Riley Swenson

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Ben Ludeman

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Eric Miller

Photo by: Jaylynn Nash

Position:
Catcher
Ht./Wt.:
6-3 / 195
Bats/Throws:
R/R
Class:
Redshirt Freshman
Hometown:
Chaska, Minn.
High School:
Chaska

PRONUNCIATION

HONORS & AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten (2022)
Cambria College Classic All-Tournament Team (2023)
David Chelesnik Jr. Memorial Award (2022)

HIGHLIGHTS
2023 Season

2023 | REDSHIRT SENIOR Started in 36 of the 39 games he played in, slashing .200/.407/.234 with a team-high eight home runs and 23 RBI · totaled 27 hits, 15 runs scored and four doubles · posted a .993 fielding percentage with 254 putouts and 29 assists behind the dish. Game Highlights: Started the year with a hit and two RBI vs. No. 18 Oregon State (Feb. 18) · went 2-for-3 with a home run vs. Hawaii (March 3) · tallied a 1-for-4 outing with a home run vs. Ole Miss (March 4) · hit a two-run home run vs. NIU, becoming the first Gopher in over a decade to hit a home run in three straight starts (March 7) · named to Cambria College Classic All-Tournament Team · went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in a win at Illinois State (March 21) · had a hit and scored twice in a win over Purdue (April 9) · had two hits, including a home run, with three RBI in a win over NDSU (April 11) · had a home run and a double with RBI vs. Iowa (April 15) · hit a solo home run vs. NDSU (April 25) · tallied a hit in the Gophers' four-run eighth inning in a comeback win over Michigan (May 6) · had a double, home run and four RBI in a win at No. 19 Maryland (May 12) · homered in his final game as a Gopher vs. Rutgers (May 20).

2022 | REDSHIRT JUNIOR Started in 12 games after battling back from injury as a redshirt junior · slashed .319/.532/.353 with three home runs, nine RBI and 15 hits in 47 at bats · scored nine runs, walked one and record a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Game Highlights: In his season debut against SDSU, Swenson went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored (April 26) · went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI at Michigan State, his first career home run (April 29) · registered three hits, including a home run, against Nebraska (May 6) · tallied a four-game hitting streak from May 1-8 · went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs in a win over Northwestern (May 19) · hit a double in his final collegiate game vs. the Wildcats (May 21) · ended the season with hits in seven of his final eight games.

2021 | SUMMER Played in 33 games, hitting .210 with two home runs and 16 RBI for the Lakeshore Chinooks · totaled 22 hits, four doubles and 20 walks · had three multi-hit games.

2021 | REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE Played in eight games, starting in three in 2021 · slashed .167/.286/.167 in 12 at bats, tallying two hits, two walks and one run scored · registered nine putouts and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Game Highlights: Had a hit off the bench and drew a walk at Iowa (April 11) · went 1-for-3 against Michigan (April 16).

2020 | REDSHIRT FRESHMAN Played in four games including one start for the Gophers and slashed .250/.333/.250 over eight at bats. Game Highlights: Made his collegiate debut and notched his first career hit on a single to left field against Oregon on Feb. 14 · went 1-for-4 with a single versus No. 13 NC State on March 1.

2019 SUMMER Competed for the Saugerties Stallions of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League · batted .263 with one home run, one triple, two doubles, five runs and eight RBI in 57 at bats across 17 games.

2019 | FRESHMAN Trained with the Gophers but did not see game action in a redshirt season.

BEFORE MINNESOTA A 2018 graduate of Chaska High School · a two-year starter for head coach Craig Baumann and the Hawks · earned All-Metro West Conference honors during his prep career · served as team captain in leading Chaska to a Metro West Conference title · played his club baseball for the Chaska American Legion program · ranked as the no. 2 catcher and the no. 16 overall prospect in the state of Minnesota according to Prep Baseball Report.

PERSONAL Born Riley Swenson in Chaska, Minnesota · son of Robyn David and Minnesota’s Director of Baseball Operations, Lee Swenson, and Tore Swenson · Has a twin sister, Sydney, who plays collegiate softball at Gustavus Adolphus College.

WHY MINNESOTA "As long as I could remember, I've wanted to be a Gopher. Ever since I could walk, all I could think about was playing with `Minnesota' across my chest and being part of an outstanding team."