Abstract: An apparatus for expelling baseballs or other game balls with a considerable backspin. In the usual case, where the game ball is shot out generally parallel to the ground, the ball trajectory starts out relatively straight due to the rather large expulsion force, and thereupon when the expulsion force is almost spent, the backspin takes over, and the game ball will suddenly rise above the ground. This simulates a real life baseball pitcher whose fast ball has a "live hop". The apparatus features a rotating flywheel with an upper guide chute, in which is disposed a rubber pad to provide a constriction of lesser dimension than the diameter of the game ball, so that the game ball when fed onto the flywheel is passed through the guide chute, for subsequent expulsion in a generally linear, e.g. horizontal, trajectory, but with subsequent upward movement due to the backspin which is caused by the game ball passing through the constriction.