LACEY, WA — Joey Swanson, heading into his ninth season on the Saint Martin's Baseball staff, has been named the Interim Head Baseball Coach for the upcoming season.

Swanson has primarily worked with the team's hitters and catchers during his time at SMU. He has been crucial in developing a lot of the offensive strategy the Saints use on the field, which set top-10 all-time school marks in doubles, stolen base percentage, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, triples, RBIs, total bases, and fewest strikeouts during the 2024 season. His trio of catchers last year threw out 19 base runners and only allowed 10 passed balls combined - both of which are school records. Swanson has helped develop three First-Team All-GNAC players, 12 Second-Teamers, and 14 Honorable Mentions during his time as a Saint.

Coach Swanson joined the baseball program as a volunteer coach under Ken Garland in 2016 and was promoted to an official assistant role under Gau in 2018. Previously, Swanson had spent over two decades as an umpire and youth coach and helped hundreds of players realize their collegiate aspirations along the way. Swanson played junior college baseball at Lane Community College and Skagit Valley College before injuries pushed him to pursue coaching.

Swanson is excited to continue the work of his predecessors and expressed gratitude about the program's trust in his abilities:

I am so grateful for President Brownsberger's trust in this decision. Coach Garland gave me an opportunity as a volunteer coach. We have met some wonderful people along the way. Kelly is an awesome friend and we are so grateful that he came into our lives. We will do everything we can to continue to honor the both of them. We hope that Kelly, Ken, and others can look back a year from now and know that the program is in a better place. Excited to bring Coach Oshiro on board and get to work with the staff and the rest of the team.  We are looking forward to the challenges ahead and can't wait to go to battle with these young men. Have some great pieces to the puzzle, it's exciting. It's time to leave our legacy now."

Swanson succeeds Kelly Gau, who stepped down from his position as head coach after seven seasons. Gau amassed a record of 99-202-1 during his time with the program, and we thank him for his service and commitment to Saint Martin's University, the athletic department, and the wider Lacey community.