HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

As the sun sank and darkness fell in Caldwell, Colton Sneddon sounded cheery - almost strangely so. His Highland team's season had just ended, sputtering out with a first-round loss at the state tournament back in late May, but the outgoing senior wore a warm smile. There wasn't exactly a volcano hurtling toward earth.

Right outside the College of Idaho baseball field, where he had yielded just three runs across six innings, Sneddon explained there was a lot to look forward to: American Legion baseball this summer. The rest of the school year. Making more memories with his friends before they all moved on to their next chapters.

Only problem: Sneddon didn't have his written yet.

He would love to play college baseball, he said, but he didn't have any offers. Maybe something would come along. Perhaps he could work something out at the last minute. On this night, though, he didn't have anything lined up. Still, he smiled.

So if it sounded like Sneddon had something up his sleeve back then, it's because in the end, he did.

Earlier this month, Sneddon joined the College of Southern Idaho's team, becoming a late addition to the Golden Eagles' roster for next spring. For Sneddon, it amounts to a dream come to fruition, an opportunity to play college baseball some two hours from his hometown.

"I'm so excited," Sneddon said. "Stay close to home."

Here's the twist: For as quickly as Sneddon's spot on the team seemed to come together, in truth, it was brewing for years.

When he became a Highland freshman, Sneddon began attending camps at CSI, where he got to know pitching coach Nick Aiello. He liked what he saw from Sneddon, but he wasn't ready to extend an offer, not even in the years that followed. But they built a connection. "He kinda got a couple looks at me," Sneddon said.

Aiello got another one earlier this summer, when Sneddon's American Legion team, the Runnin' Rebels, traveled to Twin Falls to play a Nevada team. "They had four losses or something," Sneddon said, "and I gave them their fifth." In seven full innings, Sneddon fanned six and scattered nine hits, holding the Reno club to just two runs (one earned).

Sneddon picked a good time to twirl one of his best games of the summer. Afterward, Aiello pulled Sneddon aside and told him he was impressed. Aiello appreciated Sneddon's approach on the mound, where he wastes few pitches, filling up the strike zone like rain in a bucket. Plus, Sneddon had boosted his velocity, especially with his fastball.

Then Aiello delivered the news Sneddon wanted all along: There was a spot for Sneddon on the CSI team.

"Right there, I was like, yeah, I wanna do it," Sneddon said. "So let's do it."

Sneddon took more time to think about it, though. He had interest from an Arizona school, which forced him to make a decision. Which way did he want to go? His parents were moving to Arizona this summer anyway. Maybe that would be the smarter move.

Instead, Sneddon decided on the Golden Eagles, in large part because he trusted Aiello to do what he has in the past: Move him on to a four-year program. "And I see myself moving on," Sneddon said.

If Sneddon earns the chance to do that, he'll likely do it the same way he did the one at CSI: By developing his body, his repertoire.

Last winter, Sneddon got to work. He built velocity on his fastball, which now hovers around 86-88 mph. He also tweaked his mechanics, learning how to use his legs more in his delivery, how to rotate his hips more effectively. He even learned a changeup, which gives him three pitches to choose from: Fastball, curveball, changeup. "That was one of the big jumps from my junior to senior year," Sneddon said.

That helped Sneddon become Highland's ace. In 11 starts during his senior season, he went 6-4, compiling a 2.41 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. Batters hit just .179 against him. He may have ended his season with a loss, but immediately after that game, you wouldn't have guessed. Turns out, he had something to look forward to all along.

Greg Woods is a sports reporter at the Idaho State Journal. Follow him on Twitter at GregWWoods.