Belmont, Mass., native Max Meier never imagined his decision to play college baseball at Stanford University would eventually limit his exposure to pro scouts and cross-checkers.
But that's exactly what's happened to the Lawrence Academy alumnus in his two years on the California campus. Due to stringent restrictions on group gatherings and athletic events in the COVID hot spot of Santa Clara County, Meier and his Stanford teammates were unable to participate in organized team workouts this fall. By comparison, most Division 1 programs in New England had a full slate of organized team workouts.
At the moment, Stanford has yet to release a schedule for the 2021 season. Meier expects the Cardinal will compete against other conference opponents this spring; however, he is unsure if -- in the first year in which he's eligible for the MLB Draft as a 21-year-old sophomore -- he'll have time to make enough of an impression with pro scouts to hear his name called in what may be another shortened MLB Draft.
Like many baseball players, Meier is finding that the one common theme from the pandemic is uncertainty.
"I wish I could have done more stuff as a team in the fall," Meier said. "I did some individual work on the field with the coaches, but it's been a long time since I competed. As of now, nothing is finalized for 2021. We're not sure if we're going to play any non-conference or mid-week games. Maybe it will just be Pac-12 games. The plan is to go out to campus in January and prepare for a season."
