The tryout coach that Ricky talks to is the real Ricky Hill
Most of the background baseball-playing actors were current and former college and professional baseball players who lived around Augusta, Georgia.
Professional baseball player John smoltz is the commentator at the end.
The last pitcher in the final game is a former professional baseball player named Jake Smith. Jake pitched for 7 years in the minors and briefly appeared in 4 games for the San Diego Padres in 2016. Jake was pitching from the same mound that he used professionally when he played for the Augusta GreenJackets minor league team in 2014. Jake is currently a baseball coach in the Augusta, Georgia area.
The title "The Hill" is descriptive to the protagonist's surname, what ballplayers call the pitching mound and the obstacles that Ricky must overcome.