When the dust settled on a hot ball diamond July 28, Wayzata was on the short end of an 11-10 score against Sub-State 10 American Legion baseball champion Osseo.
Their were no tears for Wayzata. The Wizards gave it their best shot. Following a 15-minute team huddle after the game, Wayzata’s star outfielder and pitcher Gaard Swenson shared his thoughts on the season.
“We have a brotherhood to ball back on with this team,” he said. “This was my third year of Legion baseball, and it has really been fun to play for [head coach] Marshall Dalziel. He gave me a chance when I was a sophomore, and he has always had my, back no matter what, whether I was playing well or in a slump. I appreciate the trust he has had in me.”
Actually, Swenson has had very few slumps in either Legion ball or with the Wayzata High School team. He led the Legion team in hitting in his sophomore year and has maintained an average above .350 throughout his three years. In the Sub-State 10 Tournament he batted .435 and had two hits in five out of six games. In addition, he had a pitching win over the No. 1 seed, Elk River, allowing three runs on two hits in 6 1/3 innings.
Swenson throws left, bats left and carries 185 pounds on a 6-3 frame. He has a quick bat and hits fastballs and breaking balls equally well.
During the spring season, Swenson pitched and played both right field and first base for Wayzata High. The Trojans finished third in the State Class AAAA Tournament and had a school record for wins with a 26-1 record.
“There isn’t a ton of difference between high school baseball and Legion,” Swenson said. “In high school there are about the same number of practices and games, and in Legion there are more games and not as many practices.”
The Legion team played 35 games in six weeks, finishing with an overall record of 17-18.
“With the Legion team, I have played close to 100 games in three years,” Swenson said. “You certainly get to play a lot of baseball.”
Coach Dalziel was hoping Wayzata would make it back to the State Legion Tournament, where the Wizards took fourth place last summer, but two close losses to Osseo - 8-6 and 11-10 - put an end to the season.
“We won four and lost two in the sub-state tournament,” Dalziel said. “It is always close when we play Osseo. I have the utmost respect for them.”
Dalziel was asked what it was like to coach Swenson for three years.
“It is an absolute pleasure to coach Gaard,” he said. “If we ever have a Wayzata Legion Hall of Fame, he would be the first one I would want to see in it.”
What makes Swenson a special player?
“He’s a guy you can always count on,” Dalziel said. “Gaard wants the ball. He wants to be up to bat in key situations. When he first tried out for the Legion team as a scrawny 16-year-old, I could see his potential. Gaard has flourished over the last three years.”
Swenson’s baseball career will take him to Hillsdale College in Michigan next season. “I would like to continue being a two-way player,” he said.
If Swenson wants to play another season of Legion baseball in 2025, Dalziel said that he would qualify by birth date. Swenson’s presence alone would once again make Wayzata a title contender in the South Hennepin League and Sub-State 10.
Dalziel said that the only thing better than coaching Swenson for three years would be coaching him for four years.
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