Justin Meekins always had dreams of turning to ESPN and hearing his name read off by some of the top sports anchors in the country.

A senior outfielder for the Salisbury (Maryland) University baseball team, Meekins wants to help his team reach the College World Series and possibly take his game to the professional level.

On Friday, Meekins and his roommate were playing videogames with a television showing ESPN’s Around the Horn in the background. The screen soon flashed with a picture as moderator Tony Reali said the name Justin Meekins.

The Eastern Shore native had accomplished his goal, but it didn’t come the way he expected.

Meekins’ fame came from the illustrious head shot taken for his senior season.

Since his sophomore year, Meekins has been known among his teammates as taking the most colorful pictures. The outfielder’s facial hair has been styled into different looks as he sports an expressionless, yet hilarious face.

His 2020 head shot displayed a thick beard with a curled mustache and long, flowing hair. But the pinnacle of the photo was Meekins’ monocle that he bought off Amazon Prime, noting it took minutes to properly station on his face.

The virality started on Twitter when The Podcast About D3 Baseball tweeted Meekins’ head shots from freshman to senior year. The post read, “the progression of his roster photos from freshman year to now is like the galaxy brain meme but for facial hair and glasses.”

Soon after, Meekins was featured on MLB.com in an article headlined, “This college player’s evolving look is a journey.” Then came his cameo on Around the Horn.

“It’s been a whirlwind of a week,” he said. “But it’s been fun.”

The Salisbury athlete became a celebrity practically overnight, but his recent stardom hasn’t taken away from his primary objective of leading the Sea Gulls to victory.

“It’s funny that my stupidity in a sense got me there,” Meekins said with a laugh. “But I go out every day and play like it’s my last day on the field, play for my teammates, because that’s mainly the thing that keeps me going. I’m pushing myself the next few months and enjoying my time with my teammates.”

After a “normal” head shot freshman year, Meekins took his first steps toward going viral as a sophomore.

He started listening to country music artist Chris Stapleton, who sports a lengthy beard and long hair. Meekins decided to try the look on himself and came up with his first signature photo.

After adding a pair of large glasses, Meekins' long hair and bushy mustache immediately jumped out in Salisbury’s roster.

“Everyone would joke with me that I looked like a homeless guy or Jesus,” he said. “I guess I was just embracing the look of long hair and a beard. It wasn’t really a genius move, I just moved my hair forward, but it worked out.”

As a junior, Meekins found inspiration from Rollie Fingers, who played for the Oakland Athletics in the 70s. Fingers had a curly mustache that was well known throughout the MLB.

Having the facial hair required for the look, Meekins bought some hair gel and curled his mustache for his junior-season photo. Bringing back the thick glasses and expressionless look, the outfielder began to get recognized by other teams for his unique style.

“Every now and then when we play a team, there will be a guy who said he saw me on a page,” Meekins said. “I don’t see myself as a celebrity — I just have longer hair and a bigger beard.”

Meekins knew he had to outdo his previous head shots when the 2020 season rolled around.

The beard was fuller and his hair longer. Wanting to get away from the glasses, he opted to purchase a monocle and end his college career with a picture that made its way to the top of the sports world.

After Salisbury defeated Immaculata University on Feb. 19, Meekins opened his phone to nearly 50 text messages from friends, family and former teammates who saw the tweet from The Podcast About D3 Baseball. Once MLB.com and ESPN picked up the story, the outfielder’s phone never stopped.

“I was joking with the guys saying, ‘Oh, MLB.com is writing about me. I’m basically (Washington Nationals’ outfielder) Juan Soto,’ ” Meekins said with a laugh.

The senior continues to make his presence known both on and off the diamond.

Through five games, Meekins has a .400 average with nine runs, six hits and seven RBIs to help the Sea Gulls to a 4-1 record. The outfielder has been an all-conference first team selection every season and was named the Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 17.

After his squad fell in the NCAA Regional round last season, Meekins is confident the Sea Gulls have the potential to win the College World Series in 2020.

“We get after it every day,” he said. “So far, so good — we just have to keep it going.”

Meekins said his senior year likely marks the end of his baseball career.

Should an opportunity arise to take his game to the professional level, he’ll entertain the thought, but is prepared to start his life after college.

As for the hair, the senior expects to cut it following the season, but said pending on his employer’s wishes, the beard and mustache may stick around for the foreseeable future.

“I’ll definitely trim the mustache,” he said. “I’m like a napkin destroyer (when eating). When I go to the dining hall, I probably go through 20 napkins, so I may even have to trim it during the season if it gets too annoying.”

Source: USA Today

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