We love sports, and we spend a lot of time playing and watching them. Our favorite sport is definitely baseball, so when The Virtual Dugout opened in Lehi, we knew we had to check it out. We’ve been to other virtual venues, but this one was definitely geared toward baseball fans like us.
What is The Virtual Dugout?
The Virtual Dugout in Lehi is an interactive batting cage. You hit or pitch toward the screen, and then score points in different games. You do not need to be a professional to have fun. And you can change the level of difficulty as needed. We went with very easy.
You don’t need to take anything to The Virtual Dugout. They supply the helmets, bats, and balls that you’ll use in the cage. However, you are welcome to bring your own bat, helmet, or batting glove if you want. Helmets are required inside the batting cage. The best thing that you can do to prepare is make sure you have waivers signed for all participants. This is especially important if you are having a birthday party of team event.
How it Works
There are 3 cages at The Virtual Dugout. Before you get into a cage, you can choose from a variety of games. Our favorite were the hitting games, but you can try pitching, too. We started with a home run derby. This gave us each five pitches and scored us on contact and swings. One nice thing was the “boost” button. Selecting this setting meant that even little batters and those with limited exposure to baseball could hit a home run.
On the first pitch, the screen projected a pitcher and then a small hole opened up. On the count of three, a ball leapt out of the wall. The batter’s motion and contact was tracked by a camera, and a digital projection showed us the result. This was really fun! We played a simulated game of baseball, too. Our family was divided into teams and the game tracked our hits and outs.
Finally, we tried the pitching game. Again, a small hole opened in the wall and the catcher lobbed a ball to us. Then we lined up and threw the ball at the target. Cameras gauged our pitch speed, accuracy, and effectiveness. Then a result was projected on the screen. We liked this game a lot, too.
More Info
If you are a fan of baseball, give The Virtual Dugout a try. We loved our time spent in the batter’s box! We stayed for an hour, but we could have easily spent two. All four of us wanted to keep playing when our time was up. They offer birthday parties, which would be perfect for a baseball loving child. Find out more information such as current pricing and hours on their website: The Virtual Dugout Located at 90 N 500 W Units I&J, Lehi, UT.
