Columbia’s baseball team will (briefly) be the Bombers once again. What to know
The Bombers are back, baby.
Well, for a few days at least.
The Columbia Fireflies, the minor league baseball team that will soon begin its 10th season at Segra Park in the BullStreet District, announced Thursday that they will assume an “alternate identity” as the Capital City Bombers the weekend of July 10-12.
The Bombers name is likely familiar to many longtime Columbia baseball fans, as that minor league team formerly played at Columbia’s Capital City Stadium on Assembly Street from 1993 to 2004.
“We understand how important Capital City Stadium and the Bombers are to the Midlands baseball culture,” Fireflies Team President Brad Shank said in a news release. “We received feedback that many of our fans loved attending games at Capital City Stadium.
“As we celebrate our 10th anniversary season, it was natural to recognize and honor Columbia’s rich baseball history and bring back a beloved brand with our own modern twist.”
As part of what they are calling Capital City Bombers Celebration Weekend July 10-12, the Fireflies plan to don a “modern interpretation” of the former Bombers uniform, with a cap that will have the Bombers retro logo. The first 1,000 fans on July 10 will get a “bobble plane” of a B-25 bomber, there will be a fireworks show after the July 11 game, and kids will get to run the bases after the July 12 game, the team noted in the release.
Tickets for the Bombers weekend and all other Fireflies home games are available now on the Fireflies website. The team will also be selling Capital City Bombers merchandise, such as hats, shirts and more, on its website and at the Mason Jar team store at Segra Park.
The Fireflies, who are the Class A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals, aren’t strangers to the idea of adopting an “alternate identity” every once in a while. During the annual Copa de la Diversión they play as the Chicharrones de Columbia, a nod to Latin culture and the popular deep-fried pork skin snacks. The Fireflies also sometimes play games as the Carolina Grits, a name which pays homage to the classic Southern cuisine. That alter ego includes a mascot named Butters that is a baseball cap turned upside down and filled with grits.
This story was originally published March 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM.
