Sean Snedeker Named Baylor Baseball Pitching Coach

Wed Jun 12 09:45:00 CDT 2024

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – June 12, 2024

Sean Snedeker Named Baylor Baseball Pitching Coach
31-year coaching veteran brings 18 years of experience as a collegiate pitching coach to Waco
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball head coach Mitch Thompson announced Wednesday the addition of Sean Snedeker as the program’s pitching coach.

Snedeker, a 31-year coaching veteran, brings 18 years of experience as a collegiate pitching coach to Waco after spending the last seven seasons at Lamar. Prior to his time with the Cardinals, Snedeker made stops at Oral Roberts (2013-17) and Duke (2007-12) after a 13-year career in professional baseball.

“We are thrilled to add Sean Snedeker to our coaching staff here at Baylor,” Thompson said. “Sned has tremendous experience in leading successful college pitching staffs and has a great track record at developing pitchers for professional baseball. I have known Sean for over 20 years and have always been impressed with his work on the field and on the recruiting trail. I couldn’t be more excited to see him lead our pitching staff and am confident that he will develop a great working relationship with each of our pitchers in helping them to reach their full potential on and off the field.”

During his time at the collegiate level, Snedeker has produced 38 MLB draft picks, five All-Americans, five conference pitchers of the year and 29 all-conference selections. At each of his three previous collegiate stops, Snedeker has led a pitching staff to a top-10 ERA ranking nationally, including Lamar in 2024 (3.79, 2nd) and 2023 (3.96, 6th), Oral Roberts in 2017 (3.06, 6th) and Duke in 2008 (3.71, 6th).

“I can’t begin to tell you how happy and excited I am to be joining Mitch’s staff at Baylor,” Snedeker said. “I am honored he has put his trust in me to be an addition to an already very talented and capable coaching staff. I have always been aware of and impressed with the history, tradition and reputation of Baylor Baseball. I am looking forward to meeting the team and can’t wait to get started!”

In seven seasons at Lamar, Snedeker produced pitching staffs that led the league in ERA in each of the last four seasons (Southland – 2021, 2023, 2024; WAC – 2022). Snedeker’s 2024 staff was one of the nation’s best with the second-lowest ERA in the country (3.79), third-best WHIP (1.23), fourth-best hits per nine (7.60) and a 2.31 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Cardinals allowed just 3.44 walks per nine innings, ranking 17th in the country, and held opponents to just a .228 batting average.

All three of LU’s weekend starters earned all-conference recognition in 2024, including Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year Brooks Caple. Caple (7-3, 2.40 ERA, 102 SO) earned first-team praise, while Jacob Ellis (8-1, 4.22 ERA, 72 SO) and Hunter Hesseltine (7-3, 3.59 ERA, 48 SO) both garnered spots on the second team.

Strong pitching performances helped Lamar to 44 regular-season wins in 2024, tied for the third-most nationally, and contributed to the Cardinals knocking off five Power-5 teams a season ago. Snedeker mentored Caple (5-0, 3.19 ERA, 50 SO) and Hesseltine (4-2, 3.98 ERA, 46 SO) to their first-career all-conference honors in 2023 as the duo highlighted an LU pitching staff which ranked sixth nationally with a 3.96 ERA.

Snedeker also transformed former high school shortstop Ryan Erickson into one of the nation’s top relievers, earning a spot on the 2019 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award watch list after posting a 3-1 record and 1.66 ERA across 25 appearances in 2018, while adding four saves.

While at Lamar, four pitchers were either drafted or signed free agent contacts under Snedeker’s tutelage, including Tanner Driskell (9th Round, Washington Nationals – 2018), Jason Blanchard (9th Round, San Diego Padres – 2019), Austin Faith (UDFA, New York Mets – 2020) and Jack Dallas (UDFA, Philadelphia Phillies – 2022). Dallas holds Lamar’s career records for saves and appearances, in addition to the top-two single-season saves records in program history.

Before his time at Lamar, Snedeker was the architect behind one of the nation’s top pitching staffs during his five seasons at Oral Roberts. In 2017, the Golden Eagles finished sixth nationally with a 3.06 ERA, surrendering fewer than nine hits per nine innings while also ranking among the nation’s top-10 in shutouts (eight). Snedeker’s staff led ORU to a 43-win season and its third-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, as the Golden Eagles won the Summit League with a near perfect 25-4 record, 6.5 games clear of second place in the standings.

During his time with the Golden Eagles, Snedeker helped ORU lay the foundation for one of the strongest runs in Summit League history. ORU won three consecutive league titles during Snedeker’s tenure from 2015-17 and went 122-53 (.697) during the run, including a 72-17 (.809) mark in conference games. Snedeker coached three conference Pitchers of the Year at ORU in Miguel Ausua (2017), Xavier Altamirano (2015) and Alex Gonzalez (2013). Additionally, Jordan Romano was tabbed the Southland’s Relief Pitcher of the Year in 2014.

The Golden Eagles advanced to the 2016 Fort Worth Regional behind a pitching staff that led the Summit League with a 3.91 ERA. That season, Snedeker produced a closer who set the ORU single-season record for saves (14) in Brady Womacks, while Bryce Howe led the league with 84 strikeouts and Nick Wood led the Summit in ERA (2.68). All three were named to the All-Summit League Team along with fellow pitcher Cale Tims.

While at ORU, Snedeker mentored 16 players who went on to professional careers, including 2013 Texas Rangers first-rounder Alex “ChiChi” Gonzalez and 2014 Toronto Blue Jays 10th-round selection Jordan Romano.

Prior to his time at Oral Roberts, Snedeker spent six seasons as the pitching coach at Duke, leading a Blue Devils staff that finished sixth nationally in ERA in 2008 (3.71). Snedeker’s staffs improved in strikeouts each year and ranked ninth nationally in 2012 with 8.00 strikeouts per nine innings. He helped develop over a dozen professional pitching prospects while at Duke, including two-time MLB All-Star Marcus Stroman, the 22nd overall selection by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2012 MLB Draft.

A 13-year career in professional baseball preceded Snedeker’s time as a collegiate pitching coach, including 12 seasons in the Chicago White Sox organization and another year in the Los Angeles Dodgers system. In the pro ranks, Snedeker coached more than 50 current or former major league pitchers, including MLB All-Star Adam Wainwright (Arizona Fall League) and 2012 All-Star and National League Cy Young Award runner-up Gio Gonzalez.

A standout at Texas A&M from 1987-88, Snedeker compiled a 17-4 overall record in his collegiate playing career. In 1988, Snedeker posted a 9-2 record and a 3.50 ERA while striking out 87 batters and walking 41, earning the C.E. “Pat” Olsen Outstanding Pitcher Award.

Snedeker was selected in the 30th round of the 1988 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and reached Double-A San Antonio before leaving to join the coaching ranks. Professionally, he compiled a 34-21 record with a career 3.24 ERA. His career highlight came while pitching for Class-A Vero Beach in 1991, when he tossed a perfect game on August 28 against the Port St. Lucie Mets. Snedeker was also teammates with MLB Hall of Famers Mike Piazza and Pedro Martinez while playing for the San Antonio Missions.

Snedeker graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in kinesiology in 1990 and added a master’s degree in the same field in 2000. He and his wife, Mary Jane, have two children, a daughter, Sydney, and a son, Sy, who played at and graduated from Princeton in 2021 and spent the 2022 season at Grand Canyon.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.

-BaylorBears.com-

__________________________________

Max Calderone | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (Baseball, Football)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-265-1639

[signature_968782835]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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