A true throwback baseball player, Rod Swenson was a gamer who wanted to be relied upon in the biggest moments and in the biggest games. More times than not, when Swenson had the ball on the mound he was going to pitch all seven innings and there were even times when that wasn’t enough as evidenced by his starting both games of a doubleheader as the Gusties contended for a playoff spot down the stretch in his senior season. Swenson was a dominate pitcher who pounded the strike zone, while also providing the team with offensive power from the left side of the plate. A three-time All-Conference selection in 1997, 1998, and 1999, Swenson made a program-record 12 starts in 1999 and ranks fourth all-time in single season strikeout with 55. He holds three of the top 10 spots in single season strikeouts in the program’s history. Swenson finished his collegiate career with a 2.68 earned runs average, which ranks sixth in program history. He graduated with 175 strikeouts and 34 starts, both of which rank second in the Gustavus record books. Swenson also graduated as the school record holder with 206.1 innings pitched, which currently ranks third.
The 1998 season was a special year for Swenson and the Gustie baseball team as the tornado that hit campus in March forced the team to play all of its games on the road. Swenson posted a 7-1 mark on the year, with the lone loss coming against Division I University of Minnesota. His impressive season totals included 63.1 innings pitched, a 3.21 ERA, 55 strikeouts, and a .255 opponent’s batting average. In 1999, Swenson was named to the All-Midwest Region Second Team after posting a 5-2 record and 2.52 ERA.
Since graduating in 1999 with a degree in business management, Swenson has spent the past 12 years at US Bank as a vice president. Rod lives in Minneapolis with his wife Kyra and their children, Liam and Emma.
