Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Baseball Coach
- Email:
- rmswendra@stcloudstate.edu
- Office:
- HAH 306
Rob "Doc" Swendra enters his 13th year as a member of the St. Cloud State coaching staff in 2024. Doc is the third-longest tenured assistant coach in the NSIC, serving as the first base coach while instructing the outfielders and hitters.
In Swendra’s 12 seasons the Huskies have posted a 432-155 record for an incredible .736 winning percentage, earning eight NCAA Tournament berths (2012-13, 2015-19, 2023) and four NSIC Championships. St. Cloud State earned the 2013 NSIC Regular Season Championship in Doc’s second season on staff, added back-to-back NSIC Tournament Championships in 2015 and 2016 and then won the NSIC Tournament again in 2023.
A frequent panelist discussing defense at the ABCA National Convention, Swendra has spent time coaching on the Team USA circuit including serving as the Midwest Region’s head coach at the National Team Identification Series.
Under the direction of Swendra, 54 Huskies have earned All-NSIC honors, 38 have been named All-Region and 18 have been crowned All-Americans. Two athletes recruited and coached by Swendra – Michael Jurgella and Sam Riola – have been honored as both NSIC and Central Region Player of the Year in 2015 and 2022 respectively. Three Huskies coached by Swendra have been selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in addition to seven free agent signees.
Defense has been a calling card of Swendra’s work on the staff, as St. Cloud State has had 11 players earn NSIC Gold Gloves including centerfielder Eric Loxtercamp's back-to-back nods in 2014 and 2015. Michael Jurgella and Tate Wallat earned ABCA/Rawlings National Gold Gloves for their work at catcher and third base respectively in 2015 and 2022.
Throughout Swendra’s tenure, the Huskies own a .968 fielding percentage and a range factor/9 of 37.11. In his first season on staff in 2012, SCSU set a new single-season record for best fielding percentage at .970 – a mark which they have since broken three times in 2017 (.972), 2019 (.977) and 2022 (.975). The Huskies haven’t committed more than 60 errors in a season since 2016 and have recorded more than 70 errors just twice in Doc’s time on staff.
St. Cloud State has become an juggernaut at the plate under the direction of Swendra, slashing .324/.404/.480 for a .884 OPS while producing 7.38 runs per game since 2012. The Huskies have been exceptionally effective on the basepaths, setting a new program record with 105 stolen bases in Doc’s first season as an assistant then breaking the century mark again in 2022 with 102. Huskies baserunners are successful on 75.4% of stolen base attempts under Swendra’s watchful eye and nabbed bags at a stellar 85.7% clip in 2021, their best mark of the Dolan era.
Kyle Fischer (2014), Najee Gaskins (2019) and Matt Osterberg (2021) were each selected in the MLB Amateur Draft after playing under Swendra’s watch while seven more – Ryan Duffy, Caeden Harris, Caleb Marquez, Reese Gregory, Garrett Harrison, Mike Jurgella, Sean Borman and Scott Lieser – have signed professional contracts.
Swendra served as an assistant coach for the Willmar Stingers in the Northwoods League from 2011-17. A whopping 57 players from Swendra's time with the team have been selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, and seven have made their Major League Baseball debuts: Steven Brault (Pirates, 2016), Hunter Dozier (Royals, 2016), Anthony Bemboom (Rays, 2019), Colin Poche (Rays, 2019), Ty Tice (Blue Jays, 2021), Tanner Banks (White Sox, 2022) and Phoenix Sanders (Rays, 2022).
In addition to his on-field duties, Swendra also coaches with Pat Dolan's prestigious Starz of Tomorrow baseball camps and clinics.
A graduate of Dassel-Cokato High School in central Minnesota, Swendra starred in baseball and hockey as an All-Conference and All-Subsection two-way player on the diamond while serving as the Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato goaltender. He earned team MVP honors in both sports and went on to play baseball collegiately at Hibbing Community College.
Doc has been married for 26 years to his baseball loving wife Karen and has three daughters.
