OMAHA, Neb. – Nate Snead has emerged as a crucial late-inning asset for Tennessee’s bullpen this season.
The sophomore right-handed pitcher has showcased his growth at the College World Series, successfully closing out each of Tennessee’s three victories.
“It’s honestly my dream. Dream come true, honestly,” Snead said. “It’s a lot of fun going out there and doing what I do.”
Snead has leveraged his high 90s fastball and curveball to keep hitters off-balance during his three appearances in the College World Series.
Tennessee coach Tony Vitello relied on Snead in high-leverage innings during the team’s first game against Florida State. Snead delivered 2 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, allowing just one hit and striking out two batters to earn the win.
Two days later, Snead entered in the eighth inning and threw two scoreless innings in Tennessee’s 6-1 victory over North Carolina.
On Wednesday, Snead pitched a scoreless ninth inning, helping the Volunteers defeat Florida State 7-2 to advance to the championship series.
This season, Snead boasts a 10-2 record with five saves, a 3.10 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 25 walks in 72 2/3 innings.
“Attacking, attacking the zone, seeing what’s working with what counts and feeling out what pitchers are feeling good,” said Snead on his success at the CWS. “I’m just going out there and attacking.”
Snead’s development and rise as a baseball prospect over the last two years are noteworthy. The South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native has evolved from a lightly recruited high school prospect to a standout pitcher as a sophomore for the Volunteers.
Snead was a talented high school pitcher in Wisconsin but didn’t draw significant recruiting interest. During the first semester of his senior year, he initially committed to Iowa Western, a quality junior college program. He reopened the recruiting process in June 2022 after Iowa Western’s head coach accepted the same position at Western Kentucky.
He committed to Wichita State, where he made all but one of his 24 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 3.16 ERA with 53 strikeouts and 17 walks in 42 2/3 innings in 2023.
After the season, Snead entered the transfer portal due to a coaching change and his desire to compete at college baseball’s highest level. He committed to Tennessee over interest from LSU and Arkansas.
“This was absolutely the plan. This is why I came here,” said Snead on pitching in the CWS for Tennessee. “This is what I wanted to do when I was here. Getting to do it now is pretty exciting.”
Tennessee is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament and is trying to make history. Miami is the only No. 1 overall seed to win the national championship (1999) in the tournament’s current format. The Volunteers are just the third No. 1 seed ― the 2004 and 2009 Texas Longhorns ― to reach the College World Series championship series since Miami’s victory.
The Volunteers are seeking their first-ever national title, as they finished as the runner-up in 1951.
“I think we show a lot of heart,” Snead said. “We show how much we want to win and how much we attack and want to be together. We work for each other. I think it’s a really big part that’s going to help us.”
Want to learn more about Nate Snead and his development? Read a detailed story about his recruitment and development into a quality arm for Tennessee this season here.
Dan Zielinski III has covered the MLB draft for nine years. He has interviewed 518 of the top draft prospects in that period, including four No. 1 overall picks. Multiple publications, including Baseball America, USA Today, MLB.com, The Arizona Republic and The Dallas Morning News, have quoted his work, while he has appeared on radio stations as a “MLB draft expert.” Follow him on Twitter @DanZielinski3.
