Patent ID: 7744496

Claim:
A batting practice tee comprising: a base assembly including a continuous uninterrupted channel fixedly mounted to said base assembly, said channel being defined by first and second sidewalls extending generally downwardly, a bottom surface generally orthogonal to the sidewalls, and a top portion having an opening, said channel including an inner-locking guide rail fixedly disposed within said channel along said bottom surface of said channel and said first sidewall between a first termination point and a second termination point of said channel, said inner-locking guide rail protruding into a space defined by said channel so that a width of a lower space of said channel is smaller than a width of an upper space of said channel; said inner-locking guide rail forming a generally rectangular profile within said channel, a height of said inner-locking guide rail being a portion of a height of said first sidewall and a width of said inner-locking guide rail being a portion of a width of said bottom surface; and a tube assembly for holding a ball, said tube assembly removably coupled to said channel and being rotatable between an open position and a closed position, said tube assembly including a slidable device disposed about a rod of said tube assembly, a head of said rod fitting within the lower space of said channel and said slidable device fitting within the upper space of said channel so that a portion said slidable device is positioned above said-inner-locking guide rail, said slidable device being wider than the lower space of said channel, wherein, in said open position, said tube assembly is removable from said channel and movable throughout said channel, and wherein, in said closed position, said tube assembly engages said inner-locking guide rail to secure said tube assembly to a location along said channel, said tube assembly holding said ball above said location.