Dansby Swanson: Vanderbilt's big-league character

Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson had no plan B for his life other than baseball.

He dreamed of playing since he was a toddler, catching short-hopped tennis balls with his mom, both crouched on the living room floor while watching an Atlanta Braves game on TV for inspiration.

His baseball instincts were ahead of his age, first sprouting when he watched the game closely as a 5-year-old bat boy for the travel teams his dad coached.

Swanson's goals were always set high. As a freshman, he told Commodores coach Tim Corbin, "I want to be the best player that's ever played at Vanderbilt," and that was before he even played a college game.

Earlier this week, the two-time All-American was named, along with teammate Carson Fulmer, one of four finalists for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur player in the nation. This weekend, he leads his team in the NCAA Super Regional against Illinois for the chance to defend the Commodores' college baseball title.

But his path wasn't certain. Swanson took out student loans to come to Vanderbilt, supplementing his athletic scholarship and financial aid to pay for the private school's pricey tuition rather than choosing a less-expensive option at a state university.

Three years later, Swanson has a national championship ring and could be the No. 1 overall pick in Monday's Major League Baseball draft. Now, taking on that student loan debt and spending every spare moment of his life in baseball doesn't seem like such a risk for the Marietta, Ga., native, who never doubted his own ability.

"I took a big-time step of faith, but I was comfortable with it," Swanson said. "No one can predict the future, but I just knew in my heart that I was going to end up in a good position if I came to Vanderbilt."

Nancy Dansby Swanson shares her name with a 21-year-old whom many opposing coaches call the best college baseball player in the country.

But the fact that he's her son — carrying her maiden name as his middle name (James Dansby Swanson) — makes a major difference to her perspective of his supposed greatness.

"I can't see him in that way. He's on a bigger stage now, but he's just our little boy who loves to play baseball," said Nancy, who coached Dansby's 8-year-old team to a Dizzy Dean World Series title.

Nancy played basketball and tennis at Troy, is a member of the Marietta High School Hall of Fame and carries the undisputed title of best athlete in the Swanson family. Dansby's dad, Cooter, was a baseball player and assistant coach at Troy.

Corbin said Dansby's parents are ideal for an accomplished college athlete because they step away.

"They aren't hovering over him. I haven't heard from them. It's perfect, perfect!" Corbin said. "... Just give me your son and I'll get him back to you, hopefully a little better than he arrived. He's a helluva kid, something special."

The Swansons have three kids. Chase played baseball at Mercer before becoming an attorney. Lindsey was a softball player at Georgia College and is now finishing her doctorate in sports psychology.

Dansby opted for the one-track career path.

"I never had another one (besides baseball)," he said. "I couldn't even tell you a different one right now."

Swanson was not heavily recruited out of Marietta High School. His parents' alma mater, Troy, made a run at him. Clemson and Georgia Tech also considered scholarship offers, though at varying degrees.

Swanson, with his parents, picked Vanderbilt on the spot during a late-night recruiting visit to Corbin's office after a win over LSU.

Cooter recalled Corbin was "still in his uniform and talked to us like we were his only appointment that entire day, just so different than anyone else."

The only hurdle was the finances.

Corbin was "very generous to Dansby, and then Dansby took out student loans for the rest," Cooter said. "So Dansby had some skin in the game. But (former Vanderbilt assistant Josh Holliday) told Dansby, 'Take the student loans because you're going to be able to pay them off one day with no problems.' "

Some MLB draft projections slot Swanson as the No. 1 overall pick. All have him going in the top 10, which, in the 2014 draft, drew a signing bonus range of $2.3 million to $6.6 million.

Swanson did not disclose the amount of his debt, but he recognizes the trust he put in his own talent.

"I was willing to take whatever risk there was – 100 percent," Swanson said. "I knew coming here would be the correct first step in getting where I wanted to be because of Corbs. He's the best at what he does. ... Everyone who comes here excels, and not just in baseball."

As an All-American and everyday player, Swanson is the most visible on the Vanderbilt squad, and perhaps in all of college baseball.

