Downs Field Plaque

Samuel Huston College once stood where we gather today. The college received a gift in the 1920s that would shape the landscape of sports in Austin. It was this very field, Downs Field. The college proudly inaugurated it as their baseball stadium, a beacon of athletic prowess and community spirit. But Downs Field’s story doesn’t end with college baseball. Oh no, it was destined for greater things. This field became the stomping ground of the Austin Black Senators, the city’s pioneering Negro League Baseball team. From 1927 onward, their legacy echoed through the cheers of the crowds. Imagine the crack of the bat as legendary players like Willie Wells, a hometown hero and Hall of Famer, graced this diamond. But Wells wasn’t alone. The field bore witness to the talents of baseball giants like Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, Smokey Joe Williams. Even Buck O’Neil, a name etched in baseball history, left his mark on Downs Field. Today, Downs Field continues its legacy as the home turf for Huston-Tillotson University’s Rams baseball team. It stands as a testament to the power of sports, a tribute to the spirit of the Negro League. Take a moment to reflect on the echoes of those legendary games, the roar of the crowd, the thrill of the victories, all woven into the very fabric of Downs Field.