Photos by Matt Gentry | The Roanoke Times

Lindsay Meredith (right) shakes hands with Floyd County's Ashley Slusher during team introductions. Last year Meredith joined the Virginia Heat, a Christiansburg-based travel team. "I played with a lot of girls from Auburn and Floyd, so it's weird to play against them now," she says.

Giles High School shortstop Lindsay Meredith fields a ball for an out against Floyd County. Meredith fielded the ball and ran down a Floyd base runner with help from teammate Kathryn Stump (left).

Lindsay Meredith gets a high five from assistant coach Bobby Buchanan after scoring.

PEARISBURG -- College athletic recruiting can be perplexing. Quality athletes may go unnoticed. Sometimes, those who should be offered scholarships are missed inexplicably.

Such may be the case with Giles High School softball player Lindsay Meredith in the opinion of her coach, Steve Wilson.

Offered as evidence of her college potential:

At the start of the week, Meredith was the top hitter in Timesland, batting .569 with 26 runs batted in. Of her 29 hits, Meredith has eight doubles, seven triples and two home runs. She also has a .705 on-base percentage, a 1.118 slugging percentage and nine steals. Meredith has hit safely in 15 of 16 games this season, and was walked all four times in her only hitless outing.

"Concord [University] has come to see Lindsay play, and Roanoke College may have some interest, as might Bluefield State," Wilson said. "But if you start talking about stats and talent, she can play anywhere. Lindsay is one of the best players we've had here, and I'm hoping some college coaches will take notice of that."

The player in question hopes so, too. Meanwhile, her focus is on her team and its hopes of making a postseason run. Giles hit midweek 8-7 overall and 2-4 in the Three Rivers District. Four regular season district games remain and they're all crucial.

"We really need to play our best against the district teams because they all are tough to beat," Meredith said. "I think we need to have fun, play hard, and enjoy these last few weeks because it is the last time we seniors will be playing together."

It seems a long way from freshman season, which didn't start so hot for Meredith. A few weeks before the start of the campaign, Meredith tore a knee ligament during the last game of the junior varsity basketball season.

Wilson was almost as disappointed as his player at the unhappy turn of events The plan had been to bring Meredith up to the varsity and convert her into a catcher.

"Even though she was on crutches that whole spring, we brought Lindsay along with the team to every game," Wilson said. "I think she learned a lot that season just watching the older girls and the coaches. It was almost like a redshirt year in college. I just wish she could stay around another year."

When Meredith's sophomore season rolled around, Wilson gave up on the move to catcher. Instead, Meredith started the first game of the 2006 season at shortstop and contributed right away. She has started at shortstop and batted third in the lineup every game since.

As a junior, Meredith started approaching her potential. She led the Spartans with four home runs, eight triples, four doubles, 40 RBIs and a 1.115 slugging percentage. Meredith's .492 batting average and 10 stolen bases were second on the team to Danielle Bandy in both categories.

As good as her season was at the plate, Meredith struggled with her throwing. She resolved to improve. Since then, according to the coach, Meredith is rarely far from a softball.

"During the summer, if you see someone at the Pembroke fields, you don't even have to wonder who it is because Lindsay and her dad are always there," Wilson said. "When we have nonmandatory practices, Lindsay is always the first one here. Any time she can work on her game, Lindsay will do it."

Meredith's focus on defense has paid off this year. She has only four errors in 91 chances.

It was part of the overall growth of her game, development enhanced when last year she joined the Virginia Heat, a Christiansburg-based travel team. Among her teammates were district rivals from Auburn and Floyd.

"Last summer, we faced a lot of good competition with excellent pitching and I think it helped my hitting a lot," Meredith said. "I played with a lot of girls from Auburn and Floyd, so it's weird to play against them now."

Meredith takes a simple approach at the plate.

"I try to go up there and avoid swinging at bad pitches," she said. "I try not to focus on hitting home runs because when you do that, it never happens. Base hits are just fine with me."

The main thing is to keep it up.

"I just want to hit consistently, stay calm and focus on doing my part, but I'll admit, if I don't knock in possible RBIs, I do get a little angry at myself," Meredith said,

Meredith's 24 base on balls over the past two seasons prove her patience at the plate. Wilson thinks she's even more selective this year. Of her three strikeouts this season, Wilson says two came on questionable pitches that she refused to chase.

It's helped her the past two seasons to have learned how to use the entire field. Once limited to being a pull hitter, Meredith is lining outside pitches to their natural opposite field now.

It's a mature approach, one that's a good example to the younger members of the team. The Spartans are young with a starting lineup that includes four sophomores and a freshman. Meredith and fellow seniors Danielle Bandy, Kayla Harless and Danielle Raymond embrace their roles as leaders.

"We seniors have played together forever and we're a close group," Meredith said. "I think we're a laid-back group that doesn't do a lot of cheerleading. But I do think we try to get everyone focused when we need to. I try to lead by example. I'm not really a vocal leader. When I was a sophomore, we had some good seniors who taught me a lot about taking charge and playing as a leader."

Those qualities play well in college, too. She hopes to have the chance.