MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An offseason addition has Tigers baseball looking up.
The team is embracing new technology, adding special cameras in the batting cages and on the playing field.
The lenses churn out a dizzying array of data on monitors in real time, turning every swing of the bat, every pitch and every rotation of a baseball into hard numbers.
"It kind of just quantifies things and just expedites the process of just developing as players," super senior infielder Ben Brooks said. "I think sometimes we try things, they don't work and we don't understand why. Sometimes they do work and we don't know why. So the numbers kind of just give us that evidence."
"It really helps a lot with pitch development," left-handed pitcher Dalton Kendrick said. "Being able to really narrow down what your problems are and not just going up there hoping you fixed something."
Head coach Daron Schoenrock says having concrete figures has helped bring a competitive culture geared towards improvement.
"Measurement equals motivation," Schoenrock said. "So if you can measure something, it motivates them to strive for bigger numbers."
Spearheading this new strategy is former Tigers outfielder Logan Carey. After a back injury cut his playing career short, Carey stayed on as a team manager, giving him a chance to dive into advanced metrics.
"That's kind of when I started reading into everything," Carey said. "Looking into it. I kind of realized that's something I'm really interested in, and something that we can take and begin to help our guys with."
"I knew that once I was done playing, that I wanted to continue to be around the game. Right away, I found a path that can continue to lead me into this game while helping players grow and have an impact on them as people as well."
Brooks was Carey's roommate when his playing career came to end.
"I know it was a struggle for him to have his career taken away in an instant," Brooks said. "But to see the rebound he's had in the coaching world and see the impact he's had on us. It's awesome. He's here for us."
Logan was forced to adjust. Now he is helping the entire Tigers program pivot towards the future.