Sports
Johns Hopkins students use computer vision to help Orioles build better bats
On the opening weekend of the 2025 Major League Baseball season last month, the New York Yankees turned heads by hitting a record-setting nine home runs in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. The first three pitches thrown to Yankees batters were all promptly deposited over the outfield wall.
Of particular interest to the baseball community was the science behind the slugging. Some Yankees hitters are using what are known as torpedo bats, a bat that is slightly tapered at the end with the thickest part of the bat at the barrel, where the hitter typically makes contact with the ball. Also known as “bowling pin bats,” the bats—designed for the Yankees by an MIT-educated physicist—are meant to maximize speed and power through the hitting zone. Players on least nine other MLB teams have since started using torpedo bats, looking for even the slightest edge in a game that is increasingly informed by data and analysis.
Video credit: Aubrey Morse / Johns Hopkins University
Where might science-fueled bat design go next? Thanks to the contributions of a pair of Johns Hopkins students, the Yankees’ American League East rival Baltimore Orioles might be the team to ask. Last year, as part of the process of potentially creating new bat designs of their own, the Orioles asked the Hopkins students to develop a high-tech solution to the laborious process of measuring hundreds if not thousands of team bats. And the pair delivered. Kevin Wu, in the third year of a combined bachelor’s and master’s program in computer science, and Xiaojian (Jason) Sun, a robotics graduate student, created an AI-powered computer vision system that can turn a photo of a bat into an exacting set of measurements in minutes.
The project falls under the umbrella of the 10-year-old Johns Hopkins University Sports Analytics Research Group at the university’s Whiting School of Engineering, where student-driven projects bring cutting-edge analytics and data science methodologies to the world of sports. They will present their project on April 29 at the Whiting School’s Design Day, an annual event showcasing students’ innovation and ability to translate theoretical knowledge into real-world solutions.
“Subtle differences in handle diameter and contour can affect a batter’s comfort, control, and confidence at the plate,” the student researchers wrote in a project description. “For professional players who are closely attached to their bats, even minor variations in the handle can significantly influence performance. That’s why analyzing the full profile of a bat, from knob to barrel, is essential.”
“The Baltimore Orioles are clearly looking ahead by sponsoring a project like this well before the torpedo bats showed up. So I’m sure they’re cooking up something good on their own.”
Traditionally, if you wanted a precise profile of a bat, you manually made numerous measurements using calipers and other hand tools, a process little changed since Babe Ruth’s heyday a century ago.
“It’s a tedious task that takes a lot of time, and if you were just measuring bats all day, you’d probably have many errors,” Sun says.
To show off their computerized solution, Wu and Sun recently demoed their system in an empty Malone Hall classroom. A bat to be measured is suspended by fishing line in front of a matte LCD screen projecting an even green color (not unlike the green screen technique used in TV and film). Once they can capture a clear, shadow-free image, they snap a photo with an iPhone and feed the image into their program, which utilizes computer vision—a field of artificial intelligence that enables computers to interpret and process visual information. Using such image processing techniques allows them to extract and calculate the diameter at precise one-inch intervals along the bat’s entire length. Most MLB players use bats that are 32-34 inches in length.
The goal, the students say, is to allow the Orioles to make better, data-driven decisions and tailor bats more effectively to players’ needs while staying in compliance with league regulations governing the size of bats.
A team of Hopkins students that first attempted this project a few years ago achieved 80% accuracy in their resulting measurements. The Orioles had asked for 99.7% accuracy; the technique developed by Wu and Sun achieved 99.8% accuracy.
“Kevin and Jason did great work,” says Orioles assistant general manager Sig Mejdal, a former NASA engineer who oversees the team’s analytics operations. “They solved a problem that others had failed at. Their computer vision work has streamlined the measurements of bats for us.”
Image caption: Johns Hopkins engineering students Xiaojian (Jason) Sun (left) and Kevin Wu created an AI-powered computer vision system that can turn a photo of a bat into an exacting set of measurements in minutes.
Image credit: Will Kirk / Johns Hopkins University
As part of their work, Wu and Sun made numerous trips to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, where the Orioles are now setting up a dedicated room to deploy their bat measurement system.
