One of the most picturesque, fan-friendly stadiums in the nation, Melching Field at Conrad Park enters its 21st season as the home of the Stetson Hatters.

Built at a cost of $4.5 million, Melching Field was the result of a joint effort between Stetson University, DeLand Sports Redevelopment Association and the City of DeLand. Built on the same site as old Conrad Park, Melching Field opened on Feb. 12, 1999 as the Hatters defeated Louisville 4-3 before an overflow crowd of 2,874 fans.

In 20 seasons, the Hatters have built quite a home field advantage at "The MAC". Stetson is 468-254 all-time at Melching Field, good for a .648 winning percentage. That mark included a record 32-3 mark in 2018.

Melching Field has also served as the host stadium for the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament from 2002-09, 2012, 2013, 2017 and will host that event again this spring.

In addition to the 11 conference tournaments the facility has hosted, in 2018 Melching Field was selected as one of 16 NCAA Regional Tournament sites for the first time.

Hatter fans have flocked to Melching Field in record numbers. A record of 61,798 spectators passed through the gates in 2007.

Melching Field features permanent seating for 2,500 spectators with grass berms holding approximately 500 additional fans.

A full-service concessions area greets visitors upon their entrance to the park on Woodland Boulevard. The stadium is completely handicapped accessible and features excellent sight lines from anywhere in the grandstand.

The 2012 season marked the debut of a new scoreboard in left field, equipped with a video graphics board.

The Stetson baseball coaches' offices, newly renovated for 2019, are also located in Melching Field at Conrad Park, in addition to a beautifully renovated locker room, which is adjacent to the Carlton Family Room, a player's lounge, which was renovated prior to the 2018 season.

Melching Field also includes the Brian Snyder Hitting Pavilion, a covered batting area located outside of the right field corner.

Stetson University alumna Luella Nichols Melching of Coral Gables donated $500,000 to name the field in honor of her late husband R. Dale Melching.

R. Dale Melching, a member of the Stetson class of 1944, was a student-athlete, playing varsity baseball and basketball and, in 1978, was inducted into the Stetson Sports Hall of Fame.

Luella Nichols Melching, a Hatter cheerleader during her Stetson years and lifelong sports fan, said her husband would be proud to see the family name on the field at the modern baseball complex. With a red brick and stucco facade and green metal roof, the stadium at Conrad Park resembles many buildings on Stetson's campus. 

The $500,000 gift was another chapter in the Melching family's history of support for Stetson and its students. They took a leadership role in the development of Stetson's Wilson Athletic Center, a $1.6 million facility named for Pat and Patricia Wilson and dedicated in December, 1997.