A Permanent Place on Campus: Baseball Bullpen Named for Dynamic Pitcher/Catcher Duo

Well into their 80s and scattered across the country, they’ve managed to stay in touch through phone calls, visits and, until recently, an annual golf trip. 

On a sunny September afternoon, the group came together again, this time at Davidson’s Wilson Field. They gathered to honor the legacy of their late friend and teammate Harry Cline ’62, whose name is now permanently memorialized on the Harris-Cline Bullpen, thanks to a generous gift from Harris in support of Davidson Baseball.

Also gathered at the field were current members of the Davidson baseball team, four generations of Harris’s family — including his great grandchildren — and 95-year-old Tom Stevens, who coached the boys back in the 1950s and 1960s. 

“It’s amazing to see how much Davidson has changed and to see who the young men I coached have become,” said Stevens, who coached baseball for 18 years before leaving the college in 1974. “Harry Cline was an excellent catcher and an all-around great guy.”

Cline was the first person to encourage Harris to join the baseball team their first year at Davidson. The two discovered they both played first base in high school, but during tryouts, Harris was surprised to find Cline playing catcher. 

“He told me he’d never been behind the plate before in his life,” Harris said. 

Cline would go on to become team captain, All Southern Conference catcher for three seasons and MVP his senior year. He worked seamlessly with Harris, helping him lead the team pitchers in earned run averages while posting a season ERA that ranked in the top ten for Davidson at that time. Together, they were “the battery” that drove the team to victory.

“Harry was always thinking ahead, trying to get on top of the next play,” said teammate Nick Daves ’62. “His consistency is what made him such a great player, and he carried that into his life off the field.”

After Davidson, Harris and Cline remained close friends at the University of North Carolina School of Law, stood in each other’s weddings and continued to stay in touch through all of life’s changes. The year before Cline passed, he and Harris attended a Phillies spring training game together in Clearwater, Florida.

“It’s really special to stay in touch with a friend for so many years,” Harris said. “When I look at the Davidson team now, I know they’re building friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Two Wildcat baseball teams — 63 years apart — swapped stories and compared notes at the bullpen dedication. For Harris and his teammates, these scholar-athletes provide a glimpse of life at Davidson today. 

Current players Wilson Perkins ’27, Jake Suarez ’26 and Gabe Mervis ’26 spoke at the event, thanking alums for their investment in the program. 

“Without these resources and a committed alumni network,” Suarez said, “this place wouldn’t be as special as it is.”

After Coach Stevens spoke, Harris presented him with the first baseman’s mitt he’s held onto since graduation. As teammates across six decades celebrated Davidson baseball, Harris shared his only regret — not being able to share the day with Cline himself. 

“These two were more than a dynamic duo,” said Director of Athletics Chris Clunie ’06. “They are true embodiments of Davidson leadership, service and impact. It’s an honor to name the bullpen after two amazing players and amazing people.”

Rucker Taylor became head coach of the Davidson Baseball Program in 2018, and has led the program to four 30-win seasons. Over the years, the program has celebrated many highlights, including an NCAA Super Regional run in 2017 and a regular season championship in 2022. Several players have been selected in the MLB draft. 

Gifts like Harris’s make it possible for the coaches and scholar-athletes to work toward continued success. 

“Your support allows us to train and compete with confidence, and it provides our program with additional resources to be successful this season,” Taylor said at the gathering. “We will do all we can to make both you and Harry proud, and live up to the legacy you built together as Wildcats.”