“The Baltimore Orioles are clearly looking ahead by sponsoring a project like this well before the torpedo bats showed up,” Wu says. “So I’m sure they’re cooking up something good on their own.”
Both students feel this type of real-world, hands-on project was an invaluable addition to their classroom work. And the system they developed can be used to measure objects beside bats, opening it up to applications beyond the ballpark.
Wu goes so far to say the project has changed him in another significant way. “I’m from Boston and grew up watching the Red Sox,” he says. “But I’m so thankful for the opportunity that the Orioles have given me. I would have to say my baseball allegiance is going to them now.”
Sports
#11 Creighton Volleyball Outlasts Northern Colorado to Advance to Second Round of NCAA Tournament
Courtesy of Rob Anderson, Creighton Athletics
OMAHA, Neb. — No. 11 Creighton Volleyball was pushed to the brink but survived to win its 21st straight match on Thursday evening, opening up NCAA Tournament play with a 3-2 victory over Northern Colorado. Scores of the Bluejay triumph were 25-12, 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-8.
Creighton earns itself a Second Round match-up against Northern Iowa (26-5) after the sixth-seeded Panthers finished off their first reverse sweep in the NCAA Tournament since 2022 with a 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10 win over Utah. Creighton defeated the Panthers at D.J. Sokol Arena on Sept. 14 to close out play at the Bluejay Invitational.
Five women had multiple kills in the first set as Creighton powered past Northern Colorado, led by six kills from Ava Martin. Martin also had a pair of aces late in the set to solidify CU’s 25-12 victory. The Jays hit .438 and had 17 kills to UNC’s six kills on .000 hitting and never trailed in the frame.
UNC snapped Creighton’s 17-set win streak with a 25-23 victory in the second set, which featured nine ties and five lead changes. Isabel Bennett had go-ahead kills to make it 23-22 and 24-23 and Alayna Tessena put down the winner on set point. Northern Colorado had 15 kills and 18 digs in the second set and held the Bluejays to 11 kills and .200 hitting. Martin had seven kills for CU in the second set, while Sydney Breissinger added six digs.
The Bears won the first three points of the third set and moved in front 8-4 to force an early timeout from CU head coach Brian Rosen. The stoppage did little to improve the fortunes for the hosts, who called another timeout six points later after falling behind 12-6 to the Big Sky Tournament champions. The second timeout did the trick, as the Bluejays countered with an 8-2 burst to even the score at 14-all. Northern Colorado settled down, never surrendering the lead, and led 23-20 before one last push from the hosts. Martin pounded her 18th kill of the night, and Nora Wurtz followed with her 56th ace of the fall to cut CU’s deficit to 23-22 and lead UNC coach Lydnsey Oates to call timeout. Martin slammed a cross-court kill to tie the score at 23-all, but UNC answered with a Zoe Gibbs kill for a set point opportunity. The Bears won the set on a Bluejay attack error, 25-23.
The Bluejays got off to a 6-2 lead in the fourth set thanks in part to three early UNC hitting errors, then extended the advantage to 14-6. The Jays won the set 25-17, with freshman Abbey Hayes stepping up with a team-best four kills. CU had 4.5 blocks in the set, including one of set point from Reinhardt and Martin.
Creighton got off to a quick start in the fifth frame, scoring the first three points on two Martin kills and a UNC attack error. CU led 8-3 at the changeover
Martin was dominant with 30 kills on 65 swings, while Jaya Johnson finished with 12 kills. Reinhardt rounded out the Bluejays in double figure kills with 10. Annalea Maeder closed the match with a double-double, delivering 53 assists and 20 digs.
Tessena led Northern Colorado with 14 kills, while Brynn Reines finished with 11 kills
First serve of tomorrow’s Second Round match is at 6:30 p.m.
