# Baseball and Batting Cage Turf > Turf for baseball and softball infields, batting cages, pitching tunnels and indoor training facilities in Ontario, and a free request to a turf installer. Canonical: https://artificialturfcanada.ca/services/baseball-turf Last updated: 2026-10-24 Batting cages, pitching tunnels, infields, base paths and indoor training floors: turf and pads that take cleats, sliding and thousands of balls. ## At a glance - **Cages and tunnels**: Durable short-pile turf that takes a ball on every swing, indoors or out. - **Infields that play true**: Turf infields with clay-coloured base paths and mound areas, or turf cut-outs on a grass field. - **Training facilities**: Wall-to-wall turf for indoor academies, with zones for hitting, pitching and fielding. - **Backyard cages**: A turfed cage turns a strip of yard into year-round hitting practice. ## Where baseball uses turf Ontario's baseball and softball seasons are short outdoors, so a lot of the game's development happens in cages, tunnels and indoor facilities. **Batting cage turf** is one of the hardest-working surfaces there is: every swing sends a ball into it, players drag their back foot across the same spot thousands of times, and pitchers land in the same hole at the front of the mound. The right turf for each zone is different. - **Batting cages and tunnels.** A dense, short-pile turf, often with little or no infill indoors so nothing gets kicked around. Many cages put a harder-wearing strip or mat where the hitter stands. - **Pitching areas.** The landing area takes the most abuse. Thicker turf, a pad underneath, and a replaceable insert where the stride foot lands make it last. - **Infields and base paths.** Full turf infields, often with base paths and the mound area in a clay or tan colour, give consistent hops and drain quickly after rain. - **Training floors.** Indoor academies often turf wall to wall, with zones for hitting, pitching, fielding and strength work, sometimes with a sled-friendly strip. ## Cage sizes Cages are long, narrow tunnels. Common lengths run from about 55 feet for youth hitting to 70 feet for a full pitching distance plus room behind the plate, with widths of 10 to 14 feet. Measure the space you have, including height for an indoor cage, before you choose the turf; the turf order follows the cage length. ## Backyard cages A backyard cage needs the same base as an artificial lawn: soil out, compacted gravel in, turf on top. A level, firm surface matters more here than in a lawn because a hitter's footing has to be consistent. Ask about a hitting mat or a turf insert at the plate so the most-worn spot can be swapped out. ## Indoor facilities For an indoor academy or a converted warehouse, the questions are the floor, the pad and the turf's fire documentation. Most indoor turf goes over a level concrete slab, sometimes with a foam pad for fielding and conditioning areas. Building owners and inspectors often ask for the product's fire test results for interior use, so ask the supplier for them up front. Infill indoors is usually avoided or kept light: it tracks into offices and change rooms, and a non-infill turf with a pad gives good footing without the mess. ## Mounds and the plate area The spots that wear out first are the ones every player uses: where the pitcher's stride foot lands, the batter's box, and the catcher's position. On turf infields and in cages, these are often built as replaceable inserts or covered with a heavier mat, so a worn patch can be swapped instead of replacing the whole surface. Ask the installer how they'll handle these high-wear zones, and keep spare material from the same roll for repairs. Brushing and topping up infill on outdoor infields keeps the hop consistent. ## Who asks for it Requests come from three groups: families building a backyard cage for a player in rep ball, clubs and associations upgrading cages and infields at their parks, and private academies fitting out indoor training spaces. Each needs a different scale of job and a different installer, which is why the request form asks what the space is for. ## What it costs We haven't found published Ontario prices for cage or infield turf that we can cite, so we don't print a range. Price depends on the area, the turf (a premium hitting turf costs far more than a basic indoor turf), the pad and whether the installer is laying over gravel or concrete. A local installer quotes after seeing the space. For a sense of base and turf costs outdoors, the [artificial turf cost guide](https://artificialturfcanada.ca/guides/artificial-turf-cost-ontario) covers residential prices. ## Getting a quote Send the dimensions (length, width and, indoors, ceiling height), what the space is for, and whether it's a backyard, a club or a facility. One installer who does sports turf gets back to you. ## Questions people ask ### What kind of turf is used in batting cages? A dense, short-pile turf that can take a ball on every swing and a hitter's back foot dragging across it. Indoors it's often non-infill; a replaceable mat at the plate saves the most-worn spot. ### How long is a batting cage? Most run about 55 to 70 feet long and 10 to 14 feet wide. Indoors, the ceiling height matters as much as the length. ### Can I put a batting cage in my backyard? Yes, if there's a long enough strip. It needs a firm, level base like an artificial lawn, netting, and turf that takes heavy foot traffic at the plate. ### Do indoor baseball facilities need infill? Usually little or none. Infill tracks into the building, and a non-infill turf over a pad gives good footing for hitting and fielding. ## Related - [Indoor Turf for Gyms and Facilities](https://artificialturfcanada.ca/services/indoor-turf) - [Synthetic Turf Sports Fields](https://artificialturfcanada.ca/services/sports-field-turf) - [Artificial Cricket Pitches](https://artificialturfcanada.ca/services/cricket-pitches) - [How to Choose Artificial Turf: Pile Height, Face Weight, Fibres and Backing](https://artificialturfcanada.ca/guides/choosing-artificial-turf)