During my business trip to Dayton (Ohio) and on my ride home from Columbus (Ohio) on Wednesday, I stopped into Springfield, Ohio to check out a really cool baseball stadium, Carleton Davidson. Carleton Davison Stadium had a nice ring to it. It’s namesake sounds a lot like the character on “The Prince of BelAir,” the one and only Carleton Davis. On Google Maps, it looked incredible, so I took the small detour off I-70 West to check it out.
From the parking lot, I walked up to the front gate area and noticed that the stadium was closed. There was a lot to see from the perimeter, so I just focused on those things. I had noticed a number of cars parking in the parking lot, and later figured out why. More on that later. From the signage on the side of the stadium and on the scoreboard, Carleton Davidson was the home field for local Wittenberg University Tigers baseball club as well as a team I had never heard of, the Champion City Half Trax.
First a bit about Wittenberg University, which is an NCAA Division III school located right there in Springfield, OH. Their baseball team, the Tigers, play in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Wittenberg had a stellar 2026 campaign, going an impressive 31-13 overall, 12-4 in the NCAC Conference. The Tigers played 2 games in the 2026 NCAA Division III National Tournament, losing both. Strong team, from what I can gather from their baseball page – Wittenberg Tigers.
Now, let’s chat about the Champion City Half Trax. The Half Trax are a summer collegiate baseball league team who play in the Northwest Division of the Prospect League. Their roster consists of top collegiate baseball talent from all over the United States, with a fairly heavy concentration of Ohio based players. So why Champion City you ask? The internet, which is always correct, says “Our namesake, the Champion City, originates from the history of the agricultural empire, the Champion Reaper Company, which put Springfield, Ohio on the map in the mid 1800’s. William Whiteley invented the Champion reaper and mower- revolutionizing the agricultural community and industry.” And the team name the Half Trax – “the team rebranded in late 2025 to honor Springfield’s World War II history and the half-track military vehicles produced there by International Harvester.” So the Champion City name and the team name are a homage to the agricultural and military vehicle innovators that helped make Springfield, Ohio prosper.
Since the field was locked up, I decided to take a full walk around the perimeter of Carleton Davidson, from foul line to foul line, taking in what views I could from the grassy areas around the ballpark. From what I could see, and there were a few convenient hills that bettered my view, the stadium looked amazing. Nice seating section behind home plate that spanned from dugout to dugout. If there were a game played there while I was in town, I would have most definitely made the trip to see it.
Before heading back to my rental car, I spotted a plaque located on the first base line area. It was in honor of Robert Pyle, who according to his plaque was a “longtime baseball coach, educator, and city leader. Coach Pyle devoted 52 years to coaching baseball.”
After returning back to Huber Heights from my day trip to Columbus, I looked up the Half Trax and found out there were on the road playing vs. Terre Haute Rex. Turns out it was a good night for the Trax, as they trounced Terre Haute in 7 innings by a score of 20-4. For the season, the Champion City Half Trax are 24-22, including 17-6 at home. The Trax are actually in action tonight (07/24/26) at Carleton Davidson playing the Chillicothe Paints. You can find out more information on the Half Trax by going to their official website – Champion City Half Trax.
I am so psyched I found this great baseball park in Springfield, Ohio – Carleton Davidson Stadium. Two baseball clubs called Davidson Stadium home – Wittenberg University Tigers and the Champion City Half Trax. The baseball field and grounds and stadium area were all in very good condition. I was able to walk the entire perimeter of the field from the parking lot, down the left field line, under the giant scoreboard, and rounded the walk down the first base line. Overall, it was an awesome Springfield baseball experience visiting Carleton Davidson Stadium, home of the Tigers and the Half Trax, in beautiful Springfield, Ohio, USA.
Discover more from The Baseball Storyteller
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
