Youth sports company EL1 Sports, an MLB partner, has purchased On Deck Baseball and Softball Training Center in Newtown Square as a new training site, writes John George for Philadelphia Business Journal.

The Tacoma, Washington-based company added On Deck, along with D1 Baseball and Softball Academy in Huntington Valley and sites in Michigan and Illinois as part of a national expansion.

The company partnered with Major League Baseball in March 2022 to be a youth baseball and softball training partner.

Frank Decembrino, vice president of business development at EL1, said expanded staff, new camps, clinics, lesson programming for individuals and teams, and new instructional and administrative technology will come with the On Deck acquisition.

EL1 partners with or acquires facilities to complement existing local “sports ecosystems” by providing backend administration and operational support.

EL1 was co-founded in 2010 by former Seattle Mariners prospect Aaron Trolia and former collegiate football player Jameel Cante.

It came into the Philadelphia market last year when it acquired four training sites in Ambler, Conshohocken, Feastersville, and Hainesport, New Jersey.

EL1 CEO Griff Long said he picked the Philadelphia region for the company’s first major expansion because of the region’s “rich baseball history and strong anchor programming.”

Read more about EL 1 in the Philadelphia Business Journal.