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Riptide Baseball & Softball Academy strengthens Durham travel ball with indoor home and full slate of teams
Set on 359 Blackwell St in downtown Durham, Riptide Baseball & Softball Academy pairs an indoor facility—batting cages, turf space and pitching mounds—with everyday skills work and team training for local ballplayers [1][3][5].Programming ranges from group and individual lessons to clinics and workout groups, with seasonal offerings that include a Durham Academy/Riptide day camp for ages 9–14 [1][4].On the travel circuit, Riptide fields multiple teams across the 10U–17U ladder, guided by a staff that includes coaches such as Ron Thompson, Teddy Sabato, Corey Gross, Brandon Goode and Lu Diaz [6]. Their schedule runs through regional Perfect Game stops like the Big South Invitational, St. Patrick’s Day Classic, Pink Ribbon Battle, Wood Bat Classic and the SEC World Series, with players earning event MVP and MVPitcher honors along the way [6].The pathway continues beyond summer ball, with recent alumni and players tied to college programs including NC State (Kellen Rogers, Sam Harris), Old Dominion (Jace Jones), Manhattan (Bryce Fitzsimmons) and Columbia (Amare Burrus) [6].The academy is located at 359 Blackwell St in Durham with phone (919) 426‑2050, and also maintains a public Facebook page for updates and community info [1][2][5].