TheChesapeake Baysox are aMinor League Baseball team located inBowie, Maryland. They are theDouble-A affiliate of theBaltimore Orioles, and play in theEastern League. Their home ballpark isPrince George's Stadium. From 1993 to 2024, the team was known as theBowie Baysox.

Chesapeake Baysox
Founded in1987 Based inBowie, Maryland since 1993
Team logo Cap insignia
Minor league affiliations
Class	Double-A (1993–present)
League	Eastern League (1993–present)
Division	Southwest Division
Major league affiliations
Team	Baltimore Orioles (1989–present)
Previous teams	Cleveland Indians (1987–1988)
Minor league titles
League titles(1)	2015
Division titles(3)	2008 2015 2019
Team data
Previous names	Bowie Baysox (1993–2024) Hagerstown Suns (1989–1992) Williamsport Bills (1987–1988)
Colors	Black, orange, turquoise, white
Mascots	Louie and Rocko
Ballpark	Prince George's Stadium (1994–present)
Previous parks	Baltimore Memorial Stadium (1993) Hagerstown Municipal Stadium (1989–1992) Williamsport Bowman Field (1987–1988)
Owner(s)/ Operator(s)	Attain Sports and Entertainment
General manager	Brian Shallcross
Manager	Roberto Mercado[1]
Website	milb.com/chesapeake

From 1989 to 1992, the Orioles' Double-A affiliate was located inHagerstown, Maryland and called theSuns. WhenMajor League Baseball added two teams in 1993, bids were offered for two new Triple-A franchises, and the Maryland Baseball Limited Partnership (which owned the Suns and also the Advanced-AFrederick Keys) got into the running to put one of the new franchises in central Maryland. Although their bid fell short, the idea of having a team in Bowie was so well-received that the MBLP decided to move the Double-A team across the state from Hagerstown. The Suns, meanwhile, were dropped to Low-A status.

A contest was held among the community to choose a new name for the team, and over 3,500 suggestions poured in. "Baysox" was chosen over the other finalists, which were "BayBirds" and "Nationals" (the latter was chosen for the nearbyWashington major-league team when it moved to the area in 2005). The "Bay" references are to theChesapeake Bay, which lies less than 20 miles to the east of Bowie.

A complex land deal hindered completion of the stadium, and in their inaugural season in 1993, the Baysox were forced to find an alternate site to play their home games. Eventually, a deal was reached that gave themMemorial Stadium inBaltimore, which had been vacated a year earlier when the Orioles moved intoCamden Yards. A harsh winter prevented the new stadium from being completed in time for the beginning of the 1994 season, and the Baysox played 31 games that year at four other ballparks, including theUniversity of Maryland and theNaval Academy. Finally, the Baysox moved into their permanent home on June 16, 1994.

After two losing seasons, the Baysox made it back to the playoffs in 1997, and were also named the top double-A franchise in America, in part because of their tremendous attendance figures despite their proximity to the Baltimore major-league market. Also in 1997 (June 28), the team introduced "Louie", its green furry mascot with pink hair and long snout, but unknownspecies. It is believed his design is modeled off ofChessie due to the team's name referencing the Chesapeake Bay. He continues to serve asmayor of "Louieville, Maryland", a play on the real city ofLouisville, Kentucky, and also arhyme to the team's home of Bowie.

The Baysox hosted the Double-A All-Star Game on July 12, 2000, bringing players from not only the Eastern League, but also theSouthern andTexas leagues to Bowie. During that season, the Baysox also got a new owner, as the Maryland Baseball Partnership sold the team (along with the Frederick Keys andDelmarva Shorebirds) to theComcast cable network.

The Baysox were again sold in October 2006 by Comcast Spectacor to Maryland Baseball Holding, LLC. A group headed by Ken Young, who is president of Ovations Food Service and also the owner of theNorfolk Tides, the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles and theAlbuquerque Isotopes, the Triple-A affiliate of theColorado Rockies.

The Baysox went six straight seasons (1998–2003) without posting a winning record. In 2005, the team was in contention for the last playoff spot at the end of the season, but lost four straight games toAltoona on the final weekend to just miss the postseason once again. They won their first regular-season division championship in 2008, but lost to theAkron Aeros 3-1 in the Division Series.

The Baysox captured its first Eastern League Championship in 2015 with a 3–2 series victory over theReading Fightin Phils. Its 79–63 regular season finish earned the ballclub its second-ever division title by five games over Altoona. The 3–1 Divisional Series win over the Curve sent Bowie to its first championship series in six attempts. One of the team's stars wasTrey Mancini, who hit .359 for the season but fell 29 plate appearances short of the 384 needed to qualify for the league batting title due to his having been promoted to the team in June.^[2]

After a 19–35 start, the 2019 Baysox won 11 of 14 matches to conclude the first half in fourth place at 30–38. The momentum propelled them to a 46–26 record and the EL Western Division second-half title. Buck Britton was rewarded for the turnaround by being named EL Manager of the Year.^[3] The Baysox won the Western Division over theHarrisburg Senators but lost the Championship Series to theTrenton Thunder, with both postseason series finishing 3–1.^[4]

In conjunction withMajor League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Baysox were organized into theDouble-A Northeast.^[5]

In 2021, The Baysox finished second in the Double-A Northeast League with a 73–47 record.^[6] This qualified them for the Double-A Northeast finals against theAkron RubberDucks. It was the third time Bowie has qualified for the playoffs in their history, and the third time since 2015.^[7] They lost the best-of-five series versus Akron, 3–0.^[8]Grayson Rodriguez was selected as the 2021 Double-A Northeast Pitcher of the Year andAdley Rutschman as the league's Top MLB Prospect.^[9]

The Baysox were purchased from Maryland Baseball Holding, LLC by Attain Sports and Entertainment in January 2022.^[10] In 2022, the Double-A Northeast became known as the Eastern League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.^[11]

On November 22, 2024, the Baysox changed their name from the Bowie Baysox to the Chesapeake Baysox to reflect the area of the team's fan base.^[12]

As of 2021^[update], Baysox games are streamed audio only on theirFacebook,Twitter, andYouTube accounts. Adam Pohl and Paul Fritschner share broadcasting duties. Pohl has been with the team since 2014, while Fritschner joined in 2021.^{[citation needed]}

Previously, Baysox games were carried live by radio stationWNAV. In 2019, 40 games were broadcast live on the radio, and all games were streamed live on the station's website.^{[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]}

On "Office Space night", fans, for a $1 fee, are able to live out the famousOffice Space moment by destroying office equipment with a baseball bat.

On July 9, 2010, the fourth annual Autism Awareness Night took place at Prince George's Stadium. Fans that bought the Autism Awareness ticket had $3 of their ticket price donated to an autism charity of their choosing. Fans also took part in "Bowie's Largest Pillow Fight", which took place on the field following the game.

In 2016, the Baysox had aDavid Bowie night where the team temporarily renamed itself from the Bowie (booh-ie) Baysox to the Bowie (bowh-wy) Baysox. The jerseys were designed to look like similar outfits that he wore with his Ziggy Stardust persona. The team also played his songs during the game. They have events many nights, including fireworks.^[20]

One of the most popular promotions isStar Wars night. Characters such asChewbacca andR2-D2 are available to meet and take pictures with, and a fireworks show set to music from the series follows the game.

The Baysox also hosts an annual Navy Night, with the plebes from theUnited States Naval Academy attending the game. After the game, a postgame fireworks show takes place set to patriotic music.

• Sports in Washington, D.C.

• Official website