Lexington County Blowfish

The Lexington County Blowfish are a summer collegiate baseball team in the Coastal Plain League. The team plays its home games at the Lexington County Baseball Stadium in unincorporated Lexington County, South Carolina (with an address in the town of Lexington). The Blowfish first started competing in the CPL during the 2006 season and finished with a twenty-two win and thirty loss record in their first season. During their first year in existence, the Blowfish led the Coastal Plain League in attendance and was voted the Coastal Plain League Organization of the Year.

Lexington County Blowfish
Founded2006
Home FieldLexington County Baseball Stadium
Based inLexington, South Carolina
ColorsRed, White and Blue
LeagueCoastal Plain League
League Titles2012
Head CoachMatt Padgett
CPL Organization of Year2006, 2015

For the team's first three season the head coach was former Newberry College Coach Tim Medlin. In 2009 former major league pitcher Lee Gronkiewicz, a University of South Carolina alumnus took over the helm through 2011. In 2012 former MLB third baseman and USC Gamecock Brian Buscher was named Head Coach and led the Blowfish to their first Coastal Plain League Championship. Former Texas Rangers first-rounder Jonathan Johnson coached for five years starting in 2013. In 2017, Marshall McDonald was the top assistant under coach Johnson and in 2018 Marshall was named head coach. In 2019 Shawn Torbett as brought in as a pitching coach.

The Blowfish will begin their 15th season in 2020, with Lexington native, former minor leaguer and Clemson Tiger Matt Padgett as new head coach. Lexington County is coming off their best offensive season since 2015, and look to return to the Pettit Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015.

The front office consists of team Co-owners Bill & Vicki Shanahan, Assistant General Manager Justin Hall, who started as an intern with the team in 2017. Director of Operations Matt Jinnette, Director of Stadium Operations Robbie Hardy, and Master of Ceremonies George Dinsmore who also joined the Blowfish in 2018.

The Blowfish replaced the Capital City Bombers when professional baseball left Columbia after the 2004 season. The Blowfish moved from Columbia to Lexington County in 2014.[1] The team is named after popular South Carolina band Hootie and the Blowfish.

Columbia baseball history

Since 1892 Columbia has fielded teams in various minor leagues, including:

Summer college teams:

  • Columbia Blowfish-2006-2014-Coastal Plain League

The Blowfish hosted the 2007 and 2018 Coastal Plain League All-Star Games.

Notable Columbia baseball alumni

Blowfish alumni

Three former Blowfish have played Major League Baseball, each of them a pitcher:[2]

Alumni of other teams

References
  1. "The Blowfish Will Get a New Home". ABC Columbia. July 29, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  2. "Blowfish Alumni in the Big Leagues". Lexington County Blowfish. February 12, 2019. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
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