Lake Central’s Hunter Snyder has a number of reasons to be excited about the future.
Snyder is a Columbia recruit who envisions a career in finance. But with the Indians’ typical talent and potential this season, the senior shortstop is rooted in the present.
Griffin Tobias, an Indiana commit, has seen that concentration from his teammate.
“He’s a great leader,” Tobias said. “He’s always there to have your back when things aren’t going right. Our goal obviously is to win every game, but obviously that’s not going to happen. Our long-term goal is to win state, and he’s putting us in the right direction toward that goal.”
Lake Central coach Mike Swartzentruber, who said Snyder would be the first player to go to the Ivy League in “my 27 years as a coach,” suggested Snyder is always headed in the right direction.
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Swartzentruber said. “Great kid. Great family. We talk about intangibles a lot — hard worker, coachable, doesn’t cause problems in school, not a discipline problem, don’t have to worry about him getting in trouble away from school, takes care of academics. He gets along with teammates. They like him.
“You name it, he’s just a fantastic kid. He has a bright future, whether it’s in baseball or beyond that. He has a lot going for him. He has a lot to look forward to. He’s going to do a lot of good things, no doubt about it.”
On the field, Snyder is in his third season as a starter since his freshman season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He’s hitting .438 with three doubles and a team-high nine RBIs for Lake Central (4-1, 2-0), which topped Merrillville for a Duneland Athletic Conference win on Wednesday.
Snyder hit .376 with 23 RBIs and 12 stolen bases last year and .338 with 15 RBIs during his sophomore season, when he missed sectionals after suffering a knee injury with about two weeks left in the regular season. He played through some bumps and bruises last season, and Swartzentruber said he’s been dealing with back issues.
“He’s battled some injuries, but he seems to be doing pretty well now,” Swartzentruber said.
Snyder rededicated himself in the weight room in the offseason and gained close to 10 pounds.
“I’ve really focused on becoming a well-rounded ballplayer,” he said.
He committed to Columbia in December 2021. He cited the academics, including his field of study; the coaching staff; and New York City among the reasons for his decision.
He most recently took a trip to the university during fall break in October. He made his official visit in September 2021 with his father and brother Brody. They stayed in a hotel near Times Square.
“That was chaotic, crazy,” Snyder said. “It was definitely unique. I’ve never really been in that type of environment before. We took it all in. The culture is just so much different than out here in the Midwest.
“It’s going to be a different environment for me, but I feel like I can handle it. The coaching staff was super welcoming. They’re a younger staff, and they just get after it. … That program just really revolves around grit, and that’s something I want to play behind.”
Swartzentruber recalled how far ahead Snyder has been.
“He was taking pretty high-level math classes here at LC when he was in middle school,” Swartzentruber said. “He would come up here and do that.”
Snyder began building a math tutoring business when he was a sophomore and said it “took off” this year, with around 25 clients, ranging from second graders to college students. He curtailed his sessions in February as he shifted into high-gear baseball mode.
He has also been giving baseball instruction to seventh graders and eighth graders. He hosted a camp in the offseason that drew more than 70 kids.
In Snyder’s estimation, there’s a common thread between teaching math and baseball.
“That’s the best part about it, just influencing kids,” he said.
There’s one kid in particular he has been influencing who is especially close to his heart — his sister Soleil, a seventh grader.
His brother Brody is a junior who plays volleyball.
“He’s more academic than me, which is hard to be,” Snyder said. “He was a Science Olympiad state champ last year. He’s looking to go to Purdue for software engineering.”
And Soleil?
“She’s like a mini version of me,” Snyder said. “She’s super athletic. She plays softball. She’s my sidekick — that’s the perfect word.”
In a perfect world for Snyder, the Indians would cap this season with a state title.
“I haven’t set any personal goals,” he said. “I just have certain expectations for myself — being a great teammate, showing up for energy and just getting the job done. I want to get everybody incorporated.
“We’re like brothers. With all of us, it feels like we all have the same blood, we all bleed the same. We’re all connected. We all know each other. There’s not one outlier.”