Former Francis Marion University baseball outfielder Anthony
“Chico” Lombardo became the 34th member of the FMU
Athletic Hall of Fame when he was inducted during Homecoming
activities on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009.
A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., Lombardo played
two seasons at Francis Marion (1978 and 1979) after transferring
from Motlow State Community College in Tennessee.
He earned a B.S. degree in sociology from Francis Marion in
1979, and later did post-graduate work at Winthrop University.
Lombardo now resides in Shelby, N.C., with his wife and two
children, and he is entering his 18th season as head baseball coach
at Limestone College.
As a senior at Francis Marion in 1979, he batted .411 with 49
runs scored in only 38 games. He set Patriot single-season
records for batting average, base hits (62), and runs batted in
(46). He also compiled 11 doubles, four triples, and one home
run, while stealing 50 bases in 54 attempts. He was named to
the NAIA District Six All-District Team, while earning All-State,
All-Area, and honorable mention All-America recognition. He
helped Francis Marion to a 31-7 record, which at the time, was the
best in the program’s history.
During the 1978 campaign, he earned All-District honors while
hitting .344 with 37 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, 24
RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 34 attempts.
His career totals as a Patriot include a .377 average, 86 runs
and 70 RBIs in only 76 games, with 80 stolen bases in 88
attempts.
He later played one season in the Cincinnati Reds organization,
before entering the coaching profession. When he took over
the head coaching reigns at Mars Hill College, he became the
youngest head coach in the nation. After two years at Mars
Hill, he was an assistant coach at Winthrop College for five
seasons, and then moved to Limestone in 1992.
In 2005, he guided Limestone to its first Carolinas-Virginia
Athletic Conference championship and was named CVAC Coach of the
Year. While with the Saints, he also earned NAIA District Six
Coach of the Year honors in 1994, a Louisville Slugger Award for
Excellence in Coaching in 1997, and state Coach of the Year
recognition in 1997, while compiling a 435-416 record.
