Baylor Baseball’s Renewed Pitching Philosophy: Pounding The Strike Zone
There's no question about it. It's been a rough couple of seaons for Baylor baseball, but even more so for the pitching staff, who's been at the bottom of the Big 12 in back-to-back years.
In desperate need of a solution on the mound, head coach Mitch Thompson parted ways with pitching coach James Leverton this offseason and hired Lamar's Sean Snedeker for the same position.
Snedeker, a seasoned veteran, has over 30 years of experience. During his time at the collegiate level, he has produced 38 MLB draft picks, five All-Americans, five conference pitchers of the year and 29 all-conference selections.
When the opportunity to move to Waco presented itself this past June, Snedeker couldn't say no.
"I'm originally from Bryan, College Station, so I've watched Baylor from afar for many years," Snedeker told the media on Tuesday. "I've gotten to know Coach Thompson for a long time now. I've always admired Baylor, the institution and what it stands for. Being in the Big 12 and playing big-time college athletics with a faith-based university really appealed to me."
Now, the focus turns to the current roster that returns all-conference left-handed pitcher Ethan Calder (Jr.), but a ton of question marks outside of that. With a senior-laden lineup, the ceiling of this year's Bears will likely be determined by the play of the pitching staff, a group that has impressed Snedeker so far this fall.
"It's been great; it's always an adjustment period because you're learning a new way of doing things," Snedeker said. "You've got a new collection of players you're trying to get used to, so that part of it is the challenge, but that part of it is the fun part as well because we've got a lot of talent here; I've been very encouraged by what I've seen so far, and it's been exciting."
In 2024 with the Cardinals, Lamar led the Southland Conference in every major pitching category, boasting the lowest earned run average (3.79) and batting average against (.228) by a wide margin.
Snedeker's pitching staff has led the league in ERA in each of the last four seasons, and he believes his players' success starts with confidence and an intent focus on attacking the strike zone.
"Confidence comes from results," he said. "I can tell them how good they are, but until they see that tangible evidence, there's always those doubts. Pitching is tough. I've tried to simplify that from an approach standpoint. I've emphasized strikes, as every pitching coach does, and they've embraced that part of it."
Snedeker's positive approach has been a breath of fresh air to the pitchers on Baylor's roster. When he speaks, they relish every word and have even referred to him as 'Master Oogway' from Kung Fu Panda, which Snedeker said with a grin that he takes as a compliment.
"He's been amazing so far," veteran right-handed pitcher Cole Stasio (RSr.) said. "All the guys have clung to him, and it's been pretty cool to see what he's done already."
"Right off the bat, you saw all of the guys cling to Sned and have respect for him," catcher Cortlan Castle (Sr.) reiterated. "You look at his resume and how he treats all the guys on the staff; all the pitchers respect him. With that [respect] has come confidence in their stuff because they know Sned believes in them more than anyone else."
One of Snedeker's fundamental beliefs about pitching is that the percentages are always in the pitcher's favor. For example, on average, batters hit .350 in 2-1 counts and hit .130 in 1-2 counts. Once his players grasp this, he wants them to pound the strike zone with confidence.
"I want our guys to be the predator, not the prey; I want them to be on the attack, then force hitters to put the ball in play," Snedeker said. "Then, as you do that, the counts start to roll in your favor, and now you have a chance to punch guys out. We've got plenty of talent and depth to be really good on the mound."
In 2024, BU had the highest ERA (6.51) in the Big 12 and the fourth-highest in the Power Five. Baylor was also last in the conference in free passes issued (340) and second-to-last in batting average against (.284). It was a similar story in 2023.
With Snedeker taking command of the pitching staff and emphasizing strikes, it's a revelation for fans after the last two years of immense struggles on the mound. Across roughly 90 innings in intrasquad scrimmages this fall, there have only been 30 walks handed out by Baylor pitchers.
"There's been a ton of strikes," Castle said. "Early on, it's been tough for the hitters because these guys are commanding the zone and throwing pitches where they want in whatever count. From a catching perspective, it's been great and fun to work with all of those guys. From a hitting perspective, those guys have been tough to face."
"He's shown us the numbers, and the numbers don't lie," Stasio said. "If you get ahead on batters, batting averages go down. It's about being confident in your stuff and knowing that we have seven or eight guys behind you who are going to make the play. So get ahead early and attack, attack, attack is what he's been preaching, and it's been working this fall."
When asked about some of the standout performers this fall, Snedeker refused to give names but stressed his confidence in the current pitching staff, which consists of 10 returners, eight transfers and seven freshmen.
"I really think the sky's the limit," Snedeker said. "I know in the past, Baylor struggled a little bit on the mound, and I'm here to try to right the ship. This certainly is not about me. It's about the guys in the uniform. But I see enough from these guys that we have here to have more than enough to be super competitive in this league."
In modern baseball, analytics is often used as a buzzword. This fall, the team has renewed its commitment to using analytics to help each pitcher improve. Alongside Snedeker is Brian Furlong, Baylor's director of player development, who specializes in data and helps work with pitch mechanics. Stasio credited Furlong as being one of the smartest people he knows.
"It's been an extreme change with the [analytics] aspect, and Sned has completely bought into it too," Stasio said. "He and Furlong are working together and have been able to fully help each guy figure out their strengths and run with it."
The synergy between Snedeker and Furlong has been nothing but positive for Baylor's pitchers this fall. The coaching staff wants to give the players access to "both worlds" regarding analytics and traditional methods and allow each player to determine what's best for them.
"The bottom line is, regardless of how you get the results, it's a results-oriented and results-based game," Snedeker said. "As long as we get the results, then I don't care how we get them, whether it's through analytics or whether it's through a traditional feel, but these guys have really embraced it and done well."
Throughout his long career, Snedeker has earned the respect of many players who have had successful careers in the MLB. When Snedeker took the job at Baylor this summer, current big league pitchers such as Marcus Stroman, Jordan Romano and Chi Chi Gonzales all supported their former coach and sang his praise.
"It is nice to get that positive affirmation from guys that you've had in the past, that you have made an impact on their life," Snedeker said. "I believe that if you treat people the right way, they'll understand that you've got their best interests at heart, and once you develop that relationship, the trust is there."
Despite his all-star resume, Snedeker has also felt the need to earn the respect of his current Baylor players since making the move to Waco.
"It's scary for them too," Stasio said. "Sned and I talked, and he said, 'I got to earn your guys' respect.' I never really saw from that perspective, but I was like, 'Your track record speaks for itself. We know that you've had success. We know what you're capable of. We're all bought in. We're ready to go.' The excitement was there right when he stepped on campus."
With Snedeker's positive impact already being felt throughout the team and with the pitching staff, there's real optimism that Baylor could make some noise for the first time in Thompson's tenure.
"My job is to help them have success, and I take that seriously," Snedeker said. "There are a lot of guys here who are talented enough to play professionally, and my task is to help them achieve that. But my first goal is to win here at Baylor, and I want to do whatever I can to help these guys have success here at Baylor."