Mason Meadows does not want anyone to feel sorry for him.

Two years ago, the Georgia catcher suffered one of the more gruesome injuries witnessed at Foley Field when he fouled a ball off his face during a game with LSU.

The injury left Meadows with fractures to his face, and it severely impacted his right eye. Thankfully, he's recovered, although the injury unfortunately impacted a once-promising baseball career.

Two years have passed since Meadows’ world was rocked. As the Bulldogs close out their regular season against Ole Miss, Georgia’s former starting catcher has only played in five games with one hit in six at-bats.

Fate may have dealt a cruel blow, but for a young man whose faith is the centerpiece of his life, there are no regrets.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. Roman’s 8:28 in the Bible says all things work out for the good of those who love God, according to his purpose, and that’s the way I feel,” Meadows said. “My faith is a big part of me; you know that. I had the opportunity to come back to Georgia this year, or I had the opportunity to take a free agent job, go with an independent team, or go somewhere else as a grad transfer. But Georgia was the place where I wanted to be.”

Meadows will be one of 11 Bulldog seniors (from 2020 and 2021) honored before Saturday’s home finale against Ole Miss.

For the former Pope High star, it will be his final opportunity to be recognized for a career, which, although it did not end on his terms, impacted everyone on the Bulldogs’ squad.

“Mason means a lot to everyone, and I've got a special place in my heart for that kid,” head coach Scott Stricklin said. “He's always worked, he's always stayed positive. When you see us score a run, he's the first one out of the dugout. I'm hoping this weekend we find a way to get him in there, because he certainly deserves it."

Teammate Riley King has been with Meadows throughout all his ups and downs.

Roommates on the road, King said he could talk for days about his good friend, who said he's made a bigger impact than perhaps even he realizes.

"He's truly has been a brother to me since Day 1 that I got here. He wants the best for everybody—he really does," King said. "Like me, he's a believer, he's a Christian. I tell him, I don't know if you know this, but the amount that you're doing for the Kingdom right now, with how strong and how powerful you're going through this situation, it's showing so much more power than you can even think of right now."

Meadows said he’s humbled to know the impact he’s been able to make.

“Whether it be my teammates, my family, my fiancé—I’ve always been extremely grateful, for that and for them. When things haven’t gone my way, I’ve had great people around me, and that’s why I’ve been able to have a lot of success,” Meadows said. “I was chosen as a captain for this team, and honestly, not a whole lot has changed. I feel like that’s been my mission, that’s been my goal ever since I got here.

"Even though I was a preferred walk-on, I was going to be a leader. I was going to be someone who thought they deserved to be here because I knew I did. I really just wanted to leave a legacy more than just the stats and things I was able to do on the field.”

Meadows takes pride that he’s leaving Georgia with the catcher position in good hands.

Fernando Gonzalez and Corey Collins are both enjoying solid freshmen campaigns, and although their arrival impacted his potential playing time, Meadows is thrilled with the success the pair has enjoyed.

“I wouldn’t take the year back for anything. I wouldn’t give it up for anything. Maybe it didn’t go exactly how I thought, but the Lord’s been faithful to me in the past, so I’m going to keep being faithful to him until he proves me wrong. I have been blessed beyond measure,” he said. “That’s truly how I feel. Even in the midst of my injury, going from playing in the Cape, hoping to be a top five round pick, to getting my world rocked, I have a lot to be grateful for.”

His faith is a huge reason why.

Although Meadows has not completely closed the door on playing the game, his future is set.

Armed with a degree in business management, Meadows already has a job offer.

“I’m weighing my options, just to see if that’s the route I want to go,” he said. “But I’m also completely open if a team wants to give me a chance to see what I can do, be it free agency or indy ball, so that’s definitely on the table as well. It’s a big decision whether to hang it up or not, but I would definitely love to get out there and still see what I could do.”

He's ready for what the future has in store, whatever that may be.

Engaged to be married this upcoming November, Meadows said he could not be more excited for what will be the biggest day of his life.

So, while the journey thus far has been tough, he’s been able to navigate the potholes just fine.

“One of the biggest things that’s helped me through this time is, I know who I am outside of baseball. I know there’s a lot of people who have their identity in sports. We hear it all the time, that it can be taken away from you, and one day you’ll have to hang it up,” he said. “I’ve been lucky to play this game for a long time and do things I never really thought I’d do. I’m happy with that, and I’m content with that; I’m also hungry for more.”