“Flying Monkeys” Coming to Greenwood as New Summer Baseball Team Unveils Name

GREENWOOD, S.C. (March 21, 2026) — The next chapter of baseball in Greenwood officially has a name.

The Blue Ridge League today unveiled the Greenwood Flying Monkeys, a new summer collegiate team set to begin play in 2026 at historic Legion Field, formerly home to the minor league Greenwood Braves and Greenwood Pirates.

“Greenwood has always had a strong baseball tradition,” said Greg Sullivan, chairman of the Blue Ridge League. “We’re excited to bring summer baseball back to Legion Field and introduce something new that people in the community can connect with. It’s also a name people won’t forget.”

The name is a reference to the winged characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and was selected as part of the team’s branding ahead of its inaugural season. Team officials said the identity is intended to stand out while still maintaining ties to traditional baseball elements.

“We’re reimagining the Flying Monkeys from the original book, not the movie,” Sullivan said. “It gave us the freedom to create something that feels classic, a little whimsical, and connected to Greenwood’s history through the Emeralds name.”

The team’s primary logo features a winged monkey positioned on a baseball bat, supported by a broader set of marks and wordmarks built around a green-and-cream color palette. The design blends classic baseball styling with more playful visual elements.

Additional design elements incorporate subtle geometric patterns inspired by the baseball field, while the overall color palette centers on deep green and vintage cream with a brighter accent tone.

The Flying Monkeys will play their home games at Legion Field, a longtime baseball venue in Greenwood that has remained a central hub for the sport in the region. The team will compete in a collegiate summer wood-bat league, featuring players from college programs across the country during the summer season. Home games this year will run from early June through late July, with more than 20 home dates at Legion Field.

Greenwood joins a growing list of markets in the Blue Ridge League, a summer collegiate wood-bat league that has expanded across the Carolinas and Virginia. The league is adding multiple teams in South Carolina ahead of the 2026 season, including the Joanna Hornets and a new team at Jim Everhart Field in Spartanburg County.

The team recently named Payton Dawkins as its first head coach. A Columbia-area native and former player at Columbia International University, Dawkins was part of the program’s 2021 NCCAA national championship team. He currently serves as head varsity coach at American Leadership Academy in Lexington.

Additional details, including roster signings, schedule information, and merchandise availability, will be announced in the coming months.

Fans can sign up for updates at greenwoodflyingmonkeys.com.