Heads up, sluggers: New batting cage facility opens in SLO County. Here’s a look
The sounds of bats cracking against high-speed pitches will soon be the backdrop of a western Grover Beach neighborhood as a new baseball and softball business opens its doors to customers.
Father-and-son duo Andy and Nico Mendoza have shared a love of baseball since Nick pitched for his high school team in Bakersfield — and now, they’re bringing that shared passion to Grover Beach through SLO Swing Sports, a new batting cage facility.
Nico said the idea to start a batting cage business in San Luis Obispo County started picking up steam in 2020 when he and a friend were playing club baseball together.
“We were looking at places to train, and we couldn’t really find anywhere, so we just thought of the idea to do something in the future, because during 2020 it was COVID, so it was kind of hard to open up a business and get that running,” Nico said. “So we just kept that idea, and we stuck with it, and then me and my dad made it happen in 2025.”
Now, he and his father are excited to make that vision a reality for local baseball and softball enthusiasts, Nico said.
“We’re here for the community, and we’re here for the people who have wanted to have this facility for all ages to have a great time and experience something that’s never been brought to Grover,” Nico said.
The Tribune stopped by during SLO Swing Sports’ opening week to see the facility and try out the batting cages.
New batting cages include high-end pitching simulators
Nico said from the start, he and his father wanted the business to cater to both casual fans looking to take some swings and more experienced players wanting to sharpen their skills.
The new business is looking to host professional baseball and softball clinics each month and has already held a clinic with Minor League Baseball player Austin Charles, who attended the same school as Nico and currently plays for Kansas City Royals affiliate the Quad Cities River Bandits.
SLO Swing Sports opened with six lanes in total — one for pitchers only, four for batting and catching practice and two equipped with a state-of-the-art baseball and softball pitching machine — and all the dividers between the cages can be removed for larger events that need the space.
The pitching simulators are hooked up to an iPad kiosk where players can select baseballs or softballs. For baseballs, they can set the pitch type — fastball or curveball — and four speeds from 35 and 70 mph. For softball, they can choose fast pitch or slow pitch, with the latter offering a variety of height settings as well.
“If you want it lowball, you want high and mid, the machine will pitch what you type it in to pitch,” Andy said. “If you want 35 miles an hour, up to 70 miles an hour, you just tell the kiosk.”
The business plans to add three more pitching machines in the near future, to bring the total to five.
Hitters can get 15 balls for $5 or reserve a cage for an hour for $65, Andy said.
Two levels of monthly membership packages are also available: $99 for 60 credits (15 balls per credit) or $149 for 100 credits.
Those prices may be subject to change once the business is ready to fully open with a new point-of-sale system and roof repairs for the building, Andy said.
“We are going to start light because we’re missing three machines,” Andy said. “Due to tariffs, we’ve got two machines, and we’re missing three more.”
When will SLO Swing Sports open?
Andy said SLO Swing Sports held its soft opening Oct. 2 and is planning to hold a grand opening toward the end of the month, pending the completion of new roofing for the building.
Nico said he’s excited to go into business with his father, and to do it in a way that the community can enjoy.
“I always grew up with my dad running his own business, so I’ve just always admired that,” Nico said. “I’ve always wanted to do what he did and follow in his footsteps, so it’s great working with him.”
This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
