Tired of driving an hour to a crowded facility only to find no room, one softball dad built his own indoor batting cage in Hickman, NE, and it might just be the most fully loaded home cage anywhere in Nebraska.

The cage

The 52-by-14-foot, 15-foot-tall space is heated and air conditioned, fully netted and commercial-turfed, with a full pitching lane. It runs an Iron Mike pitching machine with 400 balls, plus fastpitch and slowpitch softball machines, an L-screen, a hitting tee, a softball bullpen mound, and both baseballs and softballs. There's a full team dugout and an observation deck for coaches and parents, on-site training aids (rope bat, ZV tee, insider bat, swing rail, pocket radar, swing-speed radar, heavy bats), a bathroom and kitchenette, a Bluetooth radio with a sub, and even water and Gatorade. Rates are just $15/hour.

Who it's for

With a dugout, observation deck, and room for up to 15, this handles a full team as easily as a solo session. The training aids make it especially strong for hitters serious about mechanics, and the price makes year-round work realistic.

The host

Josh sums up why it exists: “Softball is life for my daughter and she works year round.” Rather than keep driving an hour for a spot, he built one, and priced it so “others can get work in and not go as broke, ball is expensive enough.” It's a genuinely generous setup from a dad who gets it.

Good to know

The building is fully heated and air conditioned for genuine year-round use, with a bathroom, kitchenette, and parking all on site. Water and Gatorade are kept stocked for the players who come through. It's a private, team-ready space at a rate that's honestly hard to beat anywhere.