Wichita State Pitcher Nate Sneed Transferring To Tennessee

The Volunteers seemed to have gotten the jump on getting pitchers early in the college baseball offseason. On Wednesday, the Vols got Nate Snead, a right-hander from Wichita State, to sign with them in the transfer portal.

Snead is a potential-filled prospect. With the Shockers, he pitched 42.2 innings in 2023 and had 53 strikeouts while giving up 18 runs for a 3.16 ERA. Another stand-out stat was how he gave up only one home run all season. Snead has a major weapon in a high 90s to 100+ mph fastball that he puts at the top of his arsenal. His big, 6-foot-2-inch frame allows him to cover the mound with huge strides and deliver powerful pitches to the plate. He is listed as a relief pitcher and never pitched in more than three innings in any of his appearances. However, in plenty of these appearances, he had strikeout numbers that reached 4 or 5 very often. He had 4+ strikeout outings in relief in seven games he played this year.

It should not be a big deal if Tennessee baseball fans are worried about the lack of long, drawn-out appearances. The Vols have plenty of starters returning, and they also just received A.J. Causey in the portal from Jacksonville State, who was also a reliever. It shows that the Tennessee coaching staff is going after more players in the bullpen. This need for bullpen relievers from other schools also arose from the announcement of Chase Burns leaving Knoxville and entering the transfer portal. Snead is a lot like Burns, with a very high-velocity fastball and commanding presence when he comes in relief. Tennessee's rotation is getting reloaded, and the addition of Snead helps the pitching staff look primed for another good run next season.

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