Patent ID: 7156761

Claim:
A batting practice device for selectively recycling a lightweight ball comprising: a structural base assembly constructed and arranged to support a net assembly, said base assembly including an upper surface, a front, a back, a left and a right depending perimeter wall, wherein said upper surface slopes downward from said perimeter walls to a drain aperture, wherein said drain aperture communicates with a ball return assembly wherein said drain aperture includes two laterally extending pin grooves, wherein said pin grooves are constructed and arranged to cooperate with two laterally protruding pins secured to said ball return assembly for pivotally adjustable support thereof; a net assembly constructed and arranged to catch a hit ball and direct said hit ball to said base assembly; a ball return assembly constructed and arranged to receive said ball from said base assembly via gravity and thereafter soft-toss said ball to a batter for hitting practice, wherein said ball return assembly includes a generally round ball conduit, said ball conduit having a ball inlet, a ball outlet and an air inlet; a source for producing a continuous stream of air in communication with said air inlet; wherein said ball enters said ball inlet via gravity and said continuous stream of air increases the velocity of said ball traveling through said ball conduit and wherein said ball exits from said ball outlet toward a batter with both horizontal and vertical velocity in the form of a soft-toss, wherein a ball hit into said net assembly is recycled for batting practice.