Tidwell attended Loretto High School in Loretto, Tennessee, where he played baseball and was teammates with Ryan Weathers.[1][2] In 2019, his junior year, he was named Tennessee Mr. Baseball after going 8-0 with 107 strikeouts alongside batting .557.[3] He played only one game during his senior season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
In 2021, as a freshman for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team, Tidwell was inserted into their starting rotation.[5] He finished his freshman season starting 18 games and going 10-3 with a 3.74 ERA and ninety strikeouts over 98+2⁄3 innings.[6] He was named to the USA Baseball National Collegiate Team after the season alongside teammate Drew Gilbert.[7] Tidwell entered the 2022 season as a preseason All-American and a top prospect for the upcoming draft.[8] He missed the beginning of the season dealing with shoulder soreness.[9][10] After missing Tennessee's first 24 games, he made his season debut in late March, pitching one inning in relief.[11] He made his first start of the season on April 5 in a 5-1 win versus Lipscomb.[12] He finished the season having appeared in 13 games (making nine starts), going 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA and 51 strikeouts over 39 innings.[13]
Tidwell made his professional debut with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Mets and was promoted to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets after one game.[17] Over 9+1⁄3 innings pitched for the season, he went 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA, 11 strikeouts, and seven walks.[18]
Tidwell was assigned to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones to begin the 2023 season.[19] In late June, he was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies.[20] Over 25 starts, Tidwell went 11-6 with a 3.57 ERA and 153 strikeouts over 116 innings.[21]
