“It’s amazing,” Myers said. “It’s one of the best baseball experiences I’ve had in the summer my whole entire life.”
The Kings — a collegiate wooden bat summer team — finished the second-half 19-10, clinching a playoff berth with a second-place finish in the Prospect League’s Ohio River Valley Division. Champion City will face the defending Prospect League champion Chillicothe Paints in the Ohio River Valley Division championship game at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6 at Chillicothe VA Memorial Stadium. The winner will play the Wabash River Division champion — either the Danville (Ill.) Dans or the Springfield (Ill.) Lucky Horseshoes — in the Eastern Conference championship game on Aug. 8 at a site and time to be determined.
The Eastern Conference champion will face the Western Conference champion in the three-game Prospect League Championship series Aug. 10-13.
The Kings finished the first half in lastplace in the Ohio River Valley Division with a 10-19, won 19 games in the second half to finish the regular season 29-29. It’s just the second time since moving to Springfield in 2014 that the franchise has finished the regular season with a .500 mark.
“This is a college season crammed into one summer,” Myers said. “I couldn’t be more proud of us. It’s been awesome.”
Myers, a Shawnee grad and right-handed pitcher at Indiana Tech, has appeared in 11 games for the Kings this season. He’s 1-2 with a 5.82 earned run average, two saves and 32 strikeouts in 34 innings pitched. He’s the latest in a long line of Shawnee players to suit up for the Kings, including Seth Gray, Ben Ross and Patrick Fultz.
“I grew up watching (Gray) and I never really thought that I’d be in that spot,” Myers said. “Being a Shawnee guy as well, I always looked up to him. This is a little bit of a dream come true. It’s not anything crazy, but it’s so awesome. Not very many people get to do this in their hometown.”
DeWitt, a Catholic Central grad and left-handed pitcher, played at Clark State last spring and is transferring to the University of Indianapolis this fall. He’s appeared in 15 games for the Kings, going 3-1 with an 8.77 earned run average and 26 strikeouts in 39 innings. He’s also believed to be the first Irish player to ever suit up for the Kings.
“We’ve always been a small school, so it’s cool to come here from Catholic Central and play for the Kings,” DeWitt said.
The best part, DeWitt said, has been playing in front of your hometown friends and family.
“Friday and Saturday nights are the best, that’s when you get the biggest crowds,” he said. “It’s been a great experience.”
Champion City last won the Ohio River Valley Division championship in 2021 before falling to the Lafayette (Ind.) Aviators in the Eastern Conference final.
In this year’s playoffs, they’ll face a strong Chillicothe squad that has a Prospect League-best 40 wins and is seeking its third championship in four years.
The atmosphere, however, won’t be new, Myers said. The Kings have made six trips to Chillicothe this summer.
“We know what to expect,” Myers said.
PROSPECT LEAGUE
OHIO RIVER VALLEY DIVISION
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Who: Champion City Kings at Chillicothe Paints
When: 6:05 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 6
Where: Chillicothe VA Memorial Stadium, 17273 St. Rt. 104, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Cost: $7 for adults; $5 for children (12 and under), seniors (65+) and military.
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