The Merrifield Office Plus Invitational Tournament was started in the spring of 2000 by former Pioneer baseball coach Larry Coonrod. It was the first spring that David Allen Ballpark was completed. The tournament was started so that small schools in the northwest Oklahoma area would have a chance to play at a “big time” venue. It is a ten team tournament that consists of Chisholm, Cimarron, Drummond, Fairview, Garber, Oklahoma Bible Academy, Pioneer, Pond Creek-Hunter, Timberlake, and Watonga.
In 2005 the tournament received a terrific boost when Chisholm Trail Broadcasting began broadcasting all of the games on radio and also providing a detailed game program to the fans that consists of all team rosters as well as a tournament history.
In a short time the tournament has seen some of the best baseball talent in Oklahoma. Major League Draft choices such as Kendall Bergdall, Jared Swart and Matt Peck from Cimarron and Shawn Epps from Pioneer all played in the Merrifield tournament. Blake Hurlbutt from Chisholm who played at Wichita State, Wayne Runnels from Watonga who went on to play basketball at Creighton as well as many other outstanding players who have went on to have terrific college careers.
One of the most memorable games was the 2005 championship game which featured Shawn Epps of Pioneer on the mound against Matt Peck of Cimarron. The tournament has become known for its exceptional players as well as the large crowds that gather to watch. The 2011 championship game featuring Pond Creek-Hunter and Timberlake had the largest attendance ever seen at the tournament easily exceeding 1,000 people watching the game.
Past Merrifield Office Plus Invitational Champions
Champion Runner-up
2000 Pioneer Chisholm
2001 Chisholm Cimarron
2002 Cimarron Chisholm
2003 Timberlake Chisholm
2004 Chisholm Pioneer
2005 Pioneer Cimarron
2006 Pioneer Cimarron
2007 Cimarron Watonga
2008 Cimarron Watonga
2009 Timberlake Pond Creek-Hunter
2010 Drummond Pioneer
2011 Pond Creek-Hunter Timberlake
