Vernon Dahmer Park Batting Cages
The Batting Cages at Vernon Dahmer Park serve as a much-needed amenity that will serve both the neighborhood youth who use the park, as well as the many teams who come through the park for tournaments and regular season-play.
Hours of Operation:
- During park hours, which are from dusk to dawn.
- Sunday – Saturday
The construction on this project began in the Summer of 2020 and was completed in January 2021.
Total Cost: $49,500
Construction: Gray Builders
How It Started
Not listed in the 17 projects initially proposed for funding, the batting cages were added after a conversation with an invested parent and coach – Joe Gray, Sr. – brought the need to the forefront.
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker stated, “Mr. Gray approached me after Hattiesburg High won the 2018 5A state baseball championship. He quickly identified the need for a facility that parents, grandparents, coaches and other role models could use to bring their kids to for practice and work. At that moment, the idea of a hitting facility – covered from the elements with lighting – became a reality.”
Barker noted that Councilman Nicholas Brown pushed for the first one to be at Vernon Dahmer Park in Ward 5. Gray, Sr. also added how important amenities like batting cages are in providing more opportunities to inner-city youth.
“The value of this facility is so important to our community – giving an opportunity to every inner-city child who gets to use it,” said Gray, Sr. “Baseball requires repetitive work and time spent on the game. A facility like this, built for them, gives them an opportunity to learn and practice the basics of the game. Most importantly, it levels the playing field.”
Barker added, “These parks and recreation projects are two-fold. One, we want to impact the quality of life for our residents – particularly our children – in a positive way,” said Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker. “Secondly, in a facility like this, we see another impact – and that’s growing the next generation of Joe Grays and Anthony Alfords. Every child may not suit up for Major League Baseball, but they will have an opportunity to learn the facets of teamwork, work ethic and how to be a productive citizen in our community.”
