Matt Padgett embodies the phrase “homegrown talent”.

He grew up in Creekwood close to the baseball fields on Ballpark Road.

There he crafted the skills which made him a college and Major League Baseball prospect.

Wildcat Hollow, where Padgett earned All-State honors in football for Lexington High.

Next May, Padgett will once again compete at the former home park of the Wildcats.

This time, it’s to serve as the new head coach of the Lexington County Blowfish baseball team.

“It’s really cool, honestly, to be back,” said Padgett.

He and Blowfish General Manager Theo Bacot held a baseball clinic for youth outside Cayce Historical Museum. “I know how serious baseball is and how fun it was to play in Lexington back then,” he said.

“I know the teams now, with all the new high schools, there’s just a lot of baseball, a lot of really good baseball.

“So I think it’s great for Lexington to have a team with legitimate college players coming to play in the summer and I think it’s our job to try to keep the Lexington tradition going.”

Padgett takes over a Blowfish team which has not posted a winning season since their first season in Lexington 4 years ago. This past season, Lexington County posted the worst record in the Coastal Plain League at 15-34 overall, 6-20 at home.

Enter Padgett, who returns to his hometown after playing for college baseball coaching legends Jack Leggett and Tim Corbin at Clemson. Corbin is currently the head coach of College World Series champion Vanderbilt. Former Blowfish head coach Jonathan Johnson also highly recommended Padgett to co-owner Bill Shanahan. Padgett succeeded Johnson as head coach of Ben Lip-pen, where he’s led the Falcons to back-to-back SCISA state runner-up trophies.

“Matt Padgett is a true professional,” Johnson said. “His time spent in professional baseball has given him knowledge beyond most coaches’ comprehension. These young men will be fortunate to play under Matt next summer.”

Shanahan was encouraged by Padgett’s belief in repetition and preparation. Putting in more practice work before and after games is something both men believe is key to producing a better product.

Padgett said between 3-5 players have expressed interest in playing for the Blowfish. He hopes to create an environment that college head coaches feel confident will help develop their players over the summer.

See the full interview with Padgett right now at www.lexingtonchronicle.com .