Alex Buhre opened this backyard batting cage in Tacoma, WA for a reason every local player will recognize: good cages are hard to find unless you're on a travel team or know someone. His family's brand-new North Tacoma cage fixes that.

The cage

This is a brand-new 55-foot outdoor cage, 14 feet wide and 12 feet tall. It comes with all the hard balls you need, plus soft tee balls and softballs on request, a 7-foot L-screen to protect the pitcher, and a batting tee for tee work. There's no pitching machine, so bring someone to throw, or add batting-practice pitching from Alex for a fee. Pitchers can use it too, with a portable mound for baseball or a turf mat for softball on request. Sessions run $50/hour, with parking, seating, and music on site.

Who it's for

Alex calls it "a perfect batting cage for hitters of all ages," and it holds up to four guests. One honest note from the host: the cage suits younger pitchers well, but isn't ideal for high-school-and-up arms throwing from a full 60-foot mound. For hitting, it works for everyone. Hitting and pitching instruction is available as an add-on.

The host

Alex played baseball for 15 years, all the way through college, and now coaches his son's team. As he puts it: "Our family is a group of diehard baseball fans who not only love to play the game, but recognize there is a shortage of available batting cages in the area... We want to open up our outdoor cage to those looking to improve their skills." It's a family cage built to fill a real gap, and Alex loves teaching the game.

Good to know

It's an outdoor, uncovered cage, so plan around the weather. Instruction and batting-practice pitching are separate add-ons, mention them when you book. House rules keep it clean: no pets, no smoking, no alcohol, no seeds, no gum, no cleats, and no glass.