Jan. 21, 2015
After playing in just 11 games in 2013 due to a shoulder injury, Dansby Swanson exploded offensively as a sophomore in helping the Commodores win the national championship. He started all 72 games, hit .333 and scored a team-high 63 runs. The unanimous All-American from Marietta, Ga., emerged as a leader and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series. As a junior he’ll move from second base back to shortstop, his natural and favorite position.
What has it been like since you won a national championship? Has it settled down now that you’re back at school?
Yes and no. I still think it is a little bit surreal when you see the kids walking around campus with the 2014 national championship shirts on and recognizing you here and there. But for the most part we’ve gone through a whole fall starting the new team and you really don’t have that much time to reflect on it. You kind of move past because that’s how the game goes and looking forward to starting things back up next year. It is surreal but at the same time you haven’t had much chance to reflect on it.
Looking back, though, if there was one particular moment that stuck out, what would it be?
There’s so many. Obviously Norwood, the home run, is the given. But I think just the closeness we had over that last three weeks was something special. Our chemistry completely heightened throughout that postseason run. That is one of those things you’ll never forget is being out there with your boys.
What do you guys have to prove going into this season?
I wouldn’t necessarily talk about it as something to prove really. I think it is just another opportunity for us to achieve at the highest level. (Head coach Tim Corbin’s) coach at Ohio Wesleyan (Kevin Colbert) came and spoke to us. He is now the general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers. After they won one of those Super Bowls, it was basically 2014 is done and now we know 2015 is attainable. So you’re just setting out new goals and accomplishments to be able to get to that highest level again. We’re not defending anything because 2014 trophy is 2015 trophy. We’re not defending anything. We’re setting out on a new journey.
How long have you played baseball?
I grew up in a really, really athletic family so all I remember is a bat and a ball. I probably had one in my crib when I was 1 year old.
Your dad obviously played then and got you into it?
My dad (Cooter) played baseball at college (Troy). My mom (Nancy) played tennis and basketball in college (Troy). My brother (Chase) played baseball in college (Mercer) and my sister (Lindsey) played softball in college (Georgia College). It is just what we do. It is what we love doing. It is what we still do today. It is completely ingrained in us. And mom is the best athlete by the way – that’s a known fact. She is in the athletic hall of fame in my high school (Marietta High).
Did you play any other sports in high school or was it always baseball?
I played basketball in high school (and was a team captain the last two years). At one point in my junior year I was really trying to pursue and play both. But I realized baseball was where my future lied. Yeah, I do miss basketball. I could have played in college somewhere.
Who is the best basketball player on the baseball team (Swanson ranks third at Marietta High with 171 career 3-pointers)?
Well, B-Mill (reliever Brian Miller) is gone… So me. My freshman and sophomore year here I could actually dunk. Throw it off the backboard, catch it with two hands and dunk.
What do you expect out of this season?
I think it is going to be a fun year. I think it is exciting just to see because last year we were pretty inexperienced. Just seeing the experience coming back from that is very interesting. There aren’t really any comparisons because obviously freshman year was out of this world. This past year was a ride in itself. This year will be, I think, a combination of both, honestly. There are a couple gaps that need to be filled but they will be filled. A lot of the freshmen too have a lot of physical talent but haven’t played baseball as long. People that will get there but they just need the time. Once we come back after having worked out, winter break will be a huge difference in everyone. This could be an awesome ride. That’s for sure. I’m looking forward to each and every moment of it.
You’re not blind to it and neither are your teammates that there are two or three guys on this team, including yourself, projected to go in the first round of next year’s MLB Draft. Is that hard at all for you guys to not look ahead to the draft?
For me it serves as a motivator. In this game, you strive for success. Everyone likes to be recognized for playing well. I think it serves as a little competition between all of us to see who can be picked higher. But that is not in the forefront. When it happens it ends up happening. Right now, we’re going to do our best to win. We do a good job of not caring what people think, really. We just do us and put the blinders on. What happens out there (on the baseball field) is all that really matters and helping this Vandy team win again.
