GREEN COVE SPRINGS – There was a steady stream of boys with equipment bags entering and leaving Thursday afternoon through a door in the back corner of Cove Plaza.

It’s easy to overlook D-BAT Green Cove, especially since it’s located in the corner of the L-shaped complex, almost obscure from traffic along Orange Avenue (U.S. Highway 17).

But the constant flow of hitters and pitchers to improve their games proved it’s hardly a secret.

“We've been open since March of 2023,” said Manager Morgan Kendrick. “We just hit our two years in March.”

D-BAT has 16 indoor cages – three with raised pitching mounds for those looking for a little more zip on their fastball or a sharper snap on their curveball and three with pitching machines.

The 23,794-square-foot facility also has instructors, a special room for birthday parties and a pro shop with an assortment of brightly colored gloves, bats and other gear.

“Some don’t know we’re here because we're kind of in the corner, but I do think that the mini golf place [Retro Putt Mini Indoor Golf] opening [later this summer] will help.”

As work continues near Cove Plaza at the Rookery on what will be a 1,260 single-family, 630 townhome and 210 duplex development, and another 4,000 homes further south at Agricola, D-BAT is only going to get busier – and more visible.

Kendrick said business is already good, particularly on rainy days or for any of the many camps.

“Summertime's a little bit harder with people going on vacations and stuff, but usually we do have a bunch of people in here, especially on a rainy night when kids can't go outdoors and can't go to the fields,” she said. “We have pitching, hitting. We have instructors that do lessons, so you can do one-on-one lessons.”

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, 19 children worked on their skills during one of the summer camps.

“We teach them all aspects of the game,” Kendrick said. “Our instructors teach fielding, hitting, pitching, and yeah, the parents pick them up at 2 and their knowledge is much better when they leave.”

Kendrick said D-BAT offers month-to-month memberships, with the top level – Platinum at $78 – allowing a player unlimited access to any of the workout lanes.

“We supply you with buckets [of balls for the pitching machines], the tees [for hitting stationary balls], mostly anything you’ll need. We even have bats in there, as well, and you can have that cage for however much time you need.”

Children attending a birthday party also get pizza, drinks, games and two of the workout cages for three hours.

D-BAT Green Cove is located at 1417-3, S. Orange Ave. Or just look for a steady stream of baseball players entering and leaving through a door in the back-left corner of Cove Plaza with equipment bags on their shoulders.