A new type of baseball is coming to Arm & Hammer Park, home of the Trenton Thunder. It is a sport that the community can take part in.

There’s no running, no fielding – all you have to do is be able to swing a bat.

The game is called Slugbball. The requirements sounded perfect for me and News 12 photojournalist Ryan Beckman to try out.

“Four rounds per game, four hitters per round. Each team will have four hitters,” said Sluggball co-founder Mike Gossner at a pregame warmup.

Gossner is introducing Sluggball – a fast-paced game of skill, strategy and fun – created by former stars and professionals of Major League Baseball.

“It’s a game of directional hitting. Four rounds Four hitters per round. Each hitter gets eight swings at 35 seconds per round. Each round is a different direction or situation,” explained Gossner.

It seemed easy enough, so we suited up and gave it a try.

It’s my first time picking up a baseball bat in decades, and in 16 attempts at the plate, I was able to score one point.

Beckman's Little League coaching skills paid off and in just eight attempts, he scored two points.

“We do believe that it can create not just competition but also a whole lot of fun for people as they try to continue in that area,” said Ruben Amaro, Jr., a former MLB player and general manager of the Phillies, now a current broadcast analyst for the Philadelphia team.

A full game lasts about 25 minutes, which seems about perfect for the quick-paced and short-attention-span world of 2025.

What do the other first-time players think?

“Love it, love it. This can be like golf outings with your buddies. Get together, go play Sluggball and anybody can do it. It’s not how hard you hit it, how far you hit it, it’s where you hit it,” said Jeff Ricardo, a high school baseball coach.

“We’re hoping to scale it slowly and intelligently so we can get people excited about it and go from there,” added Gossner.

Six organized Sluggball events are scheduled for this year – two right here in Trenton – with room for more.

For a list of all the rules, upcoming events and how to sign up, CLICK HERE.