Photos courtesy of D-BAT Oak Mountain.
D-Bat Oak Mountain has 13 batting/pitching lanes, four of which have pitching machines.
For families who have spent years driving across town to find quality baseball and softball training, help has arrived a lot closer to home.
D-BAT Oak Mountain officially opened its doors at 5308 Cahaba Valley Road near Heardmont Park, bringing a 16,500-square-foot indoor training facility to the heart of the U.S. 280 corridor. The climate-controlled space offers batting cage rentals, private lessons, camps, clinics and monthly memberships for players of all ages and skill levels.
Planning for the facility began in early 2022, when owner Chris Hillman identified a gap in what Shelby County had to offer its young athletes. The Homewood D-BAT location had already demonstrated what a high-end training facility could look like while remaining accessible and affordable, but the U.S. 280 and Alabama 119 corridor had nothing comparable. After searching for the right property from Alabaster to Inverness, Hillman settled on the current site near Heardmont Park for its central location and accessibility to families across the area.
The Oak Mountain location is part of a national network that has grown to more than 145 facilities since D-BAT was founded in 1998 in Addison, Texas. Several locations already operate across Alabama, including facilities in Gardendale, Montgomery and southwest Birmingham.
Photos courtesy of D-BAT Oak Mountain.
Batting aids are for sale inside the facility.
What sets this location apart from a standard batting cage facility is the range of what it offers under one roof: automated pitching machines, pitching mounds, a pro shop stocked with gear and apparel, and a party and event room. Membership is not required for entry, and walk-ins are welcome. Hillman is direct about who the facility is built for.
“We want to serve the younger athlete and their family,” he said. “We want to be a safe, approachable, comfortable place for parents to bring their kids.”
The training model covers every level of the sport. Beginners transitioning from T-ball to coach pitch can get quality repetitions alongside a parent or instructor, while high school pitchers can work with staff using Rapsodo technology to fine-tune the spin on breaking balls. More than 20 camps are planned throughout the year, with two summer sessions still remaining — July 13-17 and July 27-31 — along with a back-to-school camp before the fall semester begins.
The name itself points to something larger than batting averages. D-BAT stands for Developing Beliefs, Attitudes and Traditions, and Hillman said that philosophy shapes everything the facility does.
“We strive not only to develop better players but also better people,” he said. “The work ethic and mental toughness it takes to improve in our facility translates not only to the field but at home, in the classroom and in every endeavor in life.”
All staff and instructors live in the surrounding area, with many having grown up along the U.S. 280 corridor. The team currently consists of around 15 part-time and full-time employees.
For those ready to get started, Hillman’s advice is simple: come in and ask.
“Don’t feel intimidated to come in and see what we have to offer,” he said. “I’d personally love to see players from every league in our area represented in our cages.”
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Phone: 205-825-3228
