Champion City Half Trax
| Champion City Half Trax | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Information | |
| League | Prospect League (Eastern Conference – Northeast Division) |
| Location | Springfield, Ohio |
| Ballpark | Carleton Davidson Stadium |
| Founded | 2009 (as the Slippery Rock Sliders) |
| League championships | 0 |
| Division championships | 1 (2021) |
| Former name | Champion City Kings (2014–2025) Slippery Rock Sliders (2009–2013) |
| Colors | Blue, red, white |
| General manager | Danny Leach |
| Manager | DJ Neff |
| Website | https://www.championcityhalftrax.com/landing/index |
The Champion City Half Trax are a college summer baseball team located in Springfield, Ohio. The Half Trax are a member of the wood-bat Prospect League and have been since 2013. The Kings play at Carleton Davidson Stadium, which is also the home of the NCAA DIII Wittenberg University Tigers.
The Half Trax are led by General Manager Danny Leach and Field Manager DJ Neff.
The franchise was previously located in Slippery Rock, PA and was known as the Sliders prior to relocating to Ohio in time for the 2014 season.[1][2] The Sliders were originally a member of the Frontier League,[3] but left the league after the 2007 season, its only year as a member.
After the 2025 season, the franchise would change its name from the Kings to the Half Trax.[4]
The Half Trax play in the Prospect League's Eastern Conference – Northeast Division along with the Chillicothe Paints, Johnstown Mill Rats, Kokomo Creek Chubs, and Lafayette Aviators.[5]
Seasons
| Season | Manager | Record | Win % | Division | GB | Post-season record | Post-season win % | Post-season result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Greg Jelks | 29–66 | .305 | 4th | 26.0 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2008 | Ceased operations for one season | ||||||||
| 2009 | Chase Rowe | 22–31 | .415 | 5th | 7.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | As the Slippery Rock Sliders |
| 2010 | Andy Chalot | 21–33 | .389 | 4th | 17.0 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2011 | Andy Chalot/Jon Rodriguez | 26–29 | .473 | 3rd | 2.5 | 0–1 | .000 | Lost East Division Championship (West Virginia) | Made playoffs as 1st Half East Division champion |
| 2012 | Shawn Pynn | 20–40 | .333 | 5th | 20.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2013 | Brett Neffendorf | 28–32 | .467 | 4th | 10.0 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | Final season in Slippery Rock |
| 2014 | Brett Neffendorf[6] | 21–39 | .350 | 5th | 19.0 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | First season as the Kings |
| 2015 | Chris Perkovich[7] | 24–35 | .407 | 5th | 13.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2016 | Rick White | 27–33 | .450 | 5th | 7.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2017 | Mike Ruechel | 29–29 | .500 | 3rd | 7.0 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2018 | Arthur Stenberg[8] | 26–33 | .441 | 5th | 11.0 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2019 | John Jeanes | 25–34 | .424 | 5th | 14.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2020 | Season cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) | ||||||||
| 2021 | Gavin Murphy | 28–30 | .483 | 2nd | 7.0 | 1–1 | .500 | Won Ohio River Valley Division Championship (Chillicothe) Lost Eastern Conference Championship (Lafayette) | Made playoffs with 2nd best 2nd half record |
| 2022 | Gavin Murphy | 23–34 | .404 | 3rd | 13.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2023 | Gavin Murphy | 29–29 | .500 | 2nd | 12.0 | 0–1 | .000 | Lost Ohio River Valley Division Championship (Chillicothe) | |
| 2024 | Stephen Larkin | 18–38 | .321 | 4th | 18.0 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | |
| 2025 | Stephen Larkin | 20–35 | .364 | 4th | 14.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | Final season as the Kings |
| 2026 | DJ Neff | 27–28 | .491 | 5th | 2.5 | 0–0 | .000 | Did not qualify | First season as the Half Trax |
| Totals | 443–628 | .414 | 1–3 | .250 | |||||
Roster
| Active roster | Coaching staff |
|---|---|
|
Pitchers
Utility players
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches
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References
- ↑ Reichard, Kevin (October 31, 2013). "Prospect League's Sliders move to Springfield, will play as Champion City Kings". Ballpark Digest. August Publications. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ↑ Cohn, Bob (October 31, 2013). "Slippery Rock Sliders moving to Ohio". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ↑ Simonich, Milan (August 4, 2007). "Boys of summer -- The Sliders playing baseball on slippery ground". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Champion City baseball team rebrands as Half Trax, honoring Springfield's WWII roots". www.springfieldnewssun.com. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Prospect League Standings – Prospect League Baseball". www.prospectleague.com. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
- ↑ "Kings Add Four Infielders". Champion City Kings. April 29, 2014. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Chris Perkovich Named Manager". Champion City Kings. October 21, 2014. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Champion City Kings coaching staff". Champion City Kings. Archived from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
