If you stand on the edge of the ballfield in Middletown and close your eyes, you can almost hear the echoes—cleats pounding dirt, kids laughing in the dugout, the sharp crack of bat on ball. For Charles Harbaugh IV, those sounds aren’t just memories; they’re the foundation of a life.
[photo: The Middletown Maulers Base Ball Club lines up in vintage uniforms for a classic game of 19th-century base ball. Charles Harbaugh IV, fifth from the left, takes the field with his teammates to keep the historic spirit of the game alive.]
Now, as Mayor of Middletown, Charles is working to grow the game for the next generation—supporting two community ball fields as part of his commitment to recreation, events, and community pride. And his efforts extend beyond Little League. Charles is also the manager and founder of the Middletown Maulers, a vintage baseball team that brings history to life and draws visitors to town. “Baseball has always been part of Middletown’s story,” he says. “With the Maulers, we’re connecting people to the roots of the game, while the Little League fields give kids the chance to write its next chapter. It’s about honoring the past while investing in the future.”
Charles knows firsthand what the league can give. “I was just a kid with a single mom who couldn’t always make every practice,” he remembers. “Coach Keefauver would swing by to pick me up. On those rides, we didn’t just talk baseball—we talked life.”
Life lessons arrived in uniform. Charles still remembers the day assistant coach Gene Boyce, who worked at the jail, took the whole team on a tour. “You want to talk about impactful? Seeing those cells at 16 or 17—it made me think about the roads you could take and the consequences of your choices.”
Moments like that stuck with him. The lessons weren’t just about throwing strikes or fielding grounders—they were about choices, responsibility, and resilience.
Those fields weren’t simply a place to play; they were classrooms without walls. Baseball taught Charles how to lead, how to be punctual, how to speak up when you couldn’t make it. It taught him that even when you’ve done everything right—lifted the weights, put in the reps—things won’t always go your way. And that’s okay. You keep stepping up to the plate.
That’s why he’s throwing his support behind Pitch In for the Future—a campaign to give today’s kids a field worthy of their dreams. The campaign has just begun, and momentum is already building: funds from the Frederick County National Little League (FCNLL) hit-a-thon and private donations have started the work. This is the moment to keep that momentum going—by volunteering, spreading the word, and contributing however you can.
People talk about kids being inside, plugged into screens. If we want them outside, we must give them welcoming, safe, modern places to play—spaces that teach teamwork, leadership, and resilience. Frederick County is growing, and with that growth comes a chance to build a league that’s more diverse, dynamic, and inspiring than ever before.
Years from now, when a young player rounds third and hears the crowd cheer, they won’t just be running on turf and chalk. They’ll be running on the generosity, mentorship, and belief of a community that pitched in when it mattered. That’s the kind of legacy that lasts—long after the last inning’s over.
This is your chance to be part of that story.
Donate. Volunteer. Share the vision.
Pitch In for the Future. Let’s make this happen—together.
Learn more about the Pitch In for the Future Capital Campaign.