For the love of the game. For the development of the player and the person.

The vision was already there. The new facility gives it room to grow.

With Kevin Venturini serving as general manager and Jeff Lyons as facility manager, the Dean-owned training facility, Upper Deck, has moved from a 9,000-square-foot space to a 25,000-square-foot facility at a different location within the same Cumberland complex. The move nearly triples the space available to carry forward a commitment that’s guided the program for years: building the player and developing the person.

The previous Upper Deck space served the program well, helping it grow within a strong baseball community. As that growth continued and technology advanced, the next step was a larger space equipped for the opportunities ahead. The expansion carries forward the same commitment that’s been there from the start: investing in young athletes, giving coaches more ways to tailor instruction, and supporting the personal growth that develops through their work together.

The indoor training space at Upper Deck’s new Cumberland facility.
The indoor training space at Upper Deck’s new Cumberland facility.

Technology helps guide that work when it’s paired with clear coaching. HitTrax can connect swing video with ball-flight measurements, so a hitter can see what’s happening and hear an adjustment right away. Rapsodo can give a pitcher information on velocity, spin, and movement, and a coach can turn that into something the player can use.

The real value is that immediate loop: see it, talk about it, try again. During Cumberland Sideline’s visit, general manager Kevin Venturini was working with HitTrax, bringing the conversation about technology and player development onto the training floor.

That’s where the message comes to life. It’s individualized attention, with coaches pinpointing what a player is doing right and where there’s room to grow, then using that feedback to guide the next try. Each adjustment becomes a chance to understand the lesson and put it to work.

Batting lanes provide space for individual instruction and practice.
Batting lanes provide space for individual instruction and practice.

Through that, growth reaches beyond mechanics. Learning to respond after a tough training session or game—to listen, adjust, and keep working—builds resilience and confidence. Those are the pieces that last, and the new space gives that work more room to grow.

Systems like HitTrax and Rapsodo help lay the tracks. What moves the program forward is the community behind it—coaches who turn feedback into instruction, players who put in the work, parents who show up for them, and owners who back the vision with resources and space. Together they move the vision forward, building the player and developing the person.

The return they’re investing in will show up in the players long before it shows up on any balance sheet. For the people behind Upper Deck and Stone Crabs, it starts with giving athletes the space, tools, and coaching to keep growing.

Upper Deck’s expanded facility gives athletes and coaches more room to work.
Upper Deck’s expanded facility gives athletes and coaches more room to work.

Over time, that work can produce stronger players, more confidence, and sustained success on the field and off.

The vision begins with the people. The results grow from there.

For the love of the game. For the development of the player and the person.