"There were times when (my wife) Maggie and I would be sitting around … (and say), 'Holy cow, is this the SEC Network or the Dansby Swanson network?" Corbin said. "Because he's on quite a bit, but he just does everything well."

But Corbin said jealousy hasn't bitten Swanson's teammates because he "does everything top shelf … including picking up buckets and serving other people."

At the SEC Championship game in Hoover, Ala., the stadium grounds crew saw that first-hand when Swanson led the team out of the dugout during a downpour to help pull out the heavy rain tarp. Florida players later followed before quickly returning to shelter.

As the rain continued, the grounds crew kept Swanson and his Vanderbilt teammates on the field to shake their hands and thank them for the much-needed help.

"That's our family's Christian background," Cooter said. "The leader is the servant."

In draft scouting reports, Swanson's character and leadership qualities are listed in equal portions to his hitting prowess, arm strength and fielding range.

"What you've got on the field is obviously what you see, but he's even better off the field," said Fulmer, the SEC Pitcher of the Year and Swanson's roommate.

Ten minutes after his team was eliminated from the SEC Tournament by Vanderbilt, Texas A&M coach Rob Childress called Swanson "a superstar human being … (who is) going to play for a long, long time — not just because of his great talent, but because of his great character."

But Swanson's talent has carried him as far as his character.

A superb fielding shortstop and a clutch hitter, he has guided the Commodores to their third straight Super Regional.

Swanson leads Vanderbilt's loaded lineup in batting average (.348), hits (86), doubles (22), triples (6) and home runs (14). His SEC-high 71 runs scored trails current Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez by five for Vanderbilt's single-season record, and his 14 homers are the most for a Commodores shortstop since current Baltimore Orioles infielder Ryan Flaherty hit 14 in 2008.

Swanson has been at his best at tournament time. He was voted College World Series Most Outstanding Player in last year's national title run.

In this postseason, he hit four home runs in the first four games of the SEC Tournament. Then, Swanson swatted the game-winning homer in the ninth inning to beat Indiana in the NCAA Regional, which eventually earned him tournament MVP honors.

That same night against Indiana, Swanson's acrobatic defensive play in the bottom of the ninth — "a Jeter jump throw," Corbin called it — made the Top 10 plays on ESPN's "SportsCenter". Freshman third baseman Will Toffey's head-shaking reaction in the aftermath was almost as memorable, but Swanson simply walked back to the infield with little emotion.

The highlight seemed routine to those who have seen it many times before.

"I know that play was a big deal, but I've seen him do it a lot," Dansby's dad said. "That's just Dansby to us."

And like every great play Swanson has made over his Commodores career, he expected it to happen.

"This is what I have been striving for forever, since I could pick up a ball at age 3," he said. "Where I'm at is where I've always dreamed of being, and I knew I would get here. It was just a matter of when it was going to happen and where. I'm proud it's happened at Vanderbilt."

Reach Adam Sparks at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

DANSBY SWANSON FILE

Hometown: Marietta, Ga.

Position/Class: Shortstop/Junior

Accolades: 2015 Golden Spikes Award finalist, 2015 Nashville Regional MVP, 2014 College World Series Most Outstanding Player, two-time All-American, two-time All-SEC, Academic SEC honor roll.

Key Stats: Leads Vanderbilt in batting average (.348), hits (86), doubles (22), triples (6) home runs (14), runs scored (71), slugging percentage (.656) and walks (42).

MLB draft: Projected top 10 pick, as high as No. 1 overall

Family of college athletes: Dad Cooter (baseball, Troy), mom Nancy (tennis and basketball, Troy), brother Chase (baseball, Mercer), sister Lindsey (softball, Georgia College).

NCAA SUPER REGIONAL

VANDERBILT (45-19) at ILLINOIS (50-8-1)

When: 7 p.m. Saturday; 8 p.m. Sunday; TBA Monday, if necessary

TV/radio: ESPNU/560-AM, 95.9-FM