Auburn, AL (EETV)- Auburn Baseball recently built a new development center for their players behind the right field wall at Plainsman Park.
The 10,000 square foot facility contains a weight room and four batting cages with space for players to get induvidual practice with coaches. The space will allow players to practice fielding drills as well as a pitching machines that allow players to hit balls that are programmed to the speed and movement of each opposing pitcher.
Head Coach Butch Thompson commented on the new facility saying, "We had two cages. Now have four cages, and the thing so beautiful. Really, we can do any type of configuration. Now we have four bays maximum for guys to hit in. We can make it three cages, two cages, one cage. You can have bunting areas. We (have) the latest technology to video from above and beyond and all these different angles. We get spin right off the bat or how hard they hit it, even projecting how far the ball goes."
The complex was funded by 64 families who donated to the program for the construction of the facility. The old batting cages behind the dugout have been turned into a weight room.
Thompson said, "The biggest thing that hurt me as a coach was seeing both cages going in the past, last year, and seeing three more guys walking over to come hit and seeing those two cages were filled and turning around and going home as opposed to waiting. That's why I say we'll hit more because we're going to hit more. I'm thankful to those 64 families that have done this and invested in our program and in our players, and I'm thinking it's going to make a huge difference.”
Auburn opens their season on February 19th against Presbyterian. First pitch will be at 4:00pm with coverage on SECN+.
