Bat Around® Partners with Rawlings® and Easton® in Omaha
Co-branded mixed reality hitting and retail experience to open in Omaha Baseball Village
NEW YORK, June 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bat Around announced a partnership with Rawlings Sporting Goods, Company and Easton Diamond Sports for a mixed reality hitting and retail experience at the Omaha Baseball Village (OBV). Fans attending the College World Series (CWS) and players participating in youth baseball tournaments will be able to play Bat Around using Rawlings and Easton bats. It is the first national brand partnership for Bat Around and the second year of a fan experience activation at OBV.
Bat Around is baseball meets video game. Participants hit a baseball and the computer animation plays out on the 12′ x 7’6″ video screen. Each player will play three “rounds” with different hitting skills, such as hitting a line drive up the middle (Líneas), hitting to all parts of the field (Around the World) and then having the chance to be the game-winning hero with bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th (Walk-Off). Each player will receive a Bat Around Metric, known as their BAM score. The game is free to play with the download of the Bat Around app which will capture player stats, and have challenges, leaderboards, digital baseball cards and more.
The co-branded experience will be open on June 13 and run through June 23 or 24, depending on game schedules. Fans and players will be able to play Bat Around and demo the latest Rawlings and Easton bats, including the newly released Easton Arctic Flame and Rawlings Icon.
Bat Around will offer a gift with purchase of free Bat Around apparel with the purchase of a bat (while supplies last) in the Bat Around – Rawlings Easton pop up shop. The shop will have bats, gloves and more. Rawlings and Easton will also have a larger retail experience in OBV offering one of a kind and special edition gloves, shirts and hats.
“Bat Around is about mixing tradition and technology to create a gamified experience with animation, a big screen, lights and music,” said Matt Farrell, Bat Around CEO. “Whether a fan or an avid player, this puts a bat in everyone’s hands. Using the latest Rawlings and Easton bats boosts the authentic experience.”
“We see Bat Around as a modern, fun and engaging game that makes it fun for anyone to swing a bat,” said Mark Kraemer, Rawlings Director of Marketing. “Being able to try out our new Rawlings Icon and Easton Artic Flame bats while playing a fun game is the perfect way to experience our equipment and brand.”
Rawlings and Easton will be incorporated into the Bat Around app with digital baseball cards, leaderboards and branded challenges. In 2023, there were 2,500 games of Bat Around played during the nearly two-week CWS at the OBV. There were also fun, themed days such as ‘dads vs. kids’ on Father’s Day, and even a ‘Florida vs. LSU‘ challenge to recognize the two teams that made the championship series.
Bat Around was inspired by former manager and player Clint Hurdle, plus 13 former MLB stars with nearly 30,000 hits, including 2023 Hall of Famer Fred McGriff and 2024 inductee Todd Helton. Bat Around, powered by HitTrax, is a game for all ages and ability levels and is currently available nationally at these locations.
In the Bat Around app, players can get all of their statistics, including their proprietary Bat Around Metric, or BAM, score. Plus, they can participate in challenges, see their name on the leaderboard, get pro tips and even create a digital baseball card to share. Bat Around is free to download in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Visit www.LetsBatAround.com to find where to play and get it at your location.
About Rawlings
Established in 1887, Rawlings is an innovative leading global brand and manufacturer of premium baseball and softball equipment, including gloves, balls, bats, and protective headwear. Rawlings’ unparalleled quality, innovative engineering and expert craftsmanship are the fundamental reasons why more professional athletes, national governing bodies and sports leagues choose Rawlings.
Rawlings is the Official Base, Baseball, Helmet, Face Guard and Glove of Major League Baseball, the Official Baseball of Minor League Baseball and the Official Baseball and Softball of the NCAA and the NAIA. The company is headquartered in St. Louis. For more information, please visit www.Rawlings.com.
About Bat Around®
Bat Around is mixed reality “sportstainment” inspired by and created with some of the greatest hitters in MLB history. Through an app and game software, Bat Around gamifies the batting cage experience for teams, players and novices, bringing fun and competition to hitting a baseball. Bat Around is powered by HitTrax. Bat Around is a product of Batting Challenge Holdings, Inc., a company specializing in sports technology mixed with innovative games. To learn more visit www.LetsBatAround.com or follow @LetsBatAround on Instagram, Facebook and X.
The Bat Around advisory group, known as the Hitting Legends Council, includes 13 former MLB stars and was created by Bat Around co-founder Clint Hurdle who notched 1,269 career MLB wins as a manager. HLC members have more than 30,000 collective professional hits, and the roster includes: Sean Casey, Jeff Cirillo, Darnell Coles, David Eckstein, Luis Gonzalez, Travis Hafner, Todd Helton, Matt Holliday, Fred McGriff, Juan Pierre, Ryan Spilborghs and Kevin Young.
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SOURCE Batting Challenge Holdings, Inc.
