New batting cage facility steps up to the plate in Ashwaubenon

Chris Rugowski

Contributor

April 20, 2026

ASHWAUBENON – D-BAT has launched its first franchise in Ashwaubenon at 3525 Layden Drive, featuring more than 13,000 square feet, eight rentable cages, four pitching-machine cages and a Rawlings and Easton pro shop.

Open to the public, Co-owner James Kitchenmaster said D-BAT – short for “Developing Beliefs, Attitudes and Traditions” – focuses on player development, while keeping pricing family-friendly.

Discovering D-BAT

Kitchenmaster said he first discovered D-BAT four years ago while attending his son’s baseball tournament in Marion, Iowa.

He said it reminded him of The Batters Box – a once-popular batting cage in Green Bay – and sparked the idea to create specialized training for local baseball and softball players in the Greater Green Bay region.

“I thought it would be nice to have something like this back in town,” he said. “At the time, I was traveling often with my son for his baseball games and tournaments. The more I thought about it, the more I thought Becky – my wife and co-owner – and I should just do it. It made sense as I thought about the coaching and training aspects, too.”

With large teams, short practices and few pitches thrown, Kitchenmaster said he has seen how individual batting and pitching often get limited.

“You won’t get better with just 10 pitches thrown at you in a session,” he said.

With this in mind, Kitchenmaster said they explored D-BAT – a facility focused on batting cages and pitching lanes.

The low-cost entry, monthly memberships and family-friendly pricing, he said, make it accessible for players of any budget.

“We saw this as really unique and neat, because it gives everybody opportunities,” he said. “Though the team facilities may allow non-team members to come in after hours, the problem was the times were not conducive to most schedules.”

Swinging into action

After attending Discovery Days in Carrollton, Texas, Kitchenmaster said they knew D-BAT was the right choice.

By November 2023, he said they were approved for a franchise and began searching for a location – ultimately deciding with their landlord to build a new facility to meet ceiling and lane requirements.

“We looked at existing buildings, lots of them, but most of them were old and not built for what we needed,” he said. “Then the problem with the newer retail space is the high-dollar values and the amount of square footage – landlords either want you to take it all, say 30,000-40,000 square feet, or it was too small an area.”

Construction began in May 2025, and after overcoming challenges along the way, Kitchenmaster said the facility is on track for an April 2026 opening.

Extra reps, extra hits, extra fun

The franchise originated in Texas with brothers Cade and Kyle Griffis, who initially wanted a travel team.

Instead of building a private team facility – per dbat.com – they saw the need for an indoor, public-access facility to keep players practicing despite the state’s heat and rain.

Today, D-BAT has more than 210 locations nationwide, with the Ashwaubenon site being Wisconsin’s fourth.

Though batting cages have fluctuated in popularity over the years, Kitchenmaster said they see them as a valuable resource – particularly with limited outdoor practice time and the steady growth in youth sports training overall.

“The training for almost any sport, whether that’s basketball, baseball, football, softball, even wrestling, is on the uptick,” he said. “However, we’re really seeing a massive growth with baseball, because of travel facilities and teams.”

Kitchenmaster said D-BAT differentiates itself by being open to the public, with a focus on teaching individuals – particularly kids – the basics of baseball and softball.

The focus, he said, is on providing extra reps, since parents and coaches can’t always give each player full attention during team practices.

“It’s nice to have not only the indoor space, but also just the space in general, because this way you don’t accidentally hit your neighbor’s house or break windows, and you get good practice,” he said. “That’s more or less why having a facility like ours matters. The kids get the live batting practice at a consistent pace that works for them.”

By providing access to skill-building, first-time experiences or casual play, Becky said D-BAT aims to keep kids in the game through middle and high school.

“We promote keeping everyone’s passion and love for the game and providing opportunities at an affordable cost,” she said.

Practice like a pro, play for fun

Kitchenmaster said D-BAT’s 13,700-square-foot Ashwaubenon facility offers 12 cages: six open cages for lessons, four automated machine cages and two full-length pitching tunnels.

Players, he said, can also rent cages for fun on a first-come, first-served basis.

Kitchenmaster said the facility also features a Rawlings and Easton pro shop with bats, gloves and other essentials (excluding cleats), plus glove break-in and relacing services.

D-BAT, he said, offers two membership levels: Platinum and Gold.

Platinum, Kitchenmaster said, is $68 per month and includes unlimited pitching-machine swings; 30% off lessons, camps and clinics; 15% off pro-shop merchandise; and sibling add-ons.

A Gold-level membership, he said, is $48 per month, offering 225 swings per day; 20% off lessons, camps and clinics; and 10% off pro-shop items.

Introductory pricing, he said, takes $10 off the monthly rate, and memberships are valid at all D-BAT locations nationwide.

Kitchenmaster said the facility features Jugs baseball and softball pitching machines that can be used manually or with an auto-feeder.

Unlike some other facilities that use dimple balls, Kitchenmaster said D-BAT’s state-of-the-art machines use real baseballs and softballs.

Baseball pitches, he said, range from 40-70 mph, including fastballs and curveballs, while fast-pitch softball is 40-60 mph, with slow-pitch options available.

Kitchenmaster said pitch height and inside/outside angles can be adjusted via a kiosk, and one unit includes HitTrax, which tracks hitting stats and lets players “hit” in their choice of MLB parks.

Fostering a love of the game

Becky said the overarching goal of D-BAT is to engage young players, develop their skills and strengthen their belief in their abilities.

“Things are hard, you are going to be challenged, but you will come out of it,” she said. “You’ll grow both with teammates, working with others and in life skills that you can learn as a result of the game.”

With many kids leaving sports by age 13 due to burnout, confidence issues or changing interests, Kitchenmaster said D-BAT provides a space for skill-building beyond what coaches can offer, helping keep players engaged longer.

“We’re not here to compete because we don’t host teams,” he said. “We’re allowing kids who are on teams to have a place to get more batting practice, and the kids who aren’t on teams to get more training for recreational ball. It’s also a place to come during winter, spring and rainy days.”

With personalized lessons and clinics on multiple skills, plus summer camps, D-BAT aims to grow youth participation, a vision Kitchenmaster said he sees thriving in Northeast Wisconsin.

“If you look at the analytics of how baseball specifically continues to grow, we see a steady growth happening, not just us, but sport in general,” he said.

For further details, head to dbatgreenbay.com.