Price is Right for Jason Van Meetren

Jason Van Meetren's Stanford club may not have picked up championship rings at last spring's College World Series, but that doesn't mean the Bishop Gorman graduate is going back to school empty-handed.

Far from it. After making an appearance on the "Price is Right" game show last Wednesday, the Las Vegan will go back for his sophomore year this week with a few extra bags in tow.

The former Gael star -- now a center fielder and pitcher for the Cardinal -- got his chance when his aunt sent for, and received, tickets for his favorite game show.

Van Meetren headed to the Hollywood, Calif., studio with his aunt, uncle and grandparents, assuming he would get to watch the taping of the show. As it turned out, Van Meetren got to do a lot more, as he was called down as the hour's final contestant.

"When we first got there we went in front of the producers and say your name and where you're from and why you'd like to be on the show," Van Meetren said. "I think I kind of got lucky."

Not quite as lucky as what happened next, when Van Meetren came the closest to guessing the correct value of a set of paint supplies. They were priced at $702, and his $600 bid was enough to get him onto the stage, and face-to-face with Bob Barker.

"At that point I just wanted to make sure I didn't trip," Van Meetren said.

To his delight, Van Meetren soon learned he would play for a brand new car. To drive it home, he'd have to successfully navigate the "Dice Game," in which contestants roll a die and guess whether digits in the price of the car are higher or lower than the number they rolled.

Van Meetren came within one digit of winning the car, but guessed wrong on the final number. All was not lost, however, as a chance to spin the wheel for a spot in the "Showcase Showdown" still loomed.

"My uncle said, 'If you get up there, spin the wheel as hard as you can,' " said Van Meetren, whose initial two spins produced a 65-cent total -- enough to qualify him for a one-spin playoff.

After spinning for 70 cents his next time up, Van Meetren stood and watched as his remaining opponent took his turn. The wheel appeared headed toward 75 cents, then stopped one notch short, at 40 cents, to put Van Meetren into the ultimate Price is Right challenge -- the showcase showdown.

The first opponent bid $18,000 on a showcase that included a new truck, a dining room set and a refrigerator. Van Meetren then got a look at his showcase -- a combination of a bedroom set, a camera and a trip to Portugal.

After bidding $12,750, the Las Vegan had to sweat out the commercial break, before learning that his opponent was just $1,800 under the actual price for her showcase.

"At that point I'm thinking, 'I'm going to go through this whole thing and all I'm going to win are some paint supplies,' " he said.

Moments later, though, the actual price of Van Meetren showcase was unveiled and, at $12,967, he proved to be a mere $217 off.

"My family came up on the stage and celebrated, my uncle jumped onto the bed, it was like a big blur," said Van Meetren, whose episode will air on Nov. 16. "Plus, the coolest part was I got to meet Bob Barker."

Now, Van Meetren is hoping some of his game show luck will rub off on his sophomore season. After beginning his freshman year as the Cardinal's starting leftfielder, the Gorman grad injured his arm while pitching and never got back into the lineup.

Although Stanford went all the way to the College World Series final, ultimately losing to Miami (Fla.), Van Meetren was left off the postseason roster and did not make the trip.

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