By Corey J. Corbin

Allied News Sports Editor

Jim Revesz was tired of spending money and time driving a handful of kids to Youngstown to play baseball in the winter, so he decided to do something about it.

Revesz recently opened the Hack Shack Baseball Training Center 1.5 miles north of Slippery Rock on State Route 258.

“I’ve been looking for a building for the past two or three years,” Revesz said. “I’ve been taking my kids and kids out of Butler, Slippery Rock and the Grove City area to Ohio for years to an indoor facility to get some work in during the winter. We were driving 88 miles round-trip. It was crazy. I was hoping to get a place that could cater to Grove City, Slippery Rock, New Wilmington, Laurel, Mercer areas.

“It just got to be a pain traveling and spending all that gas money. Then you’re paying to use the facility. It was getting to be too much. With gas prices sky rocketing this past year, (going back and forth to Ohio) just wasn’t feasible.”

The Hack Shack is a 6,000-square foot center with two full length batting cages featuring Iron Mike pitching machines, a 40-foot by 60-foot area for infield drills and pitching practice, and a variety of strength building equipment tailored for baseball.

“We have two Iron Mike batting cages,” Revesz said. “We have one set at 46-feet for the younger kids and the other is at 60-feet for the high school, junior high. We have five stations set up with different apparatus, which is pretty neat. Seven people could be hitting. In the turf area, other people can be working on their pitching or fielding, so you can have eight to 10 kids in there.

“It’s a pretty good set-up. It large enough that they won’t be cramped in and crowded. That was the goal.”

After being open for under a month, business has been slow, but Revesz is looking to get word out about the center.

“The open house was a start,” he said. “Now we need to get the word out that we’re open. We realize this isn’t the ideal time, because if you weren’t picked for All-Stars, you’re probably not even playing ball right now. For those who want to continue to get better, they now have a place to do that.

“Not everybody wants to focus on football or basketball. There are some kids out there that all they want to do is play baseball. This will give them the opportunity to come once or twice a week or once or twice a month to come and work out during the offseason.”

Currently, Revesz is the lone instructor, but that could all change.

“Early on, it’ll be just me,” he said. “Once we build our clientele, we’ll expand and get other people in here. The professional clinics are all lined up. I have professional scouts lined up to come in and give clinics here in the fall.”