The road to Forest City was a long and winding one for Davis Churchman.
The former Ankeny Centennial baseball player is wrapping up his college career at Waldorf University. The senior infielder is soaking up every minute of it.
“I’ve been in college for six years yet I do not regret any of it,” said Churchman. “Playing baseball at Waldorf has made me realize that if you want to do something, do it–the only thing that can get in the way is yourself. By not holding myself back from changing my mind, I have had so many different experiences–including baseball–that I have loved.”
Churchman is one of the top hitters for a team that will take a 21-24 record into the North Star Athletic Association conference tournament that starts on Friday in Dickinson, N.D. He is batting .317 with eight home runs, 11 doubles, 26 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.
“It is very hard to believe my days as a baseball player are quickly coming to an end, especially with how long and unexpected the journey was,” Churchman said. “It was a journey I never saw coming.”
As a senior at Centennial in 2017, Churchman helped the Jaguars to a 27-15 record. He batted .279 with one homer and 13 RBIs.
Churchman then started his college career at Mount Mercy University, but he didn’t stay in Cedar Rapids very long.
“I soon found it hard to have a demanding major like vocal music and be on the baseball team at the same time,” he said. “I left the team and transferred to Iowa State because their vocal music program had more to offer to me. This way, I could also be closer to home and watch my brothers play at Centennial.”
Two years later, Churchman was still at Iowa State when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It gave him plenty of time for reflection.
“In that time of isolation, I realized that I had to play baseball for as long as I could, or I knew I would regret it,” Churchman said. “I simply looked up NAIA schools in Iowa and sent emails out to coaches asking if they needed an infielder. I sent tapes of me fielding and hitting along with them. Joe Tautges at Waldorf was one of the few to reply and said to come for a visit. And that was that. I walked on the fall of 2020.”
Churchman has been the Warriors’ starting second baseman for the last three years. He won the North Star Gold Glove at second base in 2022.
This year, Churchman helped his team to a third-place finish in the conference (16-12). On April 13-14, he slugged four home runs during a pair of doubleheaders against Valley City State as Waldorf won three of the four games.
“I didn’t think I would quit a semester into college, take two years off, and end up starting all over at a different college just to play the game again,” Churchman said. “But the thing is I’ve always loved the game and never stopped wanting to play. The last three years at Waldorf have meant so much to me. I’ve grown as a player, a leader, and a person.”