2026 All-G-MAC Baseball Teams

Sophomore Gaard Swenson has been a starter in the outfield and an integral part of the Hillsdale College baseball team since his first contest on campus in 2025.

On Wednesday afternoon, Swenson's importance to the Chargers was recognized by the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

The sophomore centerfielder received first team All-G-MAC honors as the league announced its annual postseason awards. It's the first conference honor for Swenson in his career, and he becomes just the third Hillsdale outfielder and the first since 2023 to receive first team recognition from the G-MAC.

Hillsdale's leadoff hitter in the lineup, Swenson had a season to remember in 2026, starting all 48 games and finishing second in the G-MAC with 71 hits in the regular season, a total that ranks eighth all-time for a single season in Hillsdale College history. Swenson led the Chargers in batting average (.364), slugging percentage (.518) and on-base percentage (.433), finishing with nine doubles, three triples and five home runs. Perhaps most impressively, he finished second on the team with 35 RBIs, a number that stands out because, as the team's leadoff hitter, his first at-bat in every game comes with the bases empty and limited chances of driving in a run.  Swenson also tied for the team lead with 16 stolen bases, proving himself to be an all-around weapon offensively for the Chargers.

The sophomore also was one of the G-MAC's top defensive players in centerfield, recording a stellar .990 fielding percentage with just one error in 103 opportunities and several highlight-reel plays. 

Hillsdale and Swenson are playing in the G-MAC Tournament today and tomorrow at Prasco Park in Mason, Ohio, looking to extend the Chargers' season into the weekend.