Lexington County, SC – The Lexington County Blowfish have named KC Brown as their head coach for the upcoming 2023 season. Brown, who was an assistant coach on the 2022 squad, becomes the eighth head coach in team history. “We are excited to announce KC as our new head coach and to lead our baseball program,” said Blowfish General Manager Tony Baldwin. “We are confident in the impact he will have on our players, organization and the Lexington County community.”
Brown, a native of Rincon, Georgia, recently wrapped up a successful collegiate playing career. He began at South Georgia State College, where he was a first-team all-conference infielder and GCAA Gold Glove winner in 2017. He then moved from there to Division II Georgia College and State University, where he played for three seasons under Gamecocks legend Nolan Belcher, and earned both second-team all-conference honors and all-tournament team laurels for the Peach Belt Conference in 2022. Brown will return to his alma mater in the spring as a graduate assistant coach, having spent this summer as both a Blowfish assistant and an intern with the South Carolina Football Strength and Conditioning Department.
During the 2022 season, Brown was an assistant under Blowfish all-time winningest head coach Jonathan Johnson, who continues to serve as a Special Advisor of Baseball Operations to co-owner Bill Shanahan. “I’m really excited to see what KC will do,” Coach Johnson stated. “He’s mature beyond his years and I know his passion and work ethic will flow over into his team!” Players lauded the hire as well, with two-year Blowfish pitcher Josh Topper stating “KC will be a great addition to lead the Blowfish. He has the passion and coaching ideas to help bring the Blowfish back to the Pettit Cup playoffs.”
Brown, although from Georgia, has familial connections in the area. His cousin is South Carolina great Jay Brown, who played for the Gamecocks in the early 2000s. KC, who played in the Coastal Plain League for the Fayetteville Swamp Dogs, calls this previous year with the Blowfish “one of the best summer experiences I’ve ever been a part of.” He cites the family atmosphere of the organization as a prime factor in his return. Says Brown, “I look forward to working diligently to maintain and continuously improve the Blowfish image, and I certainly can’t wait to help next summer’s team reach their highest potential both on and off the field.”
Brown is currently in the process of curating a roster that will compete to bring the Blowfish back to contention for a Pettit Cup title in 2023.
About the Blowfish:
Entering their 18th season the Lexington County Blowfish are a three-time CPL Organization of the Year and a proud member of the Coastal Plain League. The summer collegiate team began play in 2006 and won the 2012 CPL Championship. The Blowfish have had ten players make it to the Major Leagues with more to come. Lexington County Baseball Stadium is their home with a link to four of the great MLB stadiums with field dimensions of 302 ft Right Field (Fenway Park/Boston Red Sox), 394 ft Center field (Wrigley Field/Chicago Cubs), 318 ft Left Field (Yankee Stadium/New York Yankees), and 55 feet from home plate to the backstop (Dodgers Stadium/Los Angeles Dodgers). The Blowfish are operated by Shanahan Sports & Entertainment and owned by Bill & Vicki Shanahan.
About the Coastal Plain League:
The Coastal Plain League, brought to you by FloSports, is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Coming off its 26th season in 2022, the CPL features 13 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had nearly 1,750 alumni drafted and 157 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alums include 2017 ALCS MVP, 2017 World Series champion, 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, as well as 2017 NLCS MVP Chris Taylor, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Alec Bohm and NFL Super Bowl XLVIII champion quarterback Russell Wilson.. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CPLBaseball.