D-backs Baseball Academy to host fall & winter baseball camps highlighted by camps at Chase Field and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

PHOENIX — The D-backs Baseball Academy, presented by Grand Canyon University, will host seven baseball camps throughout the Valley from October to January, highlighted by an Advanced Pitchers & Catchers camp at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick and a Black Friday camp at Chase Field. In addition, the D-backs will host three, three-day camps and two week-long camps around the Valley.

The camps are designed for youth ages 6-18 years old and are taught by instructors who are hand-picked by the D-backs’ organization from a group of former professional players and local collegiate and high school coaches.

• Fall Traditional Five-Day Camps, hosted Oct. 8-12 and Oct. 15-19, focuses on baseball fundamentals and offer participants 15 hours of instruction that include baseball drills, repetitions and full games. Registration is $175 for each participant. The camp is offered at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick and in Chandler.

• Advanced Pitchers & Catchers Camp, hosted Nov. 3-4 for youth ages 13-18, focuses on taking players to the next level through professional instruction from the D-backs’ organization, including former D-backs pitcher Mike Fetters and current D-backs Bullpen/Catching Coach Glenn Sherlock. The two-day camp takes place at the state-of-the-art facilities located at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the same fields where the D-backs develop their own professional baseball players. Registration is $325 and includes two days of six-hour sessions with video analysis as well as drills and techniques tailored to each participant’s skill set.

• Post-Thanksgiving Black Friday One-Day Camp, hosted on Nov. 23, will be held at Chase Field from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. so parents can get a head start on holiday shopping while campers participate in six hours of instruction covering throwing, receiving, infield, outfield, baserunning and games. Lunch will be provided by SUBWAY®. Registration is $100 for each participant.

• Holiday Three-Day Camps, hosted Dec. 26-28 and Jan. 2-4, make a great gift for the holidays. The campers participate in nine hours of instruction and will rotate through stations that cover baseball fundamentals like hitting, infield, outfield, baserunning, pitching and catching. Registration is $100 for each participant. The camps are offered at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick as well as locations in Gilbert and Glendale.

The D-backs’ Baseball Academy, presented by Grand Canyon University, is in its 13^th season as the official year-round baseball and fast-pitch softball instruction division of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The academy’s hand-picked instructors have taught thousands of youth to "Learn to Play the D-backs Way!" at a variety of camps and clinics at facilities such as Chase Field, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Grand Canyon University and parks throughout the Greater Phoenix area. The camps offer a highly choreographed schedule to maximize participation and activity time and boast quality instruction with a 1:10 instructor-to-student ratio to ensure the best possible learning experience. Participating partners include St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Chevrolet and Big O Tires.

Every camp registration includes a T-shirt, a hat and a free ticket to a 2013 D-backs’ regular-season home game with the opportunity to purchase additional discounted tickets. For more information and to register, please visit www.dbacks.com/academy or call 800.821.7152.

D-BACKS BASEBALL ACADEMY 2012-2013 FALL & WINTER CAMPS