Sports
Johns Hopkins students use computer vision to help Orioles build better bats
By Brennen Jensen / Published April 17, 2025 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 […]

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
DVIDS – News – Air Force Women Undefeated in Volleyball Title Defense
Air Force women defended their 1998 volleyball championship title by spiking all comers at this year’s armed forces tournament here May 2-7. The double round-robin contest posed a long, rigorous week for all the volleyball-slamming women, who were also looking for spots on the U.S. team going to the Military World Games Aug. 6- 18 […]
Air Force women defended their 1998 volleyball championship title by spiking all comers at this year’s armed forces tournament here May 2-7.
The double round-robin contest posed a long, rigorous week for all the volleyball-slamming women, who were also looking for spots on the U.S. team going to the Military World Games Aug. 6- 18 in Zagreb, Croatia. The Air Force went 6-0 to bring home the gold. The Navy placed second with 4-2, trailed by the Army, 2-4, and the Marines, 0-6.
That the Air Force went undefeated wasn’t for lack of effort from the other services. The Air Force just worked like a well- oiled machine, with precise passing, setting, spiking and blocking and strong defensive play.
“The Navy and Army teams really gave the Air Force a run for the money. Each game was tight. Hustle and good outside hitters worked well in favor of the Navy, and the Army’s team had great unity,” said Paul Prentice, base fitness center sports director. “The Marines couldn’t seem to get it together. They had a lot of good individual players, but it seemed as if they couldn’t work as a team. Their chemistry was off and it showed.”
A closing ceremony at the base officers club wrapped up the events. The six top players, four Air Force and two Army, were named the tournament all-star team and each received real gold coins.
The Air Force all-stars are 1st Lt. Billeye Juarez, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.; Capt. Jenny Block, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; and Capts. Lisa Harrington and Christine Biler, both of Los Angeles AFB, Calif. Army members are lst Lt. DeAnn Machlan of Fort Campbell, Ky., and 1st Lt. Deanna Lehn of Fort Bliss, Texas.
Some of the women now head to the U.S. team trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., July 24 through Aug. 4. Winners there will advance to the Military World Games in Croatia, sponsored by the International Military Sports Council.
Air Force players named to attend the trials are Juarez, Block and Harrington; Capt. Erin Carmichael, Vance AFB, Okla.; 1st Lt. Denise Freimuth, Randolph AFB, Texas; 2nd Lt. Tara Shambart, Holloman AFB, N.M.; and 2nd Lt. Tracey Smith, Dover AFB, Del.
Army candidates are Machlan, Lehn, and Capt. Debra Miller of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
Navy members chosen are Lt. Lauren Nilsen, Naval Hospital Cherry Point, N.C.; Lt. j.g. Karen Schullian, USS Shiloh, Calif.; Lt. j.g. Marsha Heineman, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Va.; and Ensign Stephanie Merrit, USS Tortuga, Va.
Marines making the cut are 1st Lt. Sue Bird, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C.; Lance Cpl. Nyla Johnson, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego; and Lance Cpl. Alexis Montgomery, 3rd Marine Air Wing, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.
[Karen Edge is a contract base newspaper reporter and editor at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas.]
Story by Karen Edge, Special to American Forces Press Service
Date Taken: | 05.13.1999 |
Date Posted: | 07.04.2025 00:13 |
Story ID: | 528285 |
Location: | WASHINGTON, US |
Web Views: | 2 |
Downloads: | 0 |
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Sports
Burnsville coach accused of sexually assaulting underage player
A boys volleyball coach at Burnsville High School is facing charges after being accused of sexually assaulting an underage player. Brooke Emily Reinhardt, 24, has been charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with an underage victim. According to court documents, on Tuesday, Burnsville police received a report of possible criminal sexual conduct […]

A boys volleyball coach at Burnsville High School is facing charges after being accused of sexually assaulting an underage player.
Brooke Emily Reinhardt, 24, has been charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with an underage victim.
According to court documents, on Tuesday, Burnsville police received a report of possible criminal sexual conduct involving Reinhardt and a 17-year-old player.
A witness said Reinhardt was looking after his home in Burnsville while he was out of state between June 23 and 29, and after returning, he found the victim’s wallet in his apartment.
Court records note that the victim was interviewed and said he forgot his wallet, and Reinhardt sent him a text saying that he’d forgotten it in her car. The victim stated that Reinhardt gave him a ride to practice in Maple Grove on June 28 and waited for him to finish practice before bringing him home.
The victim initially told investigators that he had not spent any time with Reinhardt aside from their sport, but authorities found texts from Reinhardt on his phone about condoms and also saying that he had “a lot of things to delete.”
According to the criminal complaint, the victim told officers that he and Reinhardt had been hanging out more often, and that the two of them began dating about two or three months before. He initially told officials that they hadn’t done more than just kissing.
When asked about the texts about condoms, the victim then said that they had sex multiple times and that Reinhardt had sent him nude pictures, court documents state.
On Wednesday, police arrested Reinhardt and in interviews, she initially said that the relationship between her and the victim was as coach and player; however, she later admitted that in May, she and the victim engaged in sexual acts in her vehicle and had sex multiple times, including at both of their houses and the witness’s apartment.
Court records note that she also admitted to sending nude pictures of herself to the victim.
Reinhardt has her next court hearing scheduled for Aug. 6.
Sports
Peter Duncan Williams – Orlando-News.com
Peter was born in Cape Town, South Africa and grew up in Rhodesia. He was a Rhodesian Olympic breaststroke swimmer, played water polo and rugby. He was a Lieutenant in the Rhodesian African Rifles during the war. Peter held many positions both in South Africa and the USA in the Sales and Marketing field. Peter […]

Peter was born in Cape Town, