Leesburg, Fla. – The newest member of the Lake-Sumter State College Hall of Fame is our very own, John Meier.
Affectionately known around the athletic complex as "Stats," John Meier has been a presence at almost every Lakehawk baseball game for the last 20 years. Meier is the statistician/scorekeeper for the Lake-Sumter baseball team, a passion that began in 1995. He joined forces with current LSSC Athletic Director and former Head Baseball Coach, Mike Matulia a few short years later and it has been an amazing partnership ever since.
On Tuesday night, Meier was the recipient of the Athletics Award and inducted into the Lake-Sumter State College Distinguished Alumni & Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2021. "I get an enjoyment out of watching them play and seeing them improve with each game," Meier said. In 2020, Meier battled through health issues, but made every game he could possibly get to.
"Stats has been a constant within our program for the last 21 years," said Head Baseball Coach, Rich Billings. "I have had the pleasure of being alongside him and watching him work for two seasons as a player and 11 as a head coach. Not only have I learned a great deal from him about the game of baseball and its nuances, but I have also been very fortunate to have forged a long-lasting friendship with him. The amount of detail and pride that he puts into his work is astonishing and has often served as a reminder for how I should perform daily tasks in the coaching profession. His service to our program deserves to be recognized and we are so happy for him to be receiving this great honor."
This spring, when you come to the HawksNest for a 3 pm baseball game, be sure to congratulate John "Stats" Meier, our newest member of the Hall of Fame. You can see his full award video here.