Meola Becomes First Oklahoma State Player to Be Honored by Big 12 This Season

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State will open the home portion of its baseball schedule at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24 against Central Arkansas. At third base will be this week’s Big 12 Conference Player of the Week. Meola was on a roll in the four-game series at Grand Canyon last weekend. He Hit .421 (8-for-19) with four home runs, a double and 12 RBI while posting a 1.105 slugging percentage. Meola was a huge part of the Pokes offense. In the final game of the series, a 13-2 run-rule win, Meola was two-for-five with a home run and five RBI. 

On the season Meola is hitting .321 and is spotless defensively in 15 chances with four put outs and 11 assists. The 6-2 senior from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. had options but chose to come back to Stillwater this season. 

“There's nowhere else I'd rather be than here. It's a little bit different, role-wise,” Meola said. “I'm gonna be a leader, which kind of comes natural to me. I like it.”

Meola is the son of former world renown soccer goal keeper Tony Meola. Aidan admitted that he dreamed of following in his dad’s sport, but not the same path.

“I was a forward. I liked to score,” Meola joked on baseball media day. 

He has had to battle to come back from injuries. It’s no fun and it can be drudgery, but he’s handled it. 

“I underwent surgery so it was challenging. Took about seven months to get fully back, and I would say this last month or two, kind of feeling like myself again,” he described of the process. “I've been through it before so I kind of know what to do and just try to take care of your body the best you can.”

There is no doubt he is back now and Oklahoma State fans can see him among familiar faces like Kollin Ritchie, Colin Bruggemann, Alex Conover and Brock Thompson. The veterans and young Sebastian Norman are all hitting the ball well and fans can finally see them all again in action at O’Brate Stadium.