Baseball and Softball

Baseball and Softball Field Equipment — Buyer's Guide

Bases, Home Plates, and Pitcher's Rubbers

Bases are available across the full range of competitive levels, from recreational rubber bases to professional-specification safety bases with breakaway release systems designed to reduce slide-related injuries. Double first bases — which provide a separate safety bag in foul territory for the batter-runner — are stocked in recreational, standard, and premium models to satisfy softball and youth baseball league requirements.

Pitcher's rubbers are available in fixed, removable, step-down, and four-way configurations. Removable plates use a ground anchor-and-plug system that allows the rubber to be extracted during field maintenance or when the mound is shared across multiple age groups pitching at different distances. Home plates, ground anchors, and base plugs are available separately for replacement or new installations.

Protective Screens for Batting Practice and Infield Work

L-shaped pitcher's screens are the standard for batting practice, protecting the coach or pitcher delivering pitches while leaving an open throwing lane. C-shaped screens are designed for softball pitching situations where the shorter mound-to-plate distance requires greater wrap-around coverage.

Available screen formats include mini L-screens for compact cage setups, full pro L-screens for standard batting practice, first base and fungo screens for infield drill protection, and sock net screens that absorb ball impact rather than deflecting it into the field. Tri-fold screens provide repositionable multi-angle protection for programs running multiple drill stations. Replacement nets are stocked for all major frame models.

Batting Cages and Hitting Tunnels

Batting cage options range from portable, collapsible units for programs with limited storage space to full tunnel frame systems in three-section and four-section configurations for varsity and collegiate programs. Tunnel frames are sold separately from netting, allowing programs to replace worn netting without replacing the structural frame. Net savers are available to extend the usable life of existing tunnel nets by distributing ball impact across a secondary layer at the backstop end.

For programs establishing a permanent or semi-permanent outdoor hitting facility, enclosed batting cage structures are available in configurations suitable for both baseball and softball use.

Field Covers — Mounds, Bases, and Infield Skin

Field covers are among the most cost-effective protective investments for maintaining infield surfaces. A single heavy rain event on an unprotected infield can require hours of reconditioning before the field is playable; a properly deployed cover eliminates that exposure entirely.

Covers are available in 6 oz. vinyl (lighter, easier for smaller crews to deploy) and 18 oz. vinyl (heavier-duty, greater wind resistance for exposed locations). Weighted covers incorporate ballast material sewn into the perimeter hem, eliminating the need for sandbags or stakes — a practical advantage when covers need to go down quickly ahead of incoming weather.

Mound covers are available in round configurations ranging from 15-foot diameter (youth) to 30-foot diameter (collegiate). Base covers are 10' x 10' squares, sold individually or in sets of three. Full infield protector tarps are available in multiple size configurations from 15'x18'x48' for youth diamonds up to 20'x20'x60' for regulation collegiate fields.

Infield Maintenance and Grooming Equipment

Consistent infield grooming directly affects drainage, playing surface uniformity, and player safety. Standard pre-game and post-game preparation involves dragging the infield skin to level the surface, grooming the mound and home plate areas, and remarking baselines and the batter's box.

All-steel drag mats are available in multiple size configurations for fields of different scales. Nail drags break up compacted infield soil before dragging. The Diamond Digger combination groomer performs scarification and surface leveling in a single pass and is available with replacement teeth and wheels. Infield finishing brooms smooth the surface prior to game time, and field tampers compact clay on mounds and in the home plate area.

Dry line markers are available in two-wheel and four-wheel configurations. Four-wheel models provide greater stability and more consistent line width across long baseline runs; two-wheel markers are lighter for touch-up and detail work. Replacement wheels are stocked for both types.

Baseballs and Softballs

Game balls are stocked in specifications approved for competition by all major amateur governing bodies. Baseball options include raised-seam and flat-seam constructions certified for Little League, Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Dixie Youth, Pony, and NFHS play, as well as professional and collegiate-grade balls for advanced programs.

Safety baseballs for youth programs are available in graduated compression levels — Level 1 for ages 5–7 and Level 5 for ages 8–12 — which reduce ball hardness while maintaining regulation size and weight. Indoor and outdoor tee balls are available for introductory and pre-tee programs.

Softball options include NFHS-approved 12-inch fastpitch balls and Little League softballs, sold by the dozen for practice and game use.

Portable Outfield Fencing and Fence Guard Padding

Portable fencing systems establish temporary outfield boundaries on multi-use athletic fields without permanent installation — a practical solution for recreation departments, travel programs, and schools sharing field space across multiple sports. Fence guard padding caps the top rail of both portable and permanent outfield fences and is available in multiple lengths to cover the full fence line or targeted high-contact areas.

Foul Poles

Foul poles provide the vertical visual reference required for fair-and-foul determinations on fly balls hit near the outfield corners. Available for both new field installations and replacement on existing fields.