Add another top honor won this year by the Coastal Plain League champion Lexington County Blowfish.
For the second straight year and fourth time in team history, the franchise was honored as the CPL Organization of the Year.
General Manager Tony Baldwin was also named the Executive of the Year.
“The Lexington County Blowfish have undoubtedly earned the honor of being named the Organization of the Year for 2023 in the Coastal Plain League,” CPL Commissioner Chip Allen said in a release. “Bill and Vicki [Shanahan], Tony [Baldwin] and the entire staff at Lexington County have consistently demonstrated unwavering dedication to excellence, a strong commitment to the community and outstanding achievements both on and off the field. Their collective efforts serve as a shining example for all. This prestigious accolade is a well-deserved recognition of their exceptional contributions to the league, underscoring the remarkable impact the Blowfish have made in their community as well.”
The Blowfish continued its yearly tradition of having a season-long organizational theme. This year, it was the “All-Star Summer in Lexington County” as Lexington was once again the host site for the CPL All-Star Show.
A leader in the community, the Blowfish started things off prior to the season by holding the ninth annual Lexington County Chili Cookoff earlier in downtown Lexington, which raised more than $10,000 for local charities. They also helped provide family fun and entertainment by serving as the hosts for the 8th annual Shamrock Parade.
The Blowfish saw their group ticket sales increase by 190 percent from 2022, while bookings for their Stadium Club also increased by 50 percent. The organization featured several different specialty jersey campaigns as well with each helping raise donations (over $35,000) for local charitable organizations.
Two such campaigns featured a “Hooties” jersey that was done in collaboration with the Hootie and the Blowfish Foundation to benefit the Lexington Medical Center, as well as a farmer-themed jersey that highlighted the different crops grown in South Carolina and helped raise $5,000 for the Lexington County Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers Association.
Additionally, the team’s regular jersey for the season featured a new primary color, what is now known as “Lake Murray Blue”, and highlighted each of the county’s towns and cities with an emblem on the front that read “Proudly Represents” and the municipality’s name to increase the team’s bond with each of them.
“We are grateful to be recognized by CPL owners, executives and others with this award for the second straight year,” remarked Shanahan. “Vicki and I along with our general manager, Tony, and our enthusiastic game day staff and interns are committed each season to provide a first-class environment at Lexington County Baseball Stadium for our community, partners and fans. We are especially thankful for our host families, players, athletic trainers, assistant coaches, and head coach K.C. Brown for an unforgettable championship season. We are proud to share this award with our entire Lexington County community.”
On the field, Lexington County finished first in the second half to make the Petitt Cup playoffs. It went 4-0 at Lexington County Baseball Stadium to claim their first Cup since 2012 and first in Lexington County.
(PHOTO | COAST AL PLAIN LEAGUE) Vicki Shanahan, General Manager Tony Baldwin and Bill Shanahan.