NOTES: Creighton improved to 18-14 all-time in 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 12-3 mark in the First Round … Creighton has won 21 straight matches, its third-longest streak in program history … Creighton is now 8-4 in home matches in the NCAA Tournament, including five straight victories … Creighton has won its last 11 home matches this fall … Creighton is now 4-1 all-time against Northern Colorado … Creighton has won 68 straight matches over unranked foes and 56 non-televised matches in a row … Ava Martinmoved into third place in CU history in career service aces with 126 … Ava Martinhad her 25th straight match with 10 or more kills and 108th in a row with five or more kills … Ava Martin had her 13th career match with 20+ kills, and seventh this season.
LYNCHBURG – Propelled by a pair of personal-best performances in the weight throw, the Elon University women’s track and field team opened its indoor season Thursday at the Liberty Kickoff inside the Liberty Indoor Complex.
In the women’s weight throw, the Phoenix placed two athletes inside the top four. Adriana Clarke claimed runner-up honors with a personal-best toss of 18.14m, moving into third on Elon’s all-time performance list. Isabella Johnson finished third overall at 17.33m, also marking a new PR for the sophomore.
Elon also featured three competitors in the pentathlon. Senior Lizzie Lopez was the top Phoenix finisher, placing seventh with 3,510 points. She highlighted the event by tying for first in the high jump with a clearance of 1.65m. Freshman Greta Urbonaviciute debuted with a tenth-place finish and 3,309 points, landing inside the program’s top-10 performance list. Classmate Carolina Frada scored 2,832 points to place 11th in her first collegiate pentathlon.
ON DECK
Elon continues action at the Liberty Kickoff on Friday, beginning with the women’s 5,000-meter run at 10 a.m.
— ELON —
SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference officially announced its Volleyball All-Academic team for the 2025 season on Thursday afternoon.
For San Francisco, Crystal Galaviz, Jamie Low, Shannon Knight, Astrid Puig, and Abby Wadas earned WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention honors.
At the conclusion of each athletic season, the West Coast Conference selects an all-academic squad for each conference-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team and in at least their second year at their school.
The full 2025 West Coast Conference Volleyball All-Academic Team can be viewed below:
2025 WEST COAST CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Name | School | Class | GPA | Major |
| Genevieve Bane | Saint Mary’s | Gr. | 3.70 | Busiiness Administration |
| Olivia Bennett | San Diego | Sr. | 3.54 | Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Lucie Blazkova | Washington State | So. | 3.92 | Psychology |
| Maddie Boerstra | LMU | Gr. | 3.82 | Sociology |
| Nevaeh Bray | Portland | Gr. | 4.00 | Sports Business |
| Lucia Busso | Portland | Sr. | 4.00 | Marketing |
| Alyson Cox | Pacific | So. | 4.00 | Computer Science |
| Alyssa Eimer | Santa Clara | Sr. | 3.94 | Marketing |
| Grace Flanagan | Santa Clara | Jr. | 4.00 | Studio Art |
| Kate Herrick | Gonzaga | So. | 3.91 | Biology |
| Emma McMahon | Pepperdine | Sr. | 3.83 | Psychology |
| Chloe Pravednikov | Pepperdine | So. | 3.63 | Pre-Business Administration |
| Maui Robins | Portland | Sr. | 4.00 | Marketing |
| Lauren Rumel | Oregon State | Sr. | 3.91 | Speech Communication |
| Cate Shanahan | Santa Clara | Jr. | 3.83 | English |
| Lexi Trapani | Santa Clara | Jr. | 3.88 | Business |
For more information and updates on the University of San Francisco volleyball program, follow the Dons on Twitter @USFDonsVB, @USFDonsVB on Instagram, and @USFDonsVball on Facebook.
The Aggies ensured their third-straight tournament berth under the leadership of head coach Jamie Morrison, concluding the regular season and SEC Tournament with a 23-4 record. Their performance throughout the year earned them the highest AVCA ranking in program history of No. 6 and their first NCAA Tournament hosting opportunity since 2019.
Shining at home this season, the Maroon & White boast a 9-1 ledger at Reed Arena with its lone loss coming against then-No. 3 Kentucky (3-1). The 12th Man has been a force all year, as they helped break the program attendance record standing 9,801 strong versus Texas as well as accounting for another five top 10 attendances during the 2025 campaign.
