Precision Sports gives baseball, softball players opportunity to improve skills

A new business has hit London and is taking the baseball and softball communities by storm.

Precision Sports opened in October and is home to the newest baseball and softball facility in Southeastern Kentucky, with 6,500 square feet of nothing but baseball and softball.

The indoor facility, lined with turf flooring, four tunnels of batting nets, two pitching areas, and plenty of room to work on any baseball and softball-related fundamentals, is a place for any kid in Southeastern Kentucky and the surrounding areas to come and improve their skills on the diamond.

Owner Dusty Allen and his family moved back to London after living in Ohio and wanted to continue allowing their three sons the opportunity to play travel baseball, so they started the Eastern Kentucky Crusaders travel baseball organization.

They wanted to give kids in this part of the state the opportunity to play baseball at a high level without having to drive to Lexington, Louisville, or Knoxville. After a couple of years with the Crusaders, Allen knew he needed a practice facility, and thought opening a place like Precision Sports, where his kids, players, and local talent could practice, was a perfect idea.

"We wanted a place where the Crusaders could practice, but we wanted a place open to the public, where kids from all over could come and practice their hitting, pitching, and fielding. We have had kids in here five days a week so far. It's been a great start," said Allen. "This facility is for everyone. There is nothing else like this in Southeastern Kentucky. We want individuals to come out, we want teams to come out, we want parents to bring their kids who are just wanting to get better at baseball or softball. It's a place where local kids in the surrounding areas can come and get better."

Allen said Precision Sports is targeting specific customers.

It's not a facility where a person can drop in a couple of dollars and a pitching machine shoots baseballs or softballs at them for a few minutes. It is a quality facility with hitting nets and pitching screens, so players can see live pitching and take batting practice. Players can hit off of a tee, they can work on their pitching and catching skills in the bullpen area, or can work on fielding drills.

January looks to be the biggest month for Allen and his business.

Teams from all over the Tri-County and areas such as Clay County, Rockcastle County, Bell County, and others, are booking sessions with their travel teams, middle school and high school teams to try to gain an edge over their competition.

In addition to the multiple teams putting in work, Allen has scheduled catching clinics in January for players who want to work on their catching skills.

"We are not trying to attract just any crowd. We want kids who are going to hit off the tee or have a coach, or a parent, or even me pitch to them. We want them in here doing field drills and working on pitching," said Allen. "My initials thoughts were to have a place where my three boys could practice, or our players could practice, but starting a business, we want everyone who plays baseball or softball and wants to get better, to come out and put in the work. We are here for them."

The biggest event so far for Precision Sports will take place Saturday when the most popular bat manufacturers in the game will have representatives at the facility for a bat demo day.

During this event, players will be able to swing bats from Easton, Rawlings, Demarini, Louisville Slugger, and Marucci. They can get the feel of their favorite bats and even take batting practice with them. There is no obligation to purchase a bat, but it will be a nice time for any player or parent to try it before they buy it. The event is just $10 per person and is the cheapest and easiest way for players to check out the new facility, while also taking a look at the newest products on the market.

Allen said that bats for players from ages five all the way through high school will be available. Baseball will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and softball will be from the times of 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. He wanted to get the event scheduled for early December because, like his three boys, baseball and softball players are often requesting a new bat around Christmas time.

"Our bat demo is a big event. The top companies will be there. For $10 the kids can pick up their favorite bats and take as many swings and hit as many balls as they want with it. It's going to be a great event for the players," said Allen. "We will have three hours for baseball and three hours for softball. We will have bats of every size for every level. It's a great way for players to see if they are interested in the facility. There is no obligation to buy, but it will be a great time to check us out."

For anyone interested in visiting Precision Sports, it is located at 1681 Barbourville Rd, on Highway 229. It is across from Speedy Mart at the Crooked Creek turnoff. Currently, rates are $15 for 30 minutes and $25 for an hour. But, for those who want to take advantage of the facility, they can join at the membership rate of $40 a month. If a family has two players, they will get a discount of $60 a month.

"We want people to come out and see what's going on. We are pretty happy with the way things are going, and we want people to join us," said Allen. "Our bat demo will be huge. January is going to be a huge month for us. We want the kids in this area to be the best they can be, and we think we can help them do it at Precision Sports."