New technology in Dirtbag baseball

BY ZACH DURHAM Staff Writer

With the 2023 season around the corner, head coach Eric Valenzuela is preparing the Dirtbags for success on the field and is utilizing technology to do so.

TrackMan and Rapsodo are a radar and analytic software that provides accessible data results for players to evaluate their performance and help relay information.

The Dirtbags are looking to take advantage of both softwares, as well as working with PitchCom this season.

“It’s not always about numbers,” Valenzuela said. “But they can help with a lot of things in a lot of different areas of the game.”

Baseball has entered what many call “The Analytics Era” and collegiate programs are doing their best to keep up with the technology used in the majors.

This will be the first season the Dirtbags use PitchCom, TrackMan and Rapsodo all together in the same season. These tools help the Dirtbags keep up with the modern age of baseball, in which StatCast and analytics are taking over.

In-depth statistics provide feedback for individual players that allows them to make the necessary adjustments to their approach. Access to this technology will be useful for the team as they make adjustments throughout their season-long journey.

“I still don’t know much about it because it’s so new to me,” freshman pitcher Kellan Montgomery said. “Having something like that is pretty awesome; I have much to learn.”

Pitchcom, unlike TrackMan and Rapsodo which evaluate performance, is a tool that allows catchers to deliver signs to the pitcher electronically without the risk of the opposing team seeing them.

It also reduces the chance of a cross-up between the pitcher and catcher, such as a curveball being thrown when the sign for a fastball was called. At the Major League level, Pitchcom first saw its introduction only last season.

“I think it’s great,” Valenzuela said. “It takes some getting used to, but it helps the pace of play and it’s a lot easier for the catchers to give their signs.”

TrackMan and Rapsodo capture real-time analytics and NextGen statistics such as launch angle, exit velocity and spin rate. These results are used to evaluate a player’s performance and give them and

It was a special night for Berry that was sure to add to her motivation as she was honored for her accomplishment of scoring her 1000th career point with a commemorative basketball.

The Beach displayed their commitment to changing the first half score having a combined total of 19 points off of turnovers as opposed to the Roadrunners who had 15 points. That extra effort was most evident in a final quarter where LBSU outscored Bakersfield 19-4 to pull away.

LBSU shot 39.6% from the field, coming out on top of the Roadrunners who finished off the game shooting 37%.

The first two quarters concluded with the Roadrunners on top of The Beach 36-25, but it was nine consecutive points made by Hamilton-Fisher in the third quarter that changed LBSU’s outcome.

MARLON VILLA / Daily Forty-Niner

The Beach women’s basketball player Ma’Qhi Berry being guarded by one of the Roadrunners players.

Cammon sees his team’s attitude towards the game as a factor in helping them flip the match.

“Our energy the way we attacked on both ends of the floor you know, we meet our standards of our effort and being competitive and communicating,” Cammon said.

10 consecutive wins from The Beach may be seen as a big thing by fans but to coach Cammon and his team, they would rather not focus on that idea too much.

“Obviously we’re excited, we're growing and getting better. I think that’s the most important thing,” Cammon said.

The Long Beach State women's basketball team (17-7, 12-2 Big West) has the opportunity to make it 11 wins in a row when they go up against UC Riverside on Feb 15. at the Walter Pyramid.

the coaches a closer look at how they can improve.

Becoming accustomed to these statistics is necessary for understanding and recognizing certain pitches, making adjustments to a pitch or swing, and being prepared for high-level competition.

“It depends on the individual player,” Valenzuela said. “Some will really dive into it and figure out some things, some don’t need it.”

For Graham Osman, a junior transfer from Arizona State, pitching relies on feel rather than data.

Blending the mental, physical and mechanical aspects of baseball is essential for successful and effective pitching.

“I use Rapsodo and video data to see where I’m at, but I don’t pay too much at- tention or obsess over it,” Osman said.

Valenzuela and the Dirtbags have been striving to incorporate this technology into the program and are becoming more familiar with it every day.

As far as the season goes, Valenzuela is establishing a positive mentality that has one end goal: play some good baseball.

He understands “the expectations for this program are always high,” and the available technology allows coaches to prepare players for baseball at a high level and stay up to speed with the game and its trends.

The Dirtbags begin the season on Friday, Feb. 17 at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field in its home opener against Wichita State.