By Zach Durham
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 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.
02/12/2023 – Long Beach, Calif: CSULB Dirtbags Junior Left-Handed Pitcher, Graham Osman, cleans the baseballs prior to the start of the Dirtbags scrimmage on Sunday. Photo credit: Naoki Gima
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 attention 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 that “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.
