Former Stephens County ace pitcher Davis Swenson has landed at Georgia College after spending his first two years after high school at Gordon State College. While his team has changed 3 times in the last 4 years, his production has remained consistent.

The 2022 season at Georgia College, his first with the Bobcats, has seen him sport a 3-1 record with a 5.21 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 38 innings of work. That includes a complete game, one of 4 in which he’s thrown at the college level. The junior made the move from Gordon State in part due to it feeling like home, and another part due to a familiar coach.

“My head coach at Gordon State, Kent Rollins, was an assistant coach for a short period here at GCSU,” says Swenson. “He had mentioned looking into Georgia College as my next home. After I went on a visit, I knew that this was a place I would enjoy attending school at. Also, I really liked what Coach Belcher and Coach Baker were trying to build here at GCSU.”

Swenson pitched in 3 games in his COVID-shortened freshman season at Gordon, but was pitching very well before the shutdown. In limited action, he was 2-0 with a sparkling 1.80 ERA and 23 strikeouts across 20 innings. In his first full season (2021), he was 3-4 with a 3.98 ERA and 63 K, working 54.1 innings. He had one complete game in 2020 and 2 in 2021. His career numbers to date include a record of 8-5, with a 4.02 ERA and 132 punchouts in 112 innings on the bump. He has hurled 4 complete games. As is usual, Swenson aims for victory each time he toes the rubber.

“I always try and put my team in the best position to win every time I step on the mound,” states Swenson. “As a starter, I feel that if I can do that, I have done my job. Team goals always revolve around the aspect of winning in all aspects. If we are putting our best effort into everything we do, on and off the field everyday, we will prevail when we need to. Teams that grind out all aspects of their life always end up on top. So, my team goal is to strive to be the best version of ourselves in everything we do.”

Though a lot has gone right so far for the Stephens County alum, a pitcher’s life can be a grind, and means every hitter and every inning is a new battle. Times like those, Swenson has to dig deep.

“When tough situations arise on the mound, I always try to not get ahead of myself,” adds Swenson. “As an athlete, it is easy to think about what may happen in the future. If I can focus on one pitch at a time, that’s when I usually find myself staying calm and collected in high pressure moments. I also find myself leaning on just trying to relax and have fun in big moments. Besides, what’s the point in playing sports if you aren’t enjoying yourself?”

It appears that Swenson is having a lot of fun this season for the Bobcats, who are 16-12 overall and an even 6-6 in conference play. The former All-Conference pitcher while at Gordon State actually kept a year of eligibility due to the 2020 pandemic. It remains to be seen if he ends up using that and plays 3 years at Georgia College or just 2. As an Indian at Stephens County, Swenson was an All-Region and All-State honoree.