Royal Oak, MI — Baker College’s esports program, The Swarm, closed out a successful fall season with deep postseason runs, national championship appearances, and multiple in-person LAN competitions across VALORANT and Rocket League.
The Swarm VALORANT team entered the PlayVS College League Premier Division Playoffs as the #3 seed following an undefeated regular season. After defeating the University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign in the Round of 16, the team advanced to the PCL National Championship LAN, held December 13–14 at the University of Akron. Competing against top collegiate programs, The Swarm finished Top 6 nationally in the Premier Division.
In NACE competition, The Swarm Rocket League team completed an undefeated regular season in its inaugural semester and entered the Varsity Plus East 8 Conference Playoffs as the #1 seed. After advancing to the championship match, the team earned conference runner-up honors.
“This fall season showed just how far our esports teams have come,” said Henry Johnston, Director of Esports. “Across multiple leagues and national stages, our players competed with confidence, resilience, and professionalism. These experiences, especially our in-person LAN events, are critical to their growth both as competitors and as individuals.”
The Rocket League team also competed in its first in-person LAN event at the River City Invitational, hosted at DeVos Place in partnership with Grand Rapids Comic Con. While results did not fall in their favor, the event marked an important developmental milestone for the growing team.
Additionally, The Swarm VALORANT team secured a third-place finish in the NECC Division 1 Playoffs, further highlighting the program’s consistency across multiple leagues.
With appearances at major postseason tournaments and strong competitive results throughout the fall, The Swarm continues to build momentum heading into the spring season.
Baker College is an independent, private, non-profit institution that grants associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees on six campuses across Michigan and online. Founded in 1911, the institution’s mission is to provide an inclusive, innovative, and transformative educational experience, driven by a student-first philosophy. Learn more about the esports program, and follow on X, Meta, and Instagram. Sign up for a club team: Interest Form, Stay connected: Esports Discord, Follow The Swarm: Social Media