Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina right-handed reliever
Mason Snyder was today named Southern Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week as he continues to excel out of the bullpen for the Catamounts this season. Snyder continued his strong early-season effort on the mound for the Catamounts, with two scoreless relief appearances in wins over No. 11/8 Georgia and Radford in a neutral field contest in Charlotte.
The weekly award is the second this season for WCU baseball as Snyder joins battery-mate
Noah Quarless, who collected the player honor back on Feb. 16. It's the first for the junior transfer in his time in the Purple & Gold. WCU earned a weekly pitching honor a season ago as
Brandon Langley was honored around the same week last season with the release on March 9, 2025.
In the win over the hot-hitting Bulldogs, Snyder came on with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning after Georgia smashed a pair of home runs and a double to erase an early WCU lead. He coaxed a groundout to end the fourth, came through with a strikeout, and two clutch ground balls to strand a leadoff triple in the fifth to keep the deficit at one run.
Teammate
Mason Holton, who was nominated for the SoCon Player of the Week honor, smashed a ninth-inning grand slam that gave WCU the lead for good in a 10-9 upset win over the SEC foe.
Snyder was strong again in a 10-0 win over Radford, picking up the win after pitching 4.0 innings of scoreless relief with a season-high seven strikeouts and only one walk. He came on in the fourth and finished the run-ruled, seven-inning game against the Highlanders.
A product of Ocilla, Ga., Snyder continues to boast a 0.00 seasonal ERA with a 3-0 record over five appearances and 18.0 innings of work. He has struck out 22 against just three walks this season with just nine hits allowed, including seven singles.
On Deck for Western Carolina:
Western Carolina travels to rival Appalachian State (10-5), winners of three-straight, on Tuesday, March 10, in midweek nonconference action before opening an eight-game home stand that includes the first Southern Conference series of the year. First pitch in Boone on Tuesday at Beaver Field at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. in a game that will be broadcast on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required).
The Catamounts lead the all-time series against the former SoCon foe Mountaineers, 84-54-1, though App State has won seven of the last nine head-to-head meetings dating back to 2015. The Mountaineers have won five straight over WCU in Boone. Appalachian State was picked 10th in the preseason Sun Belt Conference, with graduate infielder Joseph Zamora and junior DH Kameron Miller dubbed preseason All-Sun Belt.
WCU then opens a four-game series against Morehead State in Cullowhee on Thursday, March 12, at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium in Cullowhee.
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