Sports

Inflatable batting cage helps DCB ball clubs

By Tyler Ohmann

03/26/2013

Gone are the days that the Dakota College at Bottineau baseball and softball teams have to try and schedule around Bottineau High School’s practices.

That is thanks to a new inflatable batting cage that the programs received this past year.

The cage, which is customized with DCB logos inflates in 20 minutes and takes about the same amount of time to tear down.

“It goes up in 20 minutes and comes down in 20 minutes, so that takes an extra 40 minutes off practice, but the extra work we get from it is well worth it,” said Jacks baseball coach Eric Kestor-Mabon.

For the players it is just nice to be staying on campus.

“It’s nice to be in here and staying in the gym,” said sophomore Tyias Huck. “It’s a hassle putting up, but it’s not too bad. I like it.”

Fellow sophomore Taylor Milbrath thinks it will definitely benefit the team.

“It’s going to help a lot,” Milbrath said. “Rather than going over to the high school and scheduling around them, we can have it here and put it up whenever.”

“It will improve our stats I think,” Milbrath added.

Kestor-Mabon said he’s already seeing improvement thanks to the cage and the extra time it gives the Jacks to practice at the plate.

“This batting tunnel has really helped a lot,” Kestor-Mabon said. “Right now we’ve been hitting at least twice a week since January, and even if with our spring trip to Florida, this team has at least 10 times as many swings in as last year.”

“It makes a huge difference, and the timing at the plate is going to be that much quicker to mid-season form,” Kestor-Mabon added.

He too is happy that they don’t have to try and schedule around the high school anymore.

“We were happy that the high school could help us out by letting us use their cage, but the window we had to use that cage was really narrow,” Kestor-Mabon said. “We’ve been hitting since January and guys love it.”

The ping of bat on ball is a new sound in the DCB gymnasium, but students will have to get used to it, because thanks to the school, DCB will be doing all their indoor practicing on campus.

Kestor-Mabon is thankful for that.

“I’m very thankful to everyone who had a part in getting this,” Kestor-Mabon said. “It’s really been a blessing for our team, because we’ve had the opportunity to get at least 10 times more swings in before going into the season.”