Balls-n-Strikes Expands Its Zone to Fayetteville Location

Bubba Carpenter hung up his baseball spikes in 2004, but he has no intention of giving up the game.

Carpenter, who owns the Balls-n-Strikes franchise in Springdale, has opened a second location in Fayetteville. Both are about 10,000 SF of artificial-turfed heaven for anyone still perfecting his (or her) swing.

“I don’t get to play anymore, so it’s fun to live through these kids,” said Carpenter, who had a brief stint with the Colorado Rockies, but is better known for a lengthy and productive career in the New York Yankees minor-league system. “I love to see them grow as players and people through this game.

“I know that might sound corny, but it’s true. Almost everything I learned in life, I learned through baseball.”

The Balls-n-Strikes concept is to provide instruction through camps, individual training, and small group or team sessions. The company is headquartered in the St. Louis area, with about 10 facilities scattered throughout parts of Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas.

Ownership of a Balls-n-Strikes franchise requires an initial investment of $150,000-$275,000.

Carpenter’s ventures employ a staff of eight, including Joe Jester, another former University of Arkansas player who also played in the minor leagues. Jester’s primary duty will be to help Carpenter run the Fayetteville location, which is on 15th Street, near Walker Park.

Carpenter opened the Springdale location in 2005, after retiring from pro ball, but first began giving lessons in his garage during off-seasons starting in 1999.

“I started doing the lessons, liked doing it, and it kind of grew from there,” he said.

Carpenter also does some scouting for the Yankees and is the driving force behind the Arkansas Muddogs, a group of 10-, 11-, and 12-year-old summer travel teams. The Muddogs are affiliated with the Midwest Nationals, a USSSA Baseball team based in Springfield, Mo. The Muddogs are made up of about 55 players from Benton and Washington counties.

Carpenter said his target audience is “anybody that loves baseball as much as I do,” and that the primary aim of the local Balls-n-Strikes operations is to help kids who are willing to work hard while pursuing their dreams of playing at the highest levels.

“That’s the beauty of baseball,” Carpenter said. “We could be looking at the next Albert Pujols out there right now.”