D-BAT Deerfield Beach Brings 17 Indoor Batting Cages to South Florida

Deerfield Beach has a place to hit when it rains. D-BAT Deerfield Beach opened in June at 1901 Green Road, an 18,000 square foot indoor baseball and softball facility with 17 cages and a pro shop, open to players and teams of every age and level. It is the first South Florida location for D-BAT, the baseball and softball academy brand that started in the Dallas area in 1998, according to D Magazine.

A gap found on the road

Owner Lauren Glazier and her family found the brand the way a lot of baseball and softball families find things: on the road. Traveling for their kids' travel ball, they kept running into D-BAT academies in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and other parts of Florida. At home, they had nowhere comparable to go.

"Knowing the love of Baseball and Softball in the community, combined with our own need for cages when the weather was bad, we started looking into solutions for the community to have somewhere to go," the owners wrote in their submission to Fort Lauderdale Certified.

Glazier brought a business background to the project, and the family saw the gap through their own kids, who play both baseball and softball. South Florida's summer storms and afternoon downpours wash out outdoor practice often enough that a covered, climate-controlled place to train fills a real need for local teams.

Inside the cages

The facility runs 17 cages under one roof. The batting machines throw real baseballs and softballs, and every machine can pitch baseball, fastpitch softball or slowpitch softball, according to the academy. Machine cages are first come, first served, used with a membership or a purchase of swings.

For coaches and parents who want a lane to themselves, cage rentals book in half-hour blocks and include balls, a batting tee and an L-screen. They work for one player's individual session or for a whole team's batting practice, the academy says.

Lessons, camps and a pro shop

Beyond open hitting, D-BAT Deerfield Beach offers private instruction, camps and clinics for players at every skill level. Memberships carry discounts on lessons, camps and merchandise, though the owners say everyone is welcome with or without one.

The pro shop is powered by Rawlings and stocks D-BAT bats, gloves and gear alongside Rawlings, Easton and Lizard Skins products for players, parents and fans. It is open seven days a week, on the same hours as the facility.

Birthday parties are on the menu too, with options that range from do-it-yourself to all-inclusive, so families can match a party to their budget.

Why it matters for South Florida players

Travel ball has become a year-round commitment for many families, with tournaments that pull teams across the Southeast. Until this summer, South Florida families who knew D-BAT from those trips had to drive out of the region to use one. A check of the brand's own location finder lists no other D-BAT academy in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties.

The Deerfield Beach academy sits in Broward County near the Palm Beach County line, within reach of teams from Boca Raton to Pompano Beach.

Visit

D-BAT Deerfield Beach is at 1901 Green Road, Suite E, Deerfield Beach, FL 33064. Hours are 10 AM to 9 PM Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM on Saturday and noon to 6 PM on Sunday. Call 754-732-0258, book a lesson or cage rental at dbatdeerfieldbeach.com, and follow along on Instagram at @dbat_deerfieldbeach.