By Noah Adcock-Howeth

A year that has shone so brightly upon the Lexington County Blowfish culminated in the grandest of ways, with the organization winning its first Coastal Plain League (CPL) Petitt Cup title since moving to Lexington in 2015.

Over the last 12 months, the Blowfish were named CPL Organization of the Year, hosted the CPL All-Star Game and won the Petitt Cup.

The team welcomed in KC Brown as the new head coach prior to the 2023 season, and he delivered immediately on his promise to bring a title to Lexington.

The Blowfish went 32-20 overall, and 28-18 in the regular season to earn the team’s way into the playoffs, winning both three-game playoff series. The team was a league-best 20-6 at home, the most wins ever in front of the Lexington County faithful. Not only that, both the divisional title and the Petitt Cup itself were claimed on home soil.

While individual stars shone, this year’s team was a more cohesive and balanced unit than many that came before.

The rotation was anchored by Carson Starnes (1-1, 3.24 ERA), Andrew Duval (3-2, 3.96 ERA), and Robbie Jordan (3-2, 4.17 ERA), with Austin Williamson, Beckett White, and Michael Watson providing support early in the year. The bullpen was led by third-year Blowfish CJ Czerwinski, who went 3-0 with 3 saves and a 1.69 ERA, including 2 saves in the playoffs. Jack Whitlock and Cade Bouknight were other highlights on the mound.

Offensively, the team led the league with a .288 batting average in the regular season, then continued their fine work into the playoffs. Both Ryan Ouzts and Phillip Ard clubbed 11 homers, tying the organization record set back in 2011 by Jack Smith. Dariyan Pendergrass paced the team in steals (37), while Zach Cowart led at the plate with an average of .363.

All told the season ended with the most Blowfish wins in a decade, the first title in 11 years, and a lifetime of memories for all involved.