Decatur Lands Prospect League Franchise for 2026 Season

Decatur, Illinois, will have a summer collegiate baseball team in the Prospect League next season. The team will be owned by Golden Rule Entertainment, owners of the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes and the Quincy Doggy Paddlers in the Prospect League

The yet-to-be-named franchise will call Workman Family Baseball Field home on the campus of Millikin University. The ballpark was completed in 2019 and features a synthetic turf field, a grandstand seating 450, bleacher seating on both sides, and an elevated berm along the third base line.

“You’ve come to the right city. Decatur is a baseball town,” said Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe in a press release. “This brings family-friendly entertainment, it’s affordable, and it brings people right to our own backyard. It’s also a huge win for Millikin, bringing more visitors to campus and showcasing what the University has to offer.”

Decatur had been home to minor league baseball since 1888, and from 1900 to 1974, played in various leagues, most notably, the Three-Eye and Midwest League. The team was known in 1915 for its free promotion strategy that went awry. The club won four championships in 1928, 1952, 1953, and 1957.

The team was called the Commodores for most of that time, after city founder Stephen Decatur, who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. The team was nicknamed the “Commies” before it became associated with the Soviet Union and Communism. 

The Commodores moved to Wausau, Wisconsin, after the 1974 season when their home ballpark, Fans Field, was condemned. Interestingly, the team played at Staley Field from 1922 to 1926, the Chicago Bears first home. The original Commies franchise is still active today as the Kane County Cougars in the American Association.

Decatur is the 20th franchise in the Prospect League, joining the Kokomo Creek Chubs next season.

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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com