PriorityOne Bank Metro Jackson Player of the Week 5-2-24

By Robert Wilson

Aiden Swales was one of the reasons why Pisgah was the MHSAA Class 2A state baseball runner-up last season, the first time in school history the Dragons had reached the state championship series.

The senior catcher and Hinds Community College signee wants to take his team one step further this season and win the school’s first state title.

Swales did his part last week when he had a .833 batting average (5 for 6) with 1 home run, 1 double, 6 runs batted in, 2 intentional walks and 1 hit by pitch and led Pisgah to two victories over Loyd Star to sweep the best of three series in the second round of the 2A state playoffs.

For his outstanding week, Swales has been named the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Baseball Player of the Week.

“Aiden came up clutch for us in each game last week against Loyd Star like he has all season,” said Pisgah coach Sam Starnes, who was named the PriorityOne Bank/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Baseball Coach of the Year after leading his team to the state title series and a 25-10 record last season. “He hit a go ahead home run in the fourth inning of Game 1 that we held on to for the rest of the game. In Gam 2, we got behind 6-3, but Aiden hit a bases clearing double to tie the game at 6-6 and then scored the go ahead run on Mason Huddleston’s single later that inning.”

Swales is hitting .500 with 12 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs, 62 RBIs, 11 walks and only 6 strikeouts in 110 at bats and has led Pisgah to a 24-7 record and 19 consecutive victories this season. One of Pisgah’s losses is to Jackson Prep, ranked No. 3 in the nation by MaxPreps. Pisgah lost 14-10 to Prep and scored more runs than any team this season against Prep.

Swales broke his own season school RBI record from last season and has set school records for hits in a season, career hits, career home runs, and career RBIs this season. He is one short of tying the school record for most home runs in a season. Austin Russell hit 12 home runs in 2021.

Swales, a four-year starter at catcher, hit .398 with 56 RBIs last season.

Swales is the son of Josh and Amy Swales. Josh played golf at Northwest Rankin High and also graduated from Holmes Community College. Amy graduated from Brandon High and Hinds CC. Aiden has one brother, Jackson, who played baseball at Pisgah and is a sophomore pitcher for Meridian CC.

Pisgah plays at Clarkdale Thursday in Game 1 of the best of three series in the 2A state quarterfinals.

Mississippi Scoreboard selects a baseball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.