NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Rising senior third baseman Carson Swank (Ashburn, Va.) has been elected captain of the Yale baseball team for 2022-23. He was chosen by a team vote at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
 
Swank leads the Bulldogs at a pivotal time, symbolized by one recent weekend. He and his teammates were part of a major celebration of the team's past and its future during the team's doubleheader sweep of Harvard at home Saturday May 14. Yale dedicated George H.W. Bush '48 Field and the Jim Neil '76 Clubhouse, commemorating the recent renovation of the historic facility. That also marked the team's final weekend playing for head coach John Stuper, who had announced his retirement earlier in the year. On that Sunday, the team held Senior Day ceremonies to honor the Class of '22. 
 
Surrounded by so many members of the Yale baseball family that weekend, Swank and his teammates developed an even deeper appreciation for what the program means.
 
"The most memorable moment I've had with Yale Baseball so far was when we held the celebration for Stupe's retirement and the dedication of the field and the clubhouse," said Swank. "The team and I were surrounded by all of our closest friends and family as well as the hundreds of alumni that came back to support Stupe. Just being involved in an atmosphere like that and seeing everyone there made me realize how much Yale Baseball means, what kind of family it creates, and its importance in life after baseball. It was also the first time I was able to properly celebrate and send off a senior class. Covid cut the seasons of the classes of '20 and '21 short and we were never able to have a senior day for them, so it was special to be able to send off a group of guys that I was close to in a proper way."
 
Swank and his teammates were part of a memorable 2022 season in which they resumed competition after not playing since Mar. 11, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. He credits the coaches and captains that he has played for at Yale with helping to keep the team together and ready for their eventual return to the field.
 
"One thing that I have learned from each captain and coach I have played for is to stay calm and hopeful in the face of adversity," said Swank. "Covid presented numerous challenges to us as a team in all three years that I have been at Yale, but we always had a 'we will get through this' mentality. That's something that has stuck with me throughout the years because everyone is going to be in a tough spot, but if you relax and know that you will get through it then it will be easier to overcome." 
 
Swank had played in 10 games when the pandemic halted the 2020 season. His .341 batting average and 13 RBIs helped him earn recognition by D1Baseball.com as the best freshman in the Ivy League. When competition resumed this year, he wound up starting all 33 games he played.
 
"I've learned that the best way to lead is to lead by example and set the standard," Swank said. "Just give 100% effort, 100% of the time. Every captain and coach that I have played for has valued respectfulness and inclusivity, so every team that I have been a part of has been a group of 30 best friends. These people have reiterated the traits of a good human being and are people that I look up to."
 
Swank displayed admirable perseverance this season, as he had to rebound from a tough start. He did so by hitting .306 over the final 16 games, raising his batting average to .256 by season's end. He tied for second on the team with 27 RBIs and tied for third with four home runs.
 
"The biggest thing for me was confidence," said Swank. "Not having played for almost two years in collegiate baseball naturally brought along some nerves at the beginning of the season. I felt like I had to be perfect, but that's not the point of baseball. I realized that I was supposed to be having fun. I just started to relax at the plate and trust myself more." 
 
Swank is part of a Yale Baseball Class of 2023 that also includes outfielder/right-handed pitcher Jimmy Chatfield, right-handed pitcher Quinn Cleary, left-handed pitcher Alex Frey, infielder/outfielder AJ Gaich, right-handed pitcher Carter Kessinger, catcher/outfielder Dylan Kim, outfielder Ben Metzner and right-handed pitcher Mike Walsh. That group will look to help continue the Elis' recent run of success that includes a 63-38 league record and a pair of Ivy titles along with three postseason appearances in the last five Ivy seasons.
 
"I am enthusiastic and excited to get back at it in the fall," said Swank. "I'm looking forward to facilitating the transition to the new coaching staff and introducing them to what Yale Baseball is all about. All of us are very appreciative of the exhaustive search by Athletic Director Vicky Chun, while allowing us to continually work. Although we lost some very talented seniors and the only graduate student ever to play at Yale [Teddy Hague '21 GRD '22, who played this season thanks to a waiver by the Ivy League in the wake of the pandemic that impacted the 2020 and 2021 seasons], I'm confident and encouraged in the guys we have coming back in every class and I think we can do something special." 
 
Swank is a graduate of Riverside High School and is in Silliman College at Yale. He is majoring in economics.
 

Carson Swank delivers the RBI double!

Penn gets a run in the 5th and Bulldogs get it back!

BOT 5 | Yale 4, Penn 1#ThisIsYale pic.twitter.com/37SqhuU21m

— Yale Baseball (@YaleBaseball) April 30, 2022