STEP up to the plate — Marianas Batting Alley, the CNMI’s only indoor batting cage, is now open to the public!
Located on Gualo Rai Road near the United States Courthouse, Marianas Batting Alley is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with hours eventually adjusted based on customer demand.
The new state-of-the-art sports facility has three baseball batting cages equipped with batting machines for both beginners and youth, as well as those who have been playing baseball. They also have a softball batting cage, a self-pitch cage and a bullpen.
On Saturday, Feb. 22, Saipan Mayor Ramon Blas “RB” Camacho, Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, Rep. Elias Rangamar, and former Rep. Angel Demapan joined co-owners Cat Dela Cruz and May Cabrera for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to mark the opening of the new business. Also in attendance were representatives from Saipan’s baseball and softball organizations.
Deacon Stanley Benavente blessed the facility.
Dela Cruz said the batting alley is just like an amusement park — open to everybody.
She said they included softball cages because “we try to accommodate everyone — we’re all part of the same sport, but it has different aspects.”
The facility is designed to help individuals improve their batting skills.
“We have a lot of talented kids, but not all of them have the opportunity to go out and play ball because they first need to find a team or a group of friends, which can be a hassle,” Dela Cruz said.
Now that the batting alley is open, “just come here and purchase a ticket, and you’ll have the luxury of time to start playing or training,” she added.
“It’s so satisfying, you know, once you’re inside the cage and hit the first ball — you don’t want to stop and you want to keep going. So it’s really not just to enhance your skill. It is also to just have some fun,” Dela Cruz said.
Marianas Batting Alley aims to foster a “baseball atmosphere” for the community while also promoting health, she added.
Marianas Batting Alley also offers coaching for those looking to improve their baseball skills.
“We want to ensure that we teach and provide coaching, especially for those who don’t have access to a coach, including kids without access to baseball teams,” she said.
“I am happy to see that everybody is so excited,” Dela Cruz added, referring to the turnout on Saturday.
Cabrera said she was both excited and relieved that they had finally opened the facility. “It’s been hard, the months of preparation, ordering [supplies] and stuff like that, but we are very happy and blessed, and we are very excited to share this with everybody,” she said.
Marianas Batting Alley also offers
high-quality training equipment, and has a retail store stocked with baseball and softball gear.
Mayor Camacho said he wants his office to connect with sports organizations and sports-oriented businesses like Marianas Batting Alley, which promotes a healthy lifestyle, particularly among the youth.
“What do we have for the kids after school? I don’t want them to get involved in drugs, criminal activities, or other temptations, or be hooked on technology. Let’s create activities like sports, community gardens, or farming to promote a healthy lifestyle,” the mayor said.
For more information about Marianas Batting Alley, call (670) 233-2287 (BATS).
Saipan Mayor Ramon Blas “RB” Camacho, second left, Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, fourth right, Rep. Elias Rangamar, second right, and Deacon Stanley Benavente, right, join Marianas Batting Alley co-owners Cat Dela Cruz, left, and May Cabrera, third left, with her son Rockson, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the new business in Gualo Rai on Saturday.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
Deacon Stanley Benavente blesses Marianas Batting Alley’s facility with holy water.
