The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame’s advisory committee has released its candidates for the Class of 2025, and enshrinement will be conducted by voting from local fans. Online voting is limited to five total votes per participant.
The committee also announced that fans will select two inductees and the committee may vote for additional members. Official ballots will be at Riley Park beginning April 15, and online voting will be available via this link. Voting will conclude on May 10. The two individuals with the most votes will be inducted prior to the RiverDogs’ Father’s Day home game against the Augusta GreenJackets on June 15 at 5:05pm.
The Charleston Baseball Hall of Fame is coordinated and operated by the Charleston RiverDogs. An advisory committee consisting of knowledgeable local volunteers was created to come up with potential nominees. The Hall of Fame is located inside Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
The finalists, in alphabetical order, for the Class of 2025:
Steve Arrington - The pitcher and outfielder from Hanahan was the 1973 Southern Conference baseball player of the year after leading the league in strikeouts with 93 in 65 innings for The Citadel. Arrington was a member of the 1971 SoCon Championship team under coach Chal Port. He had a pair of one-hitters and held school records for total strikeouts (213 in 196 innings), complete games (8 in 1972), and shutouts (3 in 1971). He was second in ERA (0.96 in 1973). After graduation, he spent nearly 30 years in the U.S. Air Force and attained the rank of full colonel. He was enshrined in The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
Mike Cisco - The former Wando High School pitcher earned All-State honors in 2005 and was named to the South Carolina/North Carolina Select All-Star team. He pitched for the University of South Carolina from 2006-08, compiling a 19-10 record with the Gamecocks. Cisco was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 36th round of the 2008 MLB Draft. The right-hander pitched in the minors for six seasons, reaching triple-A. He compiled a record of 33-26, pitching in 173 games and finishing with a 3.06 ERA. Cisco, the grandson of former MLB pitching coach Galen Cisco, lives in Mount Pleasant.
Nick Ciuffo - The Mount Pleasant native helped Wando High School to a 46-17 record over his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to the Midlands, where he helped lead Lexington High School to the Class AAAA state championship in 2013. The catcher was named the S.C. Gatorade Player of the Year in 2013. Ciuffo received a scholarship offer from the University of South Carolina when he was 14 and eventually signed with the Gamecocks but never played college ball. He was drafted in the first round (21st overall pick) of the 2013 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. He made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Over parts of three MLB seasons with the Rays and the Baltimore Orioles, he started 21 games and hit .188 with a homer and five RBI.
Josh Hamilton – The first pick in the 1999 MLB Draft was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and assigned to the Charleston RiverDogs in the South Atlantic League for the 2000 season. He finished the season with a .301 batting average, 13 home runs and 61 RBIs. He was the MVP of the South Atlantic League All-Star Game and voted Minor League Player of the Year by USA Today. Hamilton went on to a very successful MLB career playing for the Cincinnati Reds (2007), Texas Rangers (2008-2012, 2015), and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2013–2014). Hamilton is a five-time MLB All-Star and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2010.
Michael Kohn - The pitcher and designated hitter is considered the best two-way player in College of Charleston baseball history and one of the best in Southern Conference history. After transferring from USC Upstate, Kohn played in 102 games for the Cougars over two seasons (2007-08), batting .311 with 19 home runs and 93 RBI. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the 13th round of the 2008 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut on July 26, 2010 for the Angels. He appeared in 132 games over five seasons (four with the Angels and one with the Atlanta Braves). He posted a 5-6 record with a 3.52 ERA out of the bullpen (115 innings, 84 hits, 111 strikeouts).
Chris McGuiness - The former Citadel star graduated from James Island Charter High School, where he earned all-region honors all four years before graduating in 2006. He played three seasons at The Citadel, batting .367 and leading the nation in walks with 65 as a junior. McGuiness was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 13th round of the 2009 MLB Draft and decided to forego his senior year at The Citadel. He was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2010 and made his Major League debut as a first baseman in June of 2013. He played in 10 games for the Rangers, collecting six hits and one RBI. In addition to the Rangers and Red Sox, McGuiness spent time in the minors with the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.
Tyler Thornburg - A two-way player at Charleston Southern, Thornburg was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He was a pitcher and outfielder at CSU. As a Major Leaguer, he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins. In nine seasons in the majors, he appeared in 206 games and compiled a 16-10 record with 13 saves and a 3.46 ERA. Thornburg lives in North Charleston and is active working with players in the community. He also is serving as a pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A team in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Asher Wojciechowski - The former Citadel pitcher put together one of the most impressive seasons in school history in 2010. He was a consensus All-American after going 12-3 with a 3.58 ERA and 155 strikeouts in leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament. For his career, Wojciechowski comprised a 20-7 record and ranks third all-time with 308 strikeouts. Following his junior season, Wojciechowski was selected 41st overall by the Toronto Blue Jays in the MLB Draft. He would go on to make 58 appearances in the majors for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees. He was inducted into the Citadel Hall of Fame in 2022.
