Abstract: The present invention can be described as a ball pitching machine having an integral pitching barrel and motor mount and three spaced drive wheels partially projecting into the barrel to grip and propel a ball placed in one end of the pitching barrel. The barrel has three longitudinally aligned slots or windows in the surface of the barrel to provide clearance for secant portions of each of the three wheels. The planes formed by each drive wheel extend radially from the longitudinal axis of the barrel. Each radial plane is equally spaced from each other at 120 degrees relative to each other. Each domed drive wheel is rotatably mounted on the end of a rotatable drive shaft of an electric motor. The three electric motors are mounted on the integral pitching barrel and mount by C-shaped clamps.

Abstract: A ball throwing apparatus has two opposed drive wheels, one on each side of an open-ended barrel. The peripheries of both drive wheels extend into the barrel in opposing fashion, the wheels being slightly offset so that the second periphery frictionally engages the ball before the first periphery does. This directs the ball initially on a path divergent from the barrel axis. The drive wheels are rotated at dissimilar speeds and/or the diameters of the wheels are not the same so that the peripheral speeds of the two drive wheels are different. This imparts a spin to the ball and gives it a curved flight path. The barrel is rotatably mounted to allow the barrel to be rotated about its longitudinal axis to any angular position.The barrel mounting is attached to a tripod, and the mounting can be adjusted to alter the attitude of the barrel to change the trajectory of the ball.