Baseball Pitching Machines

A baseball pitching machine lets one coach run hundreds of identical reps without burning out an arm. Every machine here is built by Sports Attack around a three-wheel throwing head, so the hitter tracks the ball from feed to release, much like reading a live pitcher. The range runs from youth units to touchscreen machines for high school, college and commercial cages, plus the feeders and carts that turn one machine into a full hitting station.

How to choose a baseball pitching machine

Sort the lineup by level of play, pitch control and automation.

• Youth leagues and travel teams: The Junior Hack Attack baseball machine is rated for youth league, backyard, machine-pitch and travel team use. Its speed dials set fastballs plus right- and left-handed curveballs, sliders and split fingers, and it converts to throw a 7.5-inch vision training ball.
• High school, college and commercial cages: The full-size Hack Attack is listed at 100+ mph and is built for high school, college and commercial programs.
• Programmable control: The I-Hack Attack touchscreen machine stores eight pre-set pitches, saves favorites and sequences, and uses pitch locators to place the ball in up to four spots in the zone. The Elite eHack Attack moves to a 12-inch touchscreen that saves up to 20 favorite pitches and sequences of up to 10, with adult and youth skill settings.
• Automatic feeding: The 150-ball Team Feeder for Hack Attack and I-Hack drops a ball roughly every 6 to 12 seconds for about 20 minutes per load. The Elite machine pairs with its own Elite Team Feeder, which runs from the Elite Feeder App over Bluetooth.
• Portable stations and fielding: A TranzHit combo bundles a Junior Hack Attack, a Team Feeder and a frame that carries both from storage to the cage. For defense, the Junior Fungo Kart combo sets the Junior on a 360-degree swivel cart for fly balls, grounders and catcher pop-ups; it is meant for fielding drills only, not pitching.

Plan for transport too. The Junior is listed as fitting in a compact car and the Hack Attack in an SUV or full-size car, and the full-size machines roll on two transport wheels rather than on their throwing wheels.

Trainer's take: structure the round, not just the speed

Set the machine behind a protective screen and keep whoever is feeding it out of the hitting lane. Open at a speed the hitter can square up cleanly, then raise velocity or add breaking pitches once contact is consistent. Short rounds with a reset between them keep quality high; one marathon round usually ends in tired, sloppy swings. Before you pack up, flip the throwing head for a few minutes of fly balls or grounders so the defense gets reps from the same baseball pitching machine.

Baseball pitching machine FAQ

What balls work in a Hack Attack pitching machine?

Sports Attack designs these machines for regulation leather baseballs, dimpled practice balls and softer practice balls. It advises against synthetic leather balls because they wear quickly and leave residue on the wheels.

What is the difference between the Hack Attack and the I-Hack Attack?

The Hack Attack sets each pitch with wheel-speed dials. The I-Hack Attack adds a touchscreen with pre-set pitches, saved favorites and sequences, and a random mode.

Does every Hack Attack feeder fit every machine?

No. Feeders are machine-specific: the 150-ball Team Feeder fits the Hack Attack and I-Hack Attack, the 15-ball Solo Feeder listed here is built for the I-Hack Attack, and the Elite Team Feeder pairs with the Elite eHack Attack. Check each listing's compatibility line.

Can the same machine run fielding practice?

The Junior Hack Attack and Hack Attack heads pivot for pop-ups, fly balls and grounders. The Elite eHack Attack is listed for pitches only, so plan a separate fungo setup, such as the Junior Fungo Kart combo, if fielding reps matter.

Coaching a fastpitch program as well? Compare our softball pitching machines, then finish the cage with batting cage nets and L-screens. To weigh machine types against your program, read the pitching machine buying guide.