‘Swansea’s Sweet Success on the Diamond!’
An Article on the Success, so far, of the Swansea High School Baseball Team in 2026
Written by Brady Henderson
Babe Ruth, also known as the ‘Great Bambino,’ is credited with saying ‘It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up’. When it comes to this year’s Swansea High School Varsity baseball team, I could think of no better words. Last night, the Tigers hosted Region Foe Silver Bluff on the Diamond. Regarding playoff implications, last night’s game was not going to change the seeding for Region 4 in the 3A Classification. But you would not have known that based on last night’s game. Both of these teams wanted the win. But when it comes to the Tigers as of late, they are hard to beat because they just don’t seem to give up. Entering the bottom of the sixth inning last night, the Tigers were trailing the (8-11) Bulldogs by a score of 5-2. The same score and situation were also true on March 27th in Aiken County, as the Tigers came out on top in that game with a score of 9-5. At the beginning of the sixth inning in last night’s game, I remember saying, ‘Don’t go anywhere, folks, the Tigers are about to get going, and that they did. The Score was 5-3 after Justice Ard scored after getting on base with a single to Right Field. Senior Right Fielder Britt Drawdy came up to bat with Courtesy Runner Xy’ille Wright on Third Base and Designed Hitter Fillip Rummel on Second Base. Early in the count, Britt Drawdy fell 0-2. And then, he took a pitch from Blake Freeland and sent it to Left Field for an RBI double to tie up the game! You’ll want to watch that moment below.
Later on in the same inning, after stealing Third Base, Britt Drawdy would score what would eventually become the ‘winning’ run as he scored from third on an error by Bulldogs Catcher, Joey Brittain. Then it was time for some insurance. With Kendall Wright on Second Base and Cooper Wilson (courtesy runner) on First Base, Senior Center Fielder/Second Baseman/Pitcher Jacob Hair stepped up to the plate. Again, the video below will tell you all that you need to know.
Then Trey Brisco shut down the Bulldogs in the top half of the seventh with his 2nd complete game in a row. For the first time in school history, the Swansea Tiger Varsity Baseball Team has reached 20 regular-season wins. Only one other team in the History of Swansea Baseball has more total wins, and that is the 2007 team with 22 wins (including playoff victories). This Tiger team has been fun to watch all season long. The SCHSL allows Varsity baseball teams to play up to 26 games in the regular season, and by next Thursday, the Tigers will have played in 26 total games. This coming Tuesday, Swansea hosts First Place in the region foe, Fox Creek, who has already clinched the series for the season and their third region title in a row. Next Thursday, the Tigers travel up I-26 to play Newberry for the last regular season game of the season. So while the most regular-season wins in school history are incredible, there are two more regular-season games, and then a new season begins. The Playoffs. Below is a link to the SCHSL 3A Baseball playoff bracket to see who the Tigers may face on Tuesday, May 5th, at Swansea High School at 6 PM. As now it looks like Swansea will host Battery Creek for the first game of the playoffs. But this is not yet official.
This year’s Swansea Baseball Team has been led by a strong senior class with 8 total seniors (Blaize Reece, Justice Ard, Jacob Hair, Alex McFarland, Britt Drawdy, Daniel Graddick, Trey Brisco, and Dalton Porter). As well as other strong players such as Sophomore Short-Stop and Pitcher Kendall Wright, Freshman Catcher Logan Hoover, and many more. But when it comes to Swansea’s Success on the Diamond this season, it’s hard to look past second-year skipper, Preston Deaver, and his impact. Prior to taking over as the Head Coach the Swansea baseball team had a losing season in the spring of 2024. In his first season at the helm a year ago, Coach Deaver led the Tigers to a 19-6 record and finished second in the Region. The Tigers lost to Hanahan on the road in the playoffs. Coach Deaver’s overall record is now 39-10 with just 2 regular-season games to go this year. Coach Deaver's line that has stuck out to the team most recently is ‘put the pressure on them’. This is exactly what this team has been doing lately and hopes to continue doing. In addition to leading this Swansea Tiger Baseball Program, Coach Deaver is the Athletic Director at Swansea High School. To show you his personal dedication to Swansea Athletics and the community, after last night’s thrilling 8-5 win, he was back at the High School at 7 AM this morning for a track meet. Coach Preston Deaver also serves as the 3A Region 4 Athletic Directors Coordinator. Coach Deaver has been married to Mallory for 16-years and have two sons, Batson and Caden. Very few go beyond what is expected, quite like Skipper Preston Deaver and his great team of Coaches. Pitching Coach Tristen Watts, in his 2nd year on the Coaching staff, has led his pitchers to give up only 38 Earned Runs in 24 games, with a staff ERA currently at 1.72, and has held opposing batters to only a .202 batting average. Coach Austin Price has been leading the Junior Varsity team and coaching first base for the Varsity team for his third season on the Coaching staff. Coach David Smith is in his first season on the Tiger Staff and is coaching the B-Team. All of these great Coaches have worked hard to ensure the Tigers can succeed on the baseball diamond.
When I began this article, I referenced Babe Ruth’s words: ‘It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.’ As long as this Swansea Tiger Baseball team does not give up, the limit of potential is unlimited as we enter into the 3A playoffs. The Tigers have an opportunity to make even more history as they seek the school’s first-ever Baseball State Championship. The Swansea Tiger Sports Network will be on the call this coming Tuesday night at 6 PM on our YouTube Channel. We also plan to broadcast all HOME playoff games and maybe a few away games. To keep up with our Broadcasting schedule and much more regarding Swansea Athletics, sign up for our email list at the bottom of this page. You can even go back and watch last night’s game (and others), below.
It’s been an exciting season, and it’s my first one as a play-by-play broadcaster. I couldn’t ask for anything more, other than a State Championship Win. Let’s go, Tigers, and finish strong!
Take Care of Yourselves, and Each Other.
-Brady Henderson
Play-by-Play voice of the Tigers
Email: Bradylovesjesus24@gmail.com