard worker that is resilient in providing the work that is needed to MAKE his dreams come true no matter how bumpy the road looks like ahead,” Menard said. “A grown man with the passion for the game that is shown everyday that is unmatched to any kid on his first game of the season. Above all the remarkable effort and passion is a friend that will stand with you forever and always.”
Meyer transferred to Oklahoma Christian because of its baseball tradition and it was a Christian school.
“My faith is very important to me,” Meyer said. “And it was in arguably the best Division II baseball conference in the country. I got to pitch against the 2023 National Championship Team in Angelo State my junior year, along with other great teams like West Texas, UT Tyler and Lubbock Christian.”
At OCU, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound southpaw played with and against some extremely talented players, some of whom were actually taken in the MLB Draft. During his time there, he led the team with a 2.90 ERA his sophomore year and in opponent batting average of just .269. His junior year, he led the team in strikeouts per nine innings.
“I have some great memories. I made a few really good friends at OC in Kyle Higgins and Jayden Saylor,” Meyer noted. “But once again, winning was a struggle, which created a very divisive and negative environment among the team. The worst of it was that we were projected to be a very good team and we ended up finishing towards the bottom of our conference, which a lot of us were disappointed in.”
“Good teammates are far and few between when the meaning of good teammate is meant having one of your best friends as your throwing partner to give you the insight when it comes to how they think as a pitcher,” Higgins said. “Jayce went through each day of throwing with a plan to get better, running extra and making sure his pitches were fine tuned for the week ahead. Jayce is in attack mode as soon as he steps foot on the mound and taking the ball from him is easier said than done.”
Meyer’s journey next took him to Maryville, Mo.
“I was very fortunate to be able to join the team at Northwest Missouri State,” Meyer said. “After my experiences at FHSU and Oklahoma Christian, I wanted to find a team with a good team culture, somewhere with an experienced coach and a team with a chance to win.”
Coach Darin Loe, NW coach for nearly 30 years, made Meyer feel welcomed and needed right away.
“I had a strong fall and was really feeling the best that I ever had as a pitcher up to this point in my career. I was throwing consistently the hardest of my life and was able to spot up my off speed pitches really well,” Meyer said.
Then came winter break.
“I started feeling severe pain in my elbow,” Meyer said. “The doctor I saw ended up doing an ultra sound, and believed that the results along with my mild-seeming symptoms that it was just a sprain. I then sat out for six weeks, following a physical therapy program every day, and tried to begin throwing again through a throwing program.”
After getting back to 100%, the same pain and symptoms began to come back as they were before.
This time an MRI revealed a severe UCL tear. The only thing to do then was to get a full reconstruction of the UCL, Tommy John Surgery.
His surgery was this summer and performed by Dr Key, team doctor for the Royals. He will be in a brace the first two months of recovery. After four months, he can begin tossing again and at eight months start throwing bullpen. He should be 100% again in 10-12 months from the day of the surgery.
“I am 100% dedicated to my rehab and I fully expect to come back and not only to play one more season, but to be one of the best pitchers in my conference,” Meyer said. “I am keeping my dream alive of playing professional baseball, and fully intend on doing that, too.”
“I had the pleasure of being Jayce’s pitching coach in the summers during his high school years with 316 Baseball,” Bishop Carroll coach Brent Holman said. “I remember first seeing him play for another team and thinking how well his arm worked from the outfield, but what was most impressive was seeing his breaking ball when he came in to pitch. He carved us up! That team broke up, and he came to our tryout and still had that same nasty breaking ball. We won a lot of games over those three or four summers we were together.”
Meyer is hungry for 2026.
“I will make sure that I am stronger and improved in comparison before that time,” Meyer said. “But I plan on my career continuing long after 2026.”
“Jayce has shown me many years of courage and still does to this day; whether that’s rehabbing a UCL tear to be a guy other teammates can count on when the game needs him most, or to being a person who stands up for what he believes in whether he’s in the minority,” Reyes said. “He stands with God and walks with Him on his path even though it is a mystery and full of many of life’s challenges. To me, as a friend, teammate, and fellow Christian, I firmly believe that he fulfills the meaning of this verse.”
When it’s crunch time, Meyer wants to be the King of the Hill.
“I would say that being mentally tough and pitching in the most high-stakes situations are also two of my biggest strengths as a pitcher today,” Meyer said. “I love having the ball when the game is on the line. It is like a thrill you get when riding a roller coaster. I absolutely love it and believe that I can get it done every time.”