Facility Profile: Dirt Dawg Sports, Canton, Mass.

Seven miles from the company’s headquarters, On Deck Sports worked alongside the owners of Dirt Dawg Sports in Canton, Mass., to develop and furnish their facility, which opened in October.

The complex has sixteen batting tunnels and eight 90-foot pitching tunnels, which include adjustable pitching machines, A-Screen pro pitching screens, and ProMounds indoor pitching mounds. Three of the batting cages feature coin-operated pitching machines, which throw baseballs and softballs at a variety of speeds, and are open to the public on a walk-in basis any time the facility is open.

The netting between the cages can be moved and rearranged to create any size tunnel necessary, giving ample space for pitching, hitting, baserunning and defense lessons. Tunnels can range from 45’ x 15’ to a 90-foot infield or full-size youth field.

With cold weather’s arrival in the Northeast, Dirt Dawg has a busy schedule, featuring baseball and softball clinics over Thanksgiving and Christmas school vacations. A 6-on-6 indoor softball league is already under way, and the facility hosts drop-in dodgeball on Friday and Saturday nights for middle- and high-schoolers. Players looking to come to the complex on a consistent basis can purchase monthly or yearly memberships, while private lessons are available in both baseball and softball.

The 17,000-square foot facility was developed by owners Don Connors, Rich Jasmin and T.J. Fisher, longtime American Legion, Babe Ruth and youth coaches in neighboring Stoughton. With a limited number of months conducive to outdoor instruction and playing time in New England, the three conceived the idea of building an indoor facility 10 months ago.

Construction began after the owners visited over a dozen other training centers, and met with their operators to learn about the successes and challenges of running similar facilities. Once plans were developed, the build-out of Dirt Dawg was well-supported by members of the community, who donated their time and skills to do electrical and carpentry work.

Dirt Dawg’s operators will also be overseeing a new AAU team; players receive a 20% discount on baseball activities at the facility, and the full range of training and coaching from its staff.

With the main area complete, Dirt Dawg Sports’ future plans include an apparel shop and a strength and conditioning area within the building, as well as more flexibility for indoor games.

Based in Brockton, Mass., On Deck Sports is the leader in designing, installing, and supplying indoor sports facilities throughout North America. For more information, visit the Facility Portfolio page on OnDeckSports.com.

Facility Profile: Metro West Sportscenter, Ashland, Mass.

The On Deck Sports team recently worked with the staff at Metro West Sportscenter in Ashland, Mass., to design and supply their new facility, which opened in September 2011.

Renovation of the 15,000-square-foot building, which previously housed a car dealer and auto repair shop, began in May. On Deck outfitted the space with five 70’ x 12’ batting cages, each of which have customized nylon netting, windscreen barriers, premium L-screens, pitcher’s mounds, and the Clay Batting Mat Pro. Four of the five cages include adjustable Jugs pitching machines, while the other uses an auto-feed machine.

On Deck also furnished the facility with netting that can divide the 5,000-square-foot turf floor into as many as three smaller fields.

With the onset of cold weather in New England, Metro West already has a busy winter schedule. Four- to nine-week baseball clinics are ongoing for a variety of ages and skill levels, while 3-week softball clinics with a variety of focuses (basic fundamentals, pitching, catching and slap hitting) are on tap. A 4-on-4 softball league for high school players starts in December, and a pair of one-day lacrosse camps were recently held. “Empower” one-hour fitness workouts take place at the complex four mornings per week.

The facility will also host the new Metro West Vipers AAU baseball team and the Abbey Villa youth soccer organization for off-season workouts.

A pair of former baseball teammates at Colby-Sawyer (N.H.) College helped to develop the complex: Ashland native Joey Magnani, who previously worked at the On Deck-supplied Extra Innings facility in Wrentham, Mass., and Mike Croatti, who grew up in neighboring Framingham and is the head baseball coach at Algonquin Regional High School. The two teamed with Metro West’s business and accounting manager, Chris Billings, to see the project to completion.

The facility’s staff also includes Rich Piergustavo, a former associate scout with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, as the baseball and softball supervisor. A pair of four-year starters from Roger Williams (R.I.) University, as well as the head coach of an area showcase team, are among the softball instructors.

Based in Brockton, Mass., On Deck Sports is the leader in designing, installing, and supplying indoor sports facilities throughout North America. For more information, visit the Facility Portfolio page on OnDeckSports.com.