Jackson Swiney said the injury he suffered April 23 against Kentucky was the result of “a total freak accident.”

“Just keep your eye on the ball instead of taking it off,” Swiney told the Daily News on Thursday.

Swiney was manning his usual spot in center field that night at Bowling Green Ballpark, where Western Kentucky hosted the Wildcats.

A ball was hit deep toward the outfield wall. Swiney went back to make the play.

“I thought I was going to be able to get to it,” Swiney said. “I just went up and I took my eye off it because of the wall. When I did that, it ricocheted.

“I thought it was going to be a home run, but I also thought I could get there. When I hit the fence, it was bad timing.”

The baseball bounced off the wall and into Swiney’s face. He suffered three orbital bone fractures around his left eye as a result.

“I mean, it was kind of scary, because I didn’t know if my vision was going to be the same in my left eye,” the freshman Swiney said. “But today, it’s pretty much normal.”

Swiney left that loss to UK early after his injury. He then missed a series victory the following weekend at Texas-San Antonio and an April 30 loss at No. 7 Louisville.

Coach John Pawlowski added Swiney back to his lineup last week against Rice. The St. Louis native started all three games of that series, helping the Toppers to a sweep of the Owls at Nick Denes Field.

“With Swiney back, it makes the outfield a little more settled,” Pawlowski said. “He’s done a great job for a freshman to step in and be our everyday center fielder.”

Swiney has stepped into an important role for WKU in his first season on campus.

An all-state performer at Parkway West High School in Ballwin, Mo., Swiney signed with a Hilltopper program that already seemed to have its center fielder of the future in Luke Brown.

But WKU learned before the 2019 season that Brown wasn’t academically eligible for his sophomore season. He left for a junior college and has since committed to play in 2020 at Louisville.

That left a gap to fill in center field, and Pawlowski gave the freshman Swiney a shot.

“I didn’t know if I was going to play that much at the beginning of the year,” Swiney said. “ … I got an opportunity and it’s been really awesome.”

At the plate, Swiney has slashed .260/.341/.420. He’s collected 10 doubles, four home runs, 27 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

Swiney is using a softball-style batting helmet with a face mask due to his recent facial injury.

“With the slot that’s available, it’s actually easier to focus in on the pitcher,” Swiney said. “But I mean, it’s definitely an adjustment compared to hitting without one.”

In the field, Swiney hasn’t committed an error all season. He’s posted 84 putouts and two outfield assists.

“Lots of freshmen come in and it’s an emotional roller coaster with success and having some failure,” Pawlowski said. “He’s been even-keeled the whole way. That’s the way he’s handled it, the maturity level.”

Tops start 3-game series

WKU (23-22-1 overall, 14-9-1 Conference USA) will start its final conference road series Friday when it faces Louisiana Tech (30-19, 13-11). First pitch from Monroe, La., is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The game is being played at Louisiana-Monroe’s campus because an April tornado caused extensive damage to the Bulldogs’ home field in Ruston, La.

The Hilltoppers enter the series third in the C-USA standings behind Southern Mississippi (31-15, 18-6) and Florida Atlantic (32-16, 17-7). Louisiana Tech sits behind WKU in fourth place.

Pawlowski’s squad can guarantee a Conference USA Tournament spot by winning two games either this weekend in Monroe or next week at home against Old Dominion, although other scenarios could secure that berth.

The Tops face a Bulldogs team this weekend that just scored a 12-1 victory Tuesday at No. 5 Louisiana State.

“La Tech is an outstanding club,” Pawlowski said. “They’ve been playing well. Going on the road, we have a lot to play for. I know our team is excited and looking forward to the opportunity.”