2020: Team captain ... Came back from series of injuries to make 10 starts at third base … Made his return to the field a memorable one with two hits, including a triple, in the opener against Manhattan (2/14) … Had three hits, including a double and an RBI, against Air Force (2/16) … Had a pair of hits, including a double, in what turned out to be the last game of the year, against Fairfield (3/11).
2019: Received medical redshirt after suffering a season-ending injury 15 games into the year ... Started each of those first 15 games at third base ... Had four multiple-hit games and five multiple-RBI games ... Hit safely in nine-of-15 games ... Had back-to-back three hits games against Siena (2/24-25) with five of his six hits going for doubles ... His eight doubles tied for the fifth most on the team.
Summer 2018: Took the summer off from baseball to allow a nagging hamstring time to heal.
2018: Served as the regular third baseman all season, missing a total of four starts with a hamstring strain ... Was outstanding defensively, making hard plays look routine and even earning a spot on SportCenter’s Top 10 for a catch against Jacksonville ... One-upped that catch with a remarkable catch, going over the rail of the third base dugout at Melching Field in the NCAA Regional against Oklahoma State, earning the No. 1 play of the day on SportCenter's Top 10 ... Offensively it was an up and down season ... Hit .266 overall and .256 in ASUN games, but upped his production down the stretch, batting .312 during the Hatters’ 18-game win streak and hitting .333 during the ASUN Tournament ... Had consecutive three-hit games against Oklahoma State in the NCAA Regional and batted .500 in NCAA Tournament play ... Was the only player on the team with at least 100 at bats who had not hit a home run before hitting a solo shot against North Carolina (6/9) in what turned out to be the final game of the season ... Has just four multiple-hit games before NCAA play began, adding three more in five games ... Had six multiple-RBI games ... Was 5-for-9 on the season when hitting with the bases loaded and hit .346 overall with runners in scoring position ... Hit .328 with two out and had 14 two-out RBI ... Was 8-for-14 with a runner at third and less than two out.
Summer 2017: Saw action in 19 games for the DeLand Suns in the Florida Collegiate League ... Had just six hits in 52 at bats, but four went for extra bases with two doubles and two triples ... Drove in six runs.
Prior to Stetson: Spent last season at Seminole State College where he hit .266 with nine doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI … Originally signed with the University of Virginia out of Toms River East High School, playing in five games as a freshman in 2016, getting two hits in seven at bats.
High School: Was a three-sport star in high school, playing basketball and soccer in addition to baseball … Batted .367 with eight home runs in his prep career, including a .405 average as a senior for coach Dan Dietrich, earning All-County honors … Was a forward on the soccer team, scoring 19 goals in 22 career matches … Played summer ball for the DeLand Suns in the Florida Collegiate League … Chose Stetson over UCF, USF, Mercer and High Point.
Personal: Full name is Jonathan Joseph Meola ... Was born on June 15, 1997, in Toms River, NJ ... Is the son of Tony and Colleen Meola ... His father was the goal keeper on three United States World Cup teams and is a member of the US Soccer Hall of Fame ... His dad played collegiate soccer at the University of Virginia ... Has one brother, Aidan, who is a freshman at Oklahoma State, and one sister, Kylie ... Is a Sociology major.
GAME HIGHS
At Bats: 7, vs Saint Louis (March 1, 2019)
Runs: 2, five times (last vs USC Upstate; March 17, 2018)
Hits: 3, four times (last vs Siena; February 25, 2019)
RBI: 3, twice (last at Florida State; April 18, 2018)
Doubles: 3, vs Siena (February 25, 2019)
Triples: 1, four times (last vs Oklahoma State; June 2, 2018)
Home runs: 1, at North Carolina (June 9, 2018)
Total bases: 6, three times (last vs Siena; February 25, 2019)
Walks: 2, seven times (last vs Maryland; March 8, 2019)
Strikeouts: 4, at FGCU (May 12, 2018)
Sac hits: 1, four times (last vs Georgetown; March 2, 2019)
Sac flies: 1, twice (last vs Georgetown; March 2, 2019)
Stolen bases: 1, 11 times (last vs Maryland; March 9, 2019)
Caught stealing: 1, seven times (last vs Sacred Heart; March 3, 2019)
Hit by pitch: 1, three times (last vs Maryland; March 9, 2019)
Runners LOB: 5, vs Siena (February 23, 2019)
Putouts: 3, twice (last Siena; February 24, 2019)
Assists: 6, vs Manhattan (February 17, 2019)
Errors: 2, vs Hartford (June 1, 2018)
