Side Hustle School Ep. 3119 - STORY: Ex-Baseball Players Hit Home Run With Baseball Bat Subscriptions
Jul 16, 2025
Two former baseball players turned entrepreneurs launch a unique bat rental service that caters to thousands nationwide. They tackle financial hurdles for young athletes, making quality equipment more accessible. The story chronicles their transformation from pilot program to a thriving subscription model, sharing personal insights along the way. Their journey is a testament to the power of innovative thinking and community support in sports.
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Founders Level Playing Field
- Friends Oscar Urena and Eric Rico grew up playing baseball and saw inequality in youth sports due to costly gear.
- They launched a bat rental subscription service to make baseball more affordable and accessible for families.
Bootstrapped Early Operations
- Starting with $40,000 savings, they bought inventory for 2,000 bats and used a Shopify website with modest ad spending.
- They managed orders personally, fulfilling shipments daily from a garage to build their business operations.
Marketing Through Personal Engagement
- Eric and Oscar marketed by appearing at major youth baseball tournaments, engaging directly with families.
- Kids loved the bats and became advocates, helping Bat Club USA grow rapidly through word of mouth.