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SCDS gets ‘game-changer’ in its new indoor baseball facility, The Battery

By Travis Jaudon/For the Prep Sports Report | September 21, 2021

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Savannah Country Day School’s campus has benefited from significant upgrades in recent years with new academic and athletic buildings being erected across the property. The latest addition to the athletic facility roster at Country Day is an impressive 4,000 square-foot indoor baseball facility adjacent to Saunders (football) Field on the Stillwood Avenue campus.

Named ‘The Battery,’ the building was dedicated to the wife of the late Tim Brown, a strong supporter of SCDS athletics for many years before his passing over the summer. Brown’s wife, Yael Van-Hulst, joined SCDS Head of School Kef Wilson and Director of Athletics Jim Collis at halftime of the September 10 football game at Saunders Field for a dedication ceremony in front of the Hornet faithful. Brown’s middle-son Dalton Brown is a sophomore in the Country Day baseball program.

Also honored at halftime was Ryan Price of JE Dunn, for his company’s donation and construction of the new venue.

Nate Ward, Savannah Country Day’s head baseball coach since 2020, spoke with The Prep Sports Report on Tuesday afternoon about the new turf-lined facility for his Hornets.

“For us, it’s an absolute game-changer. It’s already our pride and joy. You can’t miss it, it’s huge,” Ward said in a phone call. “It has really reenergized everyone in the program I think, and not just at the varsity level. This is a big deal for the entire (baseball) program even down to the middle school guys. 

“It’s a good message for our kids -- for them to see this incredible support and investment by the Country Day community back into this program. I’m so thankful for Tim (Brown) and everyone involved in getting this thing done. Our boys have have built a program of success in the last few years and now they’ve got the investment returned back to them with The Battery. It’s overwhelming for us as coaches at times, but our guys are thrilled to say the least.”

The Battery is located across the football field from another can’t-miss Country Day addition in 2021 -- A brand-new video/replay scoreboard for the football Hornets. It includes portable pitching mounds and an automatic three-wheel pitching machine which Ward says “has already gotten plenty of use.” 

An indoor space will prove invaluable over time according to Ward, a former collegiate standout himself while on the diamond at Armstrong State University. It allows SCDS baseball players (and occasionally other athletic teams) to train nearly year-round, and the three “accordion style” batting cages offer countless possibilities for use, says Ward.

“We can throw bullpens, conduct live scrimmages and do full infield (practice) in there because the cages roll back all the way to the walls,” he said. “We will be using this thing a lot, and when we aren’t using it as a varsity spot, the middle school team will use it as their primary practice spot.”

Fully stretched out, the three cages, or “lanes,” each measure out to 70-feet in length (12-feet height; 15-feet width).

Ward says he is excited to bring back Country Day baseball alumni from years past to show them how far the program has come. The Battery, says Ward, represents a high-point for a baseball program which was built from the ground up by a lot of people for nearly a decade.

“I’m excited to have the alumni here and get their reaction to it,” Ward said. “I want them to see this because I think a lot of people will be really happy with this new facility for Country Day baseball.”


Follow Travis Jaudon on Twitter/Instagram @JaudonSports. Email him at travisLjaudon@gmail.com.

CREDIT: Savannah Country Day School

Optim Orthopedics supports Savannah Country Day School athletics.  Dr. Thomas Alexander is the team doctor for Savannah Country Day. Remember, Optim Orthopedics gets you back into the game!

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