Davidson

Minor Ball hits streets to raise funds for batting cage

The batting cage at Davidson’s baseball diamonds is unfit for anything aside from being an eyesore. The pitching machine hasn’t been used in decades and the chain link fencing and metal poles are unsuitable for batting practice.

DAVIDSON—Minor ball players hit the streets of Davidson Saturday, collecting bottles for batting practice.

They conducted a bottle drive to raise money to buy a batting cage.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Byron Dahl, coach of Davidson’s under-10 baseball team.

He wants to get a freestanding batting cage so Davidson’s minor baseball and softball teams may hone their skills.

He’s looking at a batting tunnel with fabric netting that is 70 feet long, 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall.

He said it could be set up in the rink so teams can train with it indoors in April until the weather and diamonds are fit for practicing outdoors.

The cage costs about $2,500.

He said he approached the Davidson Junior Athletic Association (JAA) for funding, but was advised that the JAA couldn’t justify this large expense for baseball when most of its revenues come from hockey and therefore, hockey fees would be subsidizing baseball. Davidson has seven minor ball teams this year.

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