The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior shortstop and right-handed pitcher batted .486 with seven home runs, 61 RBI and 43 runs scored this past season, leading the Roughriders to a 33-11 record and the Class 4A semifinals. A First Team All-State selection, he led all of Class 4A in RBI and base hits while also posting a 3-1 record on the mound on the strength of a 2.83 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 34.2 innings.
Swanda has maintained a B average in the classroom. He has signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball on scholarship at the University of Nebraska this fall.
Swanda has volunteered locally on behalf of the Special Olympics in addition to donating his time to an area homeless shelter and as a youth baseball coach. "John Swanda plays the game the such finesse," said Rudy Pithan, head coach at Des Moines North High. "He is fluid with both his glove and his swing. He was the one opponent on the Roosevelt team that was intimidating, because he was such a good player."
