In past years, NCAA baseball coaches have had their share of differences with the association over rule discrepancies. Recently, the two groups have been in talks over the effects of the differences between a regulation college baseball and a professional one. Coaches argue that the differences in bat and ball regulation greatly affect how the game is played. They claim to strive for a more equal, entertaining game for fans and players. Recently, it appears, their clamors have been heard.
According to Baseball America, the NCAA recently completed a study on the “drag effect” of the raised-seam ball used in college vs. the flat-seamed ball used at the professional level. They reported on the results, described in a letter from American Baseball Coaches Association executive director Dave Keilitz to the Divison I head coaches, and according to the author Aaron Fitt, the results “are striking”.
The NCAA Bat Certification lab at Washington State and the Rawlings Research lab conducted the tests, inserting the different balls into precisely calculated environments and comparing the results.
They studied how far each ball travels when launched from a machine at 95 mph with a spin rate of 1400 RPM and a launch angle of 25 degrees (the calculations of an average home run). Through their research they found that the drag effect exists and has a very real effect on hard-hit baseballs, influencing the ball’s speed the longer it remains in motion. The raised seam ball traveled an average distance of 367 feet, while the flat seam ball averaged 387 feet, a sizable difference of 20 feet or a little over 5%.
This isn’t the only difference between these two balls. Apparently, official college baseballs have a coefficient of restitution (COR) of .555, while professional balls have a COR of .578. The higher the COR, the livelier the ball and the farther it will travel.
Fitt went on to explain the safety differences between the two balls in an attempt to further illustrate the case. Apparently, the drag effect has no influence on exit velocity (or the speed the ball has coming off of the bat). Rather, it displays its effects the farther a ball travels. This means that player safety would not be compromised by a change to seam height. The “drag effect” is essentially the result of the forces which act on the ball as it travels through the air. And since drag is dependent on velocity, the harder the ball is hit, the greater drag it will experience.
The committee will meet on November 4 to discuss the findings. According to Fitt, if a change is made it will likely be implemented in the 2015 season, giving teams a chance to practice with the ball during fall training.