INF Ben Swennumson (Calgary, Alta.) is this year’s winner of the Canadian Baseball Network’s Okotoks Dawgs scholarship. He started at the University of Jamestown this fall.

November 11, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

From the time he first put on uniform No. 6 with the Fish Creek Little League all-stars in Calgary, he always had broad shoulders.

Ben Swennumson needed to be “big up top,” as evaluators say, for the name Swennumson was crammed in lettering across the back of his red and white uniform.

And now the infielder with the long name is a big name. Ben Swennumson is the winner of the 2022 Canadian Baseball Network Okotoks Dawgs scholarship. The infielder is in his first year attending the University of Jamestown in Jamestown, N.D.

The length of the last name reminded me of the first time I saw Cincinnati Reds slugger Ted Kluszewski with the name on his back watching the NBC Game of the Week back in the 1950s. Big Klu was 6-foot-2, 225 lbs. Swennumson is 6-foot-1 and 175 lbs. according to the Perfect Game web site. Still ... Kluszewski and Swennumson ... 10 letters each.

Ben at Jaamestown ….

Previous CBN Dawg scholarship winners (we can remember) are: 1B Calder Eagleton (Calgary, Alta.), INF Ricardo Sanchez (Okotoks, Alta.), OF Danny Donnelly (Okotoks, Alta.) and OF Tucker Zdunich (High River, Alta.). (There were others but we can’t recall. Sorry).

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Scott Swennumson recalls picking up his 10-year old son Ben after school. Ben had had a really bad day ... the kind we all have. He was not happy but then looked at his father and said “can’t wait for baseball practice to make the day all better,” ... the way so many of us look forward to arriving at the park.

After starting out playing T-Ball in Rocky Mountain Little League, he moved to Fish Creek. And one reason Ben looked forward to practice was coach Dion Kostiuk.

“Fish Creek is where I started to find my love for the sport,” said Ben from Jamestown. “I had a blast. I loved playing. Our coach (Dion) made the practices and games seen like fun ... and we won a lot.”

Ben’s first home run at Ben’s first home run ball in Choteau, Mont.

* * *

Ben always had to work really hard for his place on teams, never had an easy ride, so he had to grind for every position he ever had. After Little League he wanted to play triple-A and tried out for every single team he could to find at that higher competitive level.

The Calgary Cubs had a spot for him at 15U and mom not knowing a single person his drive to play far exceeded his shyness, Ben’s mom Elissa remembers. As a young ‘un, Ben’s strong suit was pitching, hitting is where he struggled.

Elissa works as a registered vet tech at the University of Calgary, while dad Scott is an electrician who keeps all the lights blinking at the Calgary Airport

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From the Calgary Cubs he headed south to play for Okotoks Dawgs Red. The Okotoks Academy has two teams at each level. The Black team is the first team and the Red is the second squad.

Into this walked rookie Dawgs coach Doug MacPhail (Brandon, Man.) who played on Canada’s first Olympic team in 1984 in Los Angeles, taught school in Edmonton, made some money and retired. One day he was at Seaman Stadium sitting on the berm down the line when his wife Winny and their grandchild headed to the washroom.

“The next hitter lined a ball directly over the towel where everyone had been sitting,” said MacPhail. “I told them how lucky they were.”

The next day Winny set up a meeting with Dawgs managing director John Ircandia offering to pay for protective netting to be erected. This was before major-league stadiums installed netting.

“Next thing you know they ask, ‘You want to coach a team?’ I say sure ... I walked into that practice to see 15 upset kids, 30 upset parents and 60 unhappy grandparents,” MacPhail said jokingly. “A lot of people thought their sons should have been on the top team.”

Ben was a member of MacPhail’s very first Dawgs team.

“Ben turned out to be an incredible player, he pitched for us and beat St. Albert, who later beat our Black team,” MacPhail said. “He was in the home run competition. Ben is a physical speciman. He has no quit. He’s very athletic and always had a green light to steal when he was with us.”

MacPhail coached Ben’s younger brother Owen as well.

“I call Owen the same thing I called Ben …. Swen,” said MacPahil.

Sister Taylor, who is into the arts, in grade 11 an brings calmness to the dinner table.

* * *

Next, Ben moved up to the midget Dawgs playing for coaches Bretton Gouthro and Kurtis Taylor.

“I used to call him Andy Dalton, Ben looks like the (New Orleans Saints) quarterback, Dalton is Ben’s his doppelgänger,” said Gouthro “both had red hair, similar build.

“Ben was a bit of a late bloomer for us, he always showed flashes and sneaky pop but it wasn’t until his senior year (last spring) that he stepped up.”

The player said Gouthro was the most influential coach he ever had: “he pushed us, made us better players.”

The coach, who had the player for three seasons, said Ben “made all the routine plays at shortstop, batted fourth or fifth and was red-hot on the trip for Fort Myers.”

Oh yes, Fort Myers and the Perfect Game 18U BCS National Championship at the 5 Plex-Lee County Player Development Complex last June.

All Ben did was but up Big Klu numbers carrying the Dawgs on his shoulders to the title. Starting with the opener he:

_ Walked twice in his only two at-bats in an 18-1 loss to Chi Town Cream.

_ Was 2-for-3 with two doubles in a 6-5 loss to Tornadoes Baseball

_ Was 2-for-3 and knocked in a run in a 9-8 win over DMGZ to complete play in Pool A.

_ Was hitless in a 6-2 win over Rawlings Tigers NC to start play in Pool FF.

_ Was 1-for-3 with a single in a 4-3 wlk off win against 5 Star 18u - Key West.

_ Was 1-for-3 and plated a run in an 8-0 win over DMGZ, completing Pool FF at 3-0.

_ Went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs in a 10-3 win against Victus Elite in the Silver semi-final.

_ Was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBIs as the Dawgs blanked Arsenal 7-0 in the Silver final, as Sawyer Fech (Calgary, Alta.) and Nate Charlton (Davisburg, Alta.) combined on the shutout.

“Ben showed a lot of consistency over the trip,” Gouthro said. “He’s a pretty stoic kid, who leads by example. He came on his senior year.

Why did his hitting improve?

“We get a lot of things accomplished over the winter,” said Gouthro.

Ben was one of the elite hitters -- ranked fifth overall -- in the tourney batting .545 (12-for-22) with five doubles, eight RBIs, a stolen bases and a 1.373 OPS. He struck out twice in 25. For that he also earned All Tournament Team honours.

* * *

And how are things in North Dakota?

“North Dakota is a lot like Alberta, we got a foot and a half of snow today,” said Ben. “I’m in enjoying it.”

Ben, who is rooming with former Dawg Connor Makarus (Okotoks, Alta.), played junior varsity in fall ball batting .350.

As with many youngsters, Ben chose baseball over all else, parties, hanging with friends and vacations. His passion and love of the game beat out everything else. For as long as his mom can remember Ben’s goal was always to play post-secondary ball.

His proud parents did everything they could to support that. The Swennumsons are proud to see Ben living his dreams and working very hard to get excellent grades at school.

Elliott: Ben Swennumson wins CBN's annual Dawgs scholarship