LEXINGTON COUNTY BLOWFISH

The Lexington County Blowfish front office are already making moves for 2019.

The theme for next season has yet to be released, but the team did announce the first player signings for the 2019 season.

Along with being in-state products, all three signees are student-athletes at North Greenville University and are the first players to sign on for next year’s campaign.

Brock Robinson, a transfer from USC-Lancaster, is a right-handed pitcher who won a Rawlings Collegiate Gold Glove award in 2018. Brady Smith is another transfer into North Greenville. Brady had nine appearances in 2018, with 12 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.00.

Both pitchers will be called upon to shore up a Blowfish pitching staff that finished 2018 with a 6.38 ERA. That pitching staff finished the season strong, but Smith and Robinson will be counted on to add depth early in the season.

The third signee is River Bluff graduate Josh Senter. Blowfish fans were able to get a look at him in 2018, as he played for the Forest City Owls. Senter is primarily a center-fielder, though he can play multiple positions in the outfield.

The Blowfish are taking a different approach to recruiting this team’s roster. Along with second year head coach Marshall McDonald, the Blowfish front office team is working together to scout and sign the right players.

“Josh will give us great speed in the outfield and at the top of the batting order. And he has CPL experience, playing in Forest City last season, which is huge for us,” said head coach Marshall McDonald.

“Both Brock and Brady have quality arms that will have immediate impacts this season for the Blowfish,” Marshall told me over the phone. With Brock’s gold glove and Brady’s low ERA “it shows they both have intangibles that will be very helpful for us during the grind of this summer.”

Stay informed on all Blowfish news by following on social media and listening to the “Inside the Fish Tank” podcast each week.

Celebrity Softball Game Update

The fifth annual South Carolina Youth Diabetes Association (SCYDA) Celebrity Softball Game will emanate from Lexington County Baseball Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Tickets are $5 with the gates opening at 11 a.m. and the game starting at 1:15 p.m. The SCYDA game has been played in Mauldin for the past four years. However, organizer Matthew Scott has said the move to Lexington is one that excites him.

“I am really thrilled to have it here in Lexington County,” said Matthew during a visit to Blowfish on Main last week. “The stadium is wonderful, so I’d encourage everyone to come out to a magnificent ballpark and support a great cause.”

The SCYDA uses this celebrity softball game to help raise money and send children with type 1 diabetes to a summer camp. Along with the actual softball game, there will be a Home Run Derby as well as an autograph session with the athletes before the game. There will also be a silent auction on the concourse as the game is occurring on the field.

Some of the items available for bid include baseballs signed by Goose Gassage, former Atlanta Brave Andruw Jones, current Boston Red Sox Brandon Phillips and the “King of NASCAR” Richard Petty.

A football signed by Heisman Trophy winner, 2015 NFL MVP and current Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will also be available for bidding during the silent auction. Autographed items also include signatures from former Atlanta Brave Dale Murphy and Patrick Renna, most famous for his role as “Ham Porter” in The Sandlot.

The participants span several different sports and include names that many in Lexington County are familiar with, including former Lexington High School and current Tampa Bay Rays catcher Nick Ciuffo. Former Gamecocks Nicki Blue, Olivia Lawrence, Colby Holmes and Adam Westmoreland, as well as former Blowfish Chris Singleton and Kyle Martin will also be in attendance.

Tickets are available for purchase at goblowfishbaseball.com as well as https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/7120782/.