CENTER OF ATTENTION

Minnesota two-way standout Max Meyer tries to lead the Gophers back to the NCAA Tournament

- TEDDY CAHILL

Max Meyer’s fastball tickles 100 mph. His slider may be the best in the country. He’s probably Minnesota’s best athlete and last year showed solid ability at the plate.

Major league scouting directors voted him a first-team Preseason All-American as a two-way player this year.

For all of that raw ability, however, Meyer’s greatest strength may be his competitiveness. He thrived as the Golden Gophers’ closer as a freshman in 2018, saving 16 games to help them win the Big Ten Conference and reach super regionals.

The righthander was excellent in back-to-back summers with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. Tapped this year as Minnesota’s Opening Day starter, he lived up to the hype and impressed for a large group of scouts against Oregon at the Angels College Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

No matter his role, no matter the stage, the moment never seems to be too big for Meyer. He says that’s true away from the diamond as well. No matter what he’s doing, Meyer wants to win.

“I’ll be in the championship for sure for everything,” he said. “I like to say that.”

That mentality has worked well for him so far at Minnesota. In his first two years of college, he went 7-6, 2.10 with 18 saves and 141 strikeouts in 120.1 innings. With Team USA, he went 1-2, 1.71 with 25 strikeouts and six walks in 21 innings.

Meyer’s stuff has played especially well in the bullpen, where he can air out his fastball and slider. Now, he has to learn how to refine that approach, so it plays over the course of the full season as Minnesota’s ace.

“He’s a fierce competitor,” Minnesota coach John Anderson said. “I think that’s his greatest strength and weakness. I think sometimes it gets in the way because he doesn’t want anybody to hit the ball sometimes.