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College baseball is changing, and Penn coach John Yurkow wants to be at the forefront.
As Major League analytics have slowly found their way into the college game, it has become more important than ever for coaches to be willing to adjust to the changing landscape of the sport. From the installation of the FlightScope Strike machine to better track and scout players, to a new on-base percentage oriented approach at the plate, the Quakers have ridden the analytical wave to an impressive 17-9 start this season. Yet, anyone who has watched the Red and Blue take the field this year will observe another element of the Major League game trickling down to Meiklejohn Stadium: the shift.
“We have used [the shift] more this year than we have in the past because of what we are doing with advanced scouting, having more data at our fingertips to put the scouting reports together,” Yurkow said. “You definitely see the trickle down from Major League Baseball; the only difference is they have so much more data that they have it down to a science, and we are still working that way.”