Kentucky was represented by the
Kentucky Bourbons, who played in
Louisville in the first professional league, the American Professional Slo-Pitch League (APSPL), beginning with the founding of that league in 1977. But 1980 was a year of division in professional softball as the
Cleveland Stepien's Competitors, the
Fort Wayne Huggie Bears and Milwaukee broke away from the APSPL to form a new league (North American Softball League) in 1980, under the leadership of Cleveland owner
Ted Stepien. The Bourbons continued in the reduced numbers of the APSPL. Stepien placed NASL teams in several APSPL markets, including
Cincinnati and
Pittsburgh, also placing a team, the Lexington Stallions, in nearby
Lexington, Kentucky. Stepien owned many of the NASL teams, including the Stallions. The owner of the
Pittsburgh Hardhats of the APSPL brought a challenge in federal court in an attempt to prevent splitting the young professional sport. The Stallions had an unremarkable run in 1980, finishing the season with a 30-32 (.486) record, good for 3rd place in the NASL Western Division, 18 games the
Milwaukee Schlitz. Milwaukee would go on to win the 1980 NASL World Series 5–2 over the
Detroit Auto Kings with Ken Parker (.586 BA) of Milwaukee honored as Series MVP. Ron Olesiak (.555, 34 HRs, 124 RBIs) of
Chicago Nationwide Advertising was the NASL league MVP. Donnie Rardin (.548, 20 doubles, 14 triples) was the lone Stallion to make the all-NASL squad for 1980. Former Bourbons Rardin, Phil Schroer, and Phil Gowdy represented Lexington at the mid-season all-star game in
Willoughby, Ohio. The Stallions also featured former Bourbon Terry Davis, Jim Dunn, who had been signed by the
Dallas Cowboys in 1970, Bendal Bagby, and Thom Deskins, who had played minor league baseball in the
Chicago Cubs organization. ==Lexington Stallions record==