Texas A&M’s baseball program is set to become one of the first collegiate teams to employ the Automated Ball‑Strike (ABS) system when the SEC tournament kicks off, marking a significant step toward technology‑driven officiating.
Challenging the Traditional Umpire
Former Aggies outfielder Zach DeLoach and pitcher Christian Roa, both of whom have worked with ABS in professional settings, describe how the system functions and why they believe it could reshape the game.
Under the new arrangement, each team will be allowed up to three challenges per game, and early data from Major League Baseball shows that nearly half of challenged pitches are overturned, underscoring the system’s accuracy.
The SEC’s strike zone this year is approximately 19 inches wide, two inches broader than the MLB’s standard, a difference that will require hitters and pitchers to adjust their expectations while the technology proves its worth.
Although the cost of rolling out ABS across the NCAA remains a hurdle, both DeLoach and Roa expect the system to become a permanent fixture in college baseball as expenses decline and acceptance grows.