Texas A&M’s depth of talent has been evident throughout the year and was rewarded during the SEC’s postseason honors, as a conference-high four Aggies were named to the All-SEC First Team including Logan Lednicky, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Maddie Waak and Kyndal Stowers. The honors didn’t stop there as Lednicky was named an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist, while the group accounted for 24 total accolades throughout the season.
The Matchups
Texas A&M enters its third NCAA Tournament with coach Morrison at the helm of the program, coming off a sweet 16 run during the 2024 season. The Maroon & White played the role of the hunter last season, downing No. 3 seed Arizona State in on their home court in the second round and came up just short in a five-set thriller against No. 2 seed Wisconsin.
The Aggies earned their highest seed since 2015 at No. 3 and welcome Campbell, TCU and SFA to Aggieland. They open their campaign versus the Camels who hold a 23-6 ledger and earned their second ever NCAA Tournament bid after winning the CAA Championship title in a five-set battle with Hofstra.
Friday’s meeting will be the first all-time between Texas A&M and Campbell. The Camels hold a strong 8-3 record when playing on the road but will come against the 12th Man and the Maroon & White’s 9-1 ledger in Reed Arena. On the stat sheet the Aggies hold the advantage in five of the seven team statical categories leading Campbell in kills per set, assists per set, hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage and blocks per set, while the Camels have the upper hand in aces per set and digs per set.
Tracks and Trends
Logan Lednicky sits nine kills away from climbing to fourth in career kills at Texas A&M, she would pass three-time Olympian Stacy Sykora who has 1,586 kills.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla has 159 blocks on the year and is three away from breaking her single season best of 161 and six from recording the most in a season since 1999 (165).
Streaming & Stats
Fans can watch the match on the ESPN+ and follow stats on 12thman.com.
Tickets
Fans can purchase their tickets to the opening round matches through 12thman.com/ncaatickets.
Students will be granted free admission to tomorrow’s game if they show their student ID’s at the north entry of Reed Arena.
Parking
Make plans to arrive early and exhibit patience for the expected traffic and parking congestion around Reed Arena. Multiple parking options are available for fans:
- General parking is available around the arena on gameday for $5 – cash AND card payments accepted.
- Fans with a valid TAMU parking pass can park for FREE in lots surrounding the arena. Make sure to have your pass barcode ready to show the lot attendant.
Follow the Aggies
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
@#3 Wisconsin 3, Eastern Illinois 0
#3 WISCONSIN 3, EASTERN ILLINOIS 0
EIU dropped both sets one and two, struggling to find a rhythm early on. The Panthers trailed early in both of the first two sets right out of the gate and were unable to provide resistance. In set one, the Badgers hit 0.48% and 0.542% in set two. For the match, Wisconsin hit 0.435. EIU struggled connecting offensively, hitting 0% in set one and 0.022 overall. After the first two sets concluded, the Panthers looked for a spark, and Tori Mohesky answered the call with fireworks right from the jump. Mohesky earned a service ace to calm the Badgers crowd. EIU returned back-to-back points to hold their largest lead, fueled by Destiny Walker and a Wisconsin attack error. Shortly after, EIU trailed 15-9 heading into the media timeout. After the break in the action, both teams went back and forth trading points. Wisconsin reached set point 24-15. However, the Panthers found life and roared back into the match, scoring four straight unanswered points charged by a Katie Kopshever service ace and two blocks by Emma Schroeder and Sylvia Hasz. Unfortunately, the Badgers closed out the set 25-19.
By The Numbers: EIU records their third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. Destiny Walker led the way offensively with 6 kills and 1 service ace. Sylvia Hasz collected 16 assists and 3 block assists. Defensively, Ariadne Pereles recorded 8 digs, while Emma Schroeder produced 5 block assists. Lilli Amettis and Katie Kopshever each collected a block assist.
The Panthers’ historic season comes to a close, finishing with a 24-8 (15-3 OVC) record. After being picked to finish 8th in the OVC preseason poll, EIU stormed through conference play, securing their second OVC title in three years. EIU also collected their fourth regular season title in the program’s history. The Panthers made their third NCAA Tournament appearance.
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