The Lexington County Blowfish are incredibly excited to welcome the best of the best from around the CPL into Lexington County Baseball Stadium this week for the 2023 Coastal Plain League All Star Show.
The All Star Show will take place over two days, with the All Star FanFest and Skills Challenge occurring Tuesday, and the All Star Game itself Wednesday night.
On Tuesday, gates will open at 6:00, and from 6:10 to 6:45, players from both divisions will be signing autographs and meeting with fans on the concourse. The players will be given time to warm up, and the introductions will begin at 7:00. After intros and the anthem, we will begin our 3 challenges, the bunting challenge, the pitching challenge, and the home run derby. The entirety of the competition will be team and points based, with the East competing with the West for divisional supremacy.
The first competition will be bunting, with participants attempting to land balls in targets placed along each line. The player gets three warmups, and then 3 bunts to both the first and third base lines. The closer to the center, the more points. Each bunter’s total will be added to the division’s score for the day as a whole. Dariyan Pendergrass (Lexington County), Kane Kepley (High Point-Thomasville), and Carter Dorighi (Martinsville) will represent the West, while Jake Ogden (Florence), Cam Hassert (Wilmington), and Mason Dunaway (Peninsula) will bunt for the East.
Around 7:45, upon conclusion of the bunting, we will begin the pitching portion. Three pitchers will compete for each division, and each will get 30 seconds to knock over as many bats as possible that will be standing on a platform at home plate. The pitcher must throw from the rubber itself, and has to hit the bat on the fly to knock it over, with no points offered for hitting the platform. The total number of bats knocked over will be added to the overall divisional score for the pitcher’s side. Throwing for the East are Trey Morgan (Peninsula), Zach Abbey (Tri-City), and Leo Giannoni (Holly Springs), while the West will turn to Logan Wash (Macon), Cade Bouknight (Lexington County), and Win Scott (Asheboro).
Shortly after 8:00, the final event of the night will commence: the home run derby. Once more, 3 players per side will take the stage looking to secure victory for their side. Each hitter gets one round of 3 minutes to hit as many balls out of the park as possible. The hitter will get a warning with one minute left, and all homers hit after the warning are worth double. The East contends with Dan Tauken (Morehead City), Ryan Picollo (Holly Springs) and Michael Dolberry (Tri-City), while the West will counter with Ryan Ouzts (Lexington County), Tyson Bass (Boone), and Dylan Koontz (Forest City). Each side will also get a bonus from a special guest in the form of former MLB slugger Mark Reynolds. Reynolds will hit for each side separately as the 3rd hitter for both teams, and get seven outs to slug as many homers as possible. The totals will be tallied for each hitter and added to numbers from previous challenges.
After completion of all challenges, at approximately 9:00, the totals will be calculated and a winner declared, finalizing Day 1 of the All Star Show.
Wednesday will be slightly more straightforward, with the only event being the game itself. Prior to gates opening, all players will run through a showcase-style combine with MLB scouts, displaying their speed, hitting ability, and fielding. Gates will open at 6:00, with local group the Little Peaches at the gate to welcome fans while wearing uniforms reminiscent of AAGPBL club, the Rockford Peaches. Introductions of the players will begin at 6:45 along with ceremonial first pitches and the national anthem. First pitch will be right at 7:05, and the game will be 9 innings long. Jerry Garcia will be the starting pitcher for the West, and Zach Abbey will start for the East. The winners will be congratulated and awards handed out at home plate following the conclusion of the game, concluding the 2023 All Star Show in Lexington County.
Tickets are available for both days at goblowfishbaseball.com, and both days will be streamed live on Flobaseball.tv.
Tuesday:
6:00 Gates Open
6:10-6:45 Player autograph session
6:45-7:00 Players warm up
7:00-7:15 Player introductions and national anthem
7:15-7:45 Bunting competition
7:45-8:05 Pitching competition
8:05-9:00 Home run derby
9:00 Winners announced and award presentation
Wednesday:
2:00-5:00 Player scout day (not open to public)
6:00 Gates open
6:45-7:00 Player introductions, ceremonial first pitch, and national anthem
7:05 First pitch, play ball!
Game Ends-Awards Ceremony
Post Game Laser Light Show