NELLIS STADIUM at PANTHER FIELD
10675 Fairfax Boulevard ~ Fairfax, Virginia

The New Home of the Fairfax Nationals

Paul VI’s Nellis Stadium at Panther Field is recognized as one of the oldest and finest athletic facilities in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Baseball has been played on this site since 1937, when the Fairfax High School Rebels first took the field at their newly built school. The construction of the campus was performed by the Works Progress Administration, and provided badly needed jobs during the Great Depression. After WWII, the complex was named “War Memorial Field” in honor of Fairfax graduates and other veterans lost during that conflict. The first field staff developed a reputation during those early years for excellent maintenance of the facility that has continued to this day.

In the late 1960’s, Fairfax opened its new high school and the facility became the North Campus of George Mason University. The NCAA Division I George Mason Patriots used the field from the late 1960’s to the early 1980’s. During their stay, GMU installed the dirt berm in left and left centerfield that is a hallmark of the field-- and sometimes a defensive challenge to outfielders! The berm was emplaced to cover a low brick wall that had been a source of injuries over the years.

The Diocese of Arlington purchased the campus in 1983 to serve as a new Catholic high school for Fairfax County and the Paul VI Panthers first played on Panther Field in the spring of the following year. The field was also the exclusive home to the Clark Griffith League in the mid to late 1980’s and saw more CGL action in 2003 and 2004. Recent improvements have added to the outstanding tradition of the facility. The stadium is fully lighted, can hold over 1600 fans, and boasts a newly installed Patriot Bermuda Grass playing surface with a state of the art irrigation and drainage system. The clubhouse facility behind home plate is an air conditioned 1500 square foot building that houses a locker room, a coaches office, equipment storage and a second story press box for announcers and media. Both dugouts have been revamped and each side of the field features duel bullpens. The home side of the complex holds two full length artificial turf batting cages. The playing surface is maintained in part by Game Day Inc., which recently directed the reconstruction of RFK Stadium’s field for the arrival of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals.

Several further improvements to the facility are in planning stages and thanks to a generous donation by Paul VI Alumnus James W. Nellis II, the field was renamed “Nellis Stadium at Panther Field” in the fall of 2005.

We hope you enjoy the game and enjoy your experience at our beautiful and historic ballpark!

Nellis Stadium in the winter.

Field Statistics

Seating Capacity: 1600 (1200 in leftfield and centerfield, 400 behind home plate)

Infield surface: “Patriot” Bermuda grass, “Camden Yards Mix” dirt
Outfield surface: “Patriot” Bermuda grass

Left field foul line: 305’
Left center: 355’
Center: 430’
Right center: 367’
Right field foul line: 342’

Left field fence: 3.5’ (plus berm)
Center field fence: 16’
Right field fence: 8’