NCAA adopts new baseball |
Clemson's Jack Leggett spearheaded an effort to get a new baseball that is more similar to pro ball and the NCAA will adopt it in 2015.
The ball will have flat seams and be similar to the kind used in professional baseball. A raised-seam ball is now used in the college game. Clemson's Jack Leggett and Rice's Wayne Graham led the call for a new ball after dialed-back bats put into play in 2011 led to a drop in offense to levels not seen since the wooden-bat era before 1974. An American Baseball Coaches Association survey this fall found that 87 percent of coaches who responded wanted to make the change.
The Division I baseball committee's unanimous vote allows conferences to adopt the new ball for regular-season play. The ball, shown by researchers to fly farther, will be used during the NCAA baseball tournament in 2015.
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
