They call it the Thunder Dome, and it earns the name, this backyard batting cage in Phoenix, AZ pairs a pitching machine with a real pitching mound, giving hitters and pitchers a genuine two-way place to train without ever leaving the neighborhood.

The cage

The cage measures 55 feet long, 12 feet wide, and 12 feet tall, an outdoor setup with the length you want for full sessions. It's equipped with a baseball pitching machine, an L-screen, a hitting tee, and a bullpen mound, so you can take live-speed cuts and then flip over to throw a real pen off the rubber. That mound is what sets this one apart: plenty of backyard cages give you a machine, but far fewer let a pitcher get actual mound reps in the same session. At 55 feet, there's enough distance to work a real bullpen off the rubber, not just a shortened toss. Sessions are $25/hour, which makes it an affordable spot to log quality work in the Phoenix area.

Who it's for

With a machine, a tee, and a mound all in one backyard, it fits hitters chasing extra reps and pitchers who want mound time, individual sessions and small-group work alike, on your own schedule. It's an especially good pick for a two-way player or a battery working together, since both the hitter and the pitcher get real reps in one visit.

The host

Travis keeps the setup simple and ready to hit. It's a well-equipped backyard cage offered to local players who want a dependable place to train, with everything you need already in place.

Good to know

This is an outdoor cage, so plan around daytime weather for your session. House rules keep it clean and respectful: no pets, no seeds, no smoking, no glass, and no alcohol. Come ready to work, the machine feeds the hitter and the mound handles the pitcher, so a full session gets both sides of the battery real reps.