The NCAA announced rule changes for college baseball on Aug. 25, with the most notable change allowing teams to implement the automated ball-strike (ABS) system into their facilities to challenge calls during regular-season and postseason games. Additionally, there is now a timer between batters and updates to rules about bases.
The SEC used ABS on an experimental basis during the SEC Tournament this past May in Hoover, Ala. It was met with vast approval from players and coaches, with a noted entertainment aspect from the fan perspective, as well. Fans met any ABS challenge with applause or groans, much like any reviewed play.
The Rebels’ usage of ABS left a lot to be desired. They only played one game in the tournament, and despite making the first challenge in college baseball history, the call was upheld and Ole Miss did not attempt another.
Missouri, the Rebels’ first-round opponent, conversely, overturned a staggering seven calls on nine challenges. This was no doubt a factor in the Tigers’ 10-8 upset over Ole Miss.
The system will mirror that of the MLB. Only the pitcher, catcher or current batter can contest a pitch by tapping the top of his head. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the team will lose a challenge. It has not yet been stated how many challenges teams will get. The MLB gives two per game, and the SEC tournament gave three.
This rule does not integrate ABS throughout the NCAA; it simply allows those programs with the available resources to add the cutting-edge technology to their ballparks.
The funds required to implement this system are steep. Universities will have to shell out an estimated $100,000 to install the 12 high-speed, AI-powered Hawk-Eye cameras around the perimeter of stadiums.
This will not be the first implementation of Hawk-Eye into SEC athletics. In fact, there is conference-wide usage already in basketball, soccer and volleyball.
However, adapting this technology to baseball is a bit more complicated than for other sports. Soccer goal lines never move and volleyball court lines do not shift, but baseball strike zones must be adapted for every batter based on height. Furthermore, rather than a two-dimensional target being assessed, a strike zone is a three-dimensional cube spanning over home plate.
Ole Miss has yet to announce plans to incorporate ABS, but it does have the bulk of the technology already in place, along with the rest of the SEC. Issues that arise with ABS are mainly implementing jumbotron visuals and display. Most, if not all, of the SEC’s member schools will opt to be a part of the inaugural season of ABS for strategic benefit alone.
According to FanGraphs, a popular baseball stats website, the value of successfully challenging a call with a runner on third base and one out is anywhere from 0.12 runs to an astounding 0.84. The outcome of one pitch can be monumental: MLB batters go from hitting .329 on a 2-1 count to hitting .161 on a 1-2 count, so overturning a 1-1 call in either direction can have significant impact.
This is a skill that SEC coaches are going to want to instill in their players to maximize efficiency. Consider Missouri’s critical challenges in the SEC Tournament giving the Tigers the edge over Ole Miss.
Missouri Baseball began practicing with ABS in its final regular-season series prior to the SEC Tournament, and it paid dividends. Tiger catcher, Mateo Serna, overturned challenges at an 88% clip, and Tiger pitchers struck out 14 Ole Miss batters.
Beyond ABS, expect games to speed up a little bit due to the addition of a 30-second timer in between batters.
All teams will also be required to install a double first base, and facilities are permitted to increase the size of bases from 15 square inches to 18, though this is not required.
