On a recent episode of our On Deck travel baseball podcast here at ITG Next, we had the chance to sit down and speak with Erik Rico, the co-founder and CEO of Bat Club USA.

Having grown up around baseball at both the collegiate and professional levels, Rico had a desire to give back to the game by helping the next generation.

To that end, he helped create Bat Club USA, a subscription service that makes baseball and softball equipment easily accessible to the next generation of ballplayers.

“We just wanted to find a way we could make the best equipment accessible to everybody, and really allow players to always have the best equipment,” Rico said.

Bat Club USA offers a wide variety of brands such as Easton, DeMarini, Wilson, Marucci, Louisville Slugger, and more. The service also features a program that enables a player to exchange a bat when, for example, he or she out-grows an old bat or simply wants a new one when moving up a playing level.

The organization has both baseball and softball equipment available, ranging from bats and gloves to catchers equipment, accessories, and more. The group also fields several travel baseball and softball teams that compete in tournaments around the country.

By helping younger baseball and softball players have access to the best equipment – as well as creating opportunities for them to play competitively – Bat Club USA is leading the charge to develop the next generation of ballplayers.