The batter is always up at Batters Box.
Advertised as San Diego’s premier baseball training facility, Batters Box SD recently hung out its pennant in the Midway District at 3601 Sports Arena Blvd.
“Baseball is a hotbed in this area, and this is something that’s completely different than what’s out there right now,” said Amad Stephens, a former professional minor league pitcher, head coach at Francis Parker School, and director of Batters Box.
“We have five batting cages, four Hack Attack (pitching) machines that help you hit curveballs, sliders, changeups – even knuckleballs and cutters. Aside from that, we have a state-of-the-art gym.”
Those waiting to get their cuts in at the batting cages can watch a baseball game or other sporting event on TV or take advantage of Batters Box’s gaming center.
So far, Batters Box has been well received by local baseball aficionados. “Seven hundred people walked through our doors this week,” said Stephens, who’d temporarily run out of business cards after only having been open 10 days.
The origin of Batters Box goes back to last May when Stephens perceived a need for supplemental baseball training at Parker School in Linda Vista, which operates at a high-demand, multi-use field.
“I saw a void and I wanted to fill it with a facility, so I partnered up with the right guys and we just made this thing work and everything fell into place,” said Stephens, who’s recruited a couple of ex-Major Leaguers to make things happen. “We put our brains together and came up with this beautiful facility.”
To remodel the former thrift store space converting it into indoor batting cages, Stephens said they “had to tear up everything” including the carpet, and repaint the walls green and yellow to give it an “outside fence-type feel.”
Patrons can schedule half-hour and hour-long batting-cage sessions at battersboxsd.com. The cost is $40 for 30 minutes, $65 for an hour.
Bradyn Phillips of Point Loma, who is with MVP Hustle, a nationally ranked San Diego baseball travel program teaching youth baseball skills, came into Batters Box for pre-arranged batting practice. “This is my fifth time coming in, my fourth time on a (monthly) membership,” said Phillips.“We’re going to start training in here on Mondays with our team.”
Lessons taught in-person by a batting coach are also available and separate from standard batting practice in the cages. “A coach finds out where you’re at, and then just makes adjustments (style and stance),” said Phillips. “They (client) have the opportunity to work out by themselves, hit some balls, work on their swing. It’s (all about) getting stronger, getting back in the cage, getting your work in.”
Pointing out hitting a baseball is “tough,” Stephens added, “So it’s great to have a facility where you can just work at it, trying to hit a baseball back out, which we call catching the barrel.”
If someone wants to try and hit pitches other than fastballs, or slow the pitch speed down, all they have to do is adjust the dial on the pitching machine, which can go all the way up to 106 mph and can be set to throw whatever type of pitch is desired.
Monthly memberships are also available at Batters Box for $150, which includes eight workouts twice weekly and gym access for those ages 14 and up.
“Most of the heavy traffic is when kids get out of school, about 3:45 to 7 p.m.,” said Stephens. “We get a lot of adult baseball guys toward the end of the night. We’re the only (baseball training) facility that’s open this early (12:30 p.m.) Most of the other facilities open at 2 or 3 p.m.”
“We’re just trying to put a good product out there,” concluded Stephens adding, “We’re the only baseball facility that has all these intangibles in one spot, including food trucks in the afternoon. We’ve covered every base.”
Batters Box
Where: 3601 Sports Arena Blvd.
Hours: Mondays-Fridays 12:30-9:30 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Contact: battersboxsd.com, 619-310-5286.
