By Thomas Grant Jr.
After three seasons and 70 victories, Travis Poole is leaving the Blythewood baseball program.
He will now head crosstown to replace a coaching legend in Columbia. He confirmed on Tuesday his plans to take over the A.C. Flora baseball program.
He replaces longtime head coach Andy Hallett, who just led the Falcons to their eighth state championship. After 29 seasons, Hallett is headed to Midlands STEM in Winnsboro to become the head baseball coach and athletics director.
A recent member of the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, Poole led the Bengals to a region title and won his 500th career game during his tenure.
Blythewood went 25-5 this season, including a 21-game winning streak, before losing to Spartanburg in the Class 5A Division I Upper State district playoffs.
The Bengals had three players – Sergio Melendez, Amare Counts and Johnny Collins – make the S.C. Baseball Coaches Association’s All-State team.
Before coming to Blythewood, Poole was a successful coach in North Carolina and won 463 games and a pair of state championships at Weddington High School in 2011-12.
Neither Richland School District One or Two have made an official announcement.
