Cougar senior pitcher Tucker Swails hit a major milestone in his high school career, throwing his 300th strikeout against Glenvar on April 23. His 16 strikeout, two-hit performance placed him in elite company and within striking distance of the top 10 all-time in Virginia high school baseball.
Tucker entered his senior season with 238 strikeouts and as of May 3, has added 72 more this season, bringing his total up to 310. Patrick County High athletic director Terry Harris and principal Hope Perry presented Tucker with the 300th strikeout ball in an April 25 pre-game ceremony.
“It’s pretty awesome, it is. I’m very blessed,” Tucker said of his achievements. Asked if he has thought of how few pitchers in state history have thrown more strikeouts, he said, “It pops into my mind every once in a while, but I’m really wanting to get into the top 10.”
“He’s not done. He’s probably going to have, if things work out, five or six more starts. His goal is 350,” said Cougar head coach and Tucker’s father, Tal Swails. “He strikes a lot of guys out. He’s a strikeout pitcher, and he does it a lot.”
Father and son, along with assistant coach and grandfather Sonny Swails, do not underestimate how special it is to be among the all-time best pitchers in Virginia high school history, but doing it together makes it even more memorable.
“It’s pretty awesome to be able to come out here and work every day with my dad and my grandpa,” said Tucker. “They definitely pushed me to do my best. It’s pretty cool.”
“I’ve watched him since he was seven years old when he started pitching, and he’s been special since the beginning,” said Tal Swails. “He has an ability to pitch that God blessed him with. I’ve had a great seat from the dugout for a long time and he never ceases to amaze me.”
“Proud is probably an understatement,” continued Tal Swails. “He’s fun to watch, and he’s just a good kid. He’s a great teammate, a pretty damn good shortstop, pretty good hitter and loves the game. When somebody loves it that much and has that type of success, it’s just fun. It’s special.”
Tal Swails has witnessed the years of hard work Tucker has put in, paying off. “He works. He works all the time. If he’s not in here (field house), he down there (on the field), if he’s not there, he’s in the gym, if he’s not in the gym, he’s in the training room taking care of his body, and in the middle of all that, he’s top 10 in his class.”
“It’s paying off, but there’s still a lot of work to get done, still a lot to achieve,” said Tucker, who, while taking pride in hitting the 300 strikeout mark, knows there is more to be done this season, including the goal of repeating as state champs. “That’s the main goal, to get back to the state championship. It’s an expectation now. We’ve done it once, but it’s going to take a lot of work and a lot of things have to go our way.”
Reaching the goal of repeating, much like the strikeout mark, takes more than one player. Tucker appreciates his teammates and their role in his, and the team’s success. “My catchers got to work for me, too. He’s got to be able to frame those spots. I’ve got to have trust in my guys behind me to make plays if I miss a spot.”
As a senior, Tucker knows his time as a member of the Cougar baseball team is nearly up. Looking back on his four years on the team, he is proud of how far the program has come in that time. “We’ve improved tremendously. My freshman year, we won three or four games. We won 23 last year and we’re at 14 (as of 4/29) right now, so we’ve improved. We’re starting to put the school on notice that baseball is a really good program.”
“I’m going to miss it,” said Tucker of his time at PCHS. “I’m going to miss all my buddies, and playing with them my whole life.” He’s looking forward to, “a new start. Got to meet new people. Got to compete at the next level.”
That next level will be playing for Virginia Tech next year. “It’s going to be a lot of work. I’m excited. I’m going to be surrounded by guys who are just as good or better than me and that’s going to make me better every day.”
For the rest of his senior year, he knows what he wants to achieve. Besides reaching the top 10 all-time in strikeouts, Tucker wants to “win player of the year again, and hopefully win another ring.”
