High-tech baseball school opens in valley

By Mark Hansel

Friday, March 13, 2009 | 2 a.m.

It’s not uncommon for baseball fans to watch a major league pitcher and think they could hit his best offerings.

Although most fans will never get the chance to face a real major leaguer, the On Deck Baseball Academy on North Rancho Drive provides those big league dreamers with the next-best thing.

The academy, which opened last month, is the first in the Las Vegas Valley to offer the Professional PX2, a pitching simulator developed by ProBatter Sports. The simulator is being used by several major league teams.

What separates this machine from other pitching simulators is the combination of computer and video technology that almost perfectly duplicates big league hitting conditions.

“We developed the PX2 to meet the demands of ballplayers and organizations at the highest levels of the game,” said Adam Battersby (yes, that’s his real name), executive president of ProBatter Sports. “The system represents a further advancement of our patented ProBatter technology and is the most sophisticated pitching simulator available anywhere.”

The list of major league teams that use the PX2 includes the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds.

The machine can deliver virtually any type of pitch a human can: fastballs, sinkers, cutters, splitters, curves, sliders, screwballs, slurves and changeups. Batters can choose between nine selectable zones inside or outside of the strike zone.

The unit includes an 8-by-10 projection screen on which a DVD-quality image of a real pitcher is displayed and can be set to simulate either a right-hander or southpaw. It can throw from either a full windup or the stretch position.

ProBatter machines are not just for major league-caliber players, however.

The machine can be programmed to deliver pitches anywhere from 40 to 100 mph and can also be used for softball. It is designed for players of all ages who want to raise the level of their game.

The simulator also can project the image of a female pitcher for softball or a child for Little League batters.

In fact, ProBatter is in existence today because Battersby couldn’t hit a curveball as a kid.

His father, a patent attorney, was not satisfied with the quality of pitching machines available and thought that if he could develop a machine that would more accurately simulate real pitching, young Adam would benefit.

The years of developing programs, tinkering and constant improvements have paid off big for the Battersbys as ProBatter machines have become recognized as among the best in the sport. The company is now in its 10th year of manufacturing commercial batting cages and has 250 machines nationwide, three at the On-Deck academy.

One thing, however, has not changed.

“I still can’t hit a curveball,” Battersby said.

Andy Concepcion, owner of the On Deck Baseball Academy, said he wanted the machines at his new facility because he recognized there was a need for professional batting equipment in Las Vegas.

“Baseball is big here,” Concepcion said. “We have the (Las Vegas) 51s (the Toronto Blue Jays triple-A affiliate), the college teams, and some major leaguers live here in the offseason.”

The academy offers several traditional pitching machines, but On Deck is more than just a batting cage, Concepcion said.

The facility offers a full range of services, including pad instruction services, baseball and softball clinics and camps and a conference room that can be used for parties and team meetings.

The academy uses an instruction program called Right View Pro that breaks down the swing of students so flaws can be isolated and worked on, The program includes a database of major league players that can be put up side-by-side so students can compare their swing with that of some of the game’s current stars. The technology can even switch the side of the plate a player bats from, so if a right-handed hitter wants to compare his swing to Ken Griffey Jr., who bats left handed, he can see what Griffey’s swing would look like from the right side of the plate.

There is a also a pro shop that sells equipment and accessories.

Concepcion said he wanted to offer a complete facility because he loves baseball and wants to do his part to keep the game a vibrant part of the national sports scene.

“Baseball is my passion,” Concepcion said. “I think it is the greatest game in the world.”

The academy plans to get involved in community activities and hopes to coordinate and sponsor charity events.

There are already plans for a “Swing for Cancer” event from which the proceeds would be donated to local cancer research.