A new private facility dedicated to helping young athletes elevate their game and develop as baseball and softball players is set to open this summer.
Big Game Performance, owned by former professional baseball player Alex Buccilli, is stepping up to the plate at 5317 Highway 90.
Buccilli is a Coastal Carolina University graduate and 2012 All-Big South selection. After his collegiate career, he played for the Washington Wild Things in the Frontier League.
He moved into coaching in 2014, founding 3B Baseball, an indoor training facility in the Myrtle Beach area focused on professional-level instruction in hitting, outfield play and the mental aspects of the game.
When his lease ended, he began searching for a larger space. Now, as the owner of Big Game Performance, he plans to continue the mission.
“I’ve been building this idea and dream, basically getting quality coaches together, making it bigger, more opportunities and newer technology,” Buccilli told What Now Charleston.
The new location is ideal because it is near North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex, a hub for major tournaments.
“They just added more fields at the North Myrtle Beach Complex. It’s a lot bigger, a lot more teams coming, a lot more people coming to the area, so we felt like it’s the best spot,” Buccilli said.
While Big Game Performance will offer day passes, the facility will be geared more toward individual and team-based training rather than recreational use.
“We’re membership based, but we’re going to give teams a discounted rate to come in and use the facility before or after a tournament or if it rains,” he said. “Also, in this area, we have a lot of kids come for vacation. When they’re here and want to hit or get their work in, this gives them the opportunity to do that.”
The facility will include two buildings totaling 15,000 square feet. It will house 12 batting cages, bullpens, a weight room and a speed and performance area, along with an outdoor turf field.
“We have seven or eight Hack Attack machines, which is a common use for training. We also have softball Hack Attack machines, which nobody has around here,” he said.
A Hack Attack machine is a baseball pitching machine used for hitting practice and simulating a variety of pitches, including fastballs, curveballs and sliders, at different speeds and angles.
“We’ll also have a Trackman, which in baseball, all professional teams and college teams use to get data and results for pitching and hitting. Kids like to see their scores and for older kids playing more seriously, the Trackman can help them get better,” Buccilli said.
Buccilli looks forward to creating a one-stop training space for youth athletes with elite coaches.
“We’re going to be different because we’re going to have all the facets of the game with high-end coaches. All our coaches are ex-professional players or ex-college coaches. It gives these kids an opportunity where I say it’s a no excuse policy. If you want to get better at baseball this is the place,” he said.
The team is finalizing permits, and Buccilli expects to open Big Game Performance by the end of the month. Visit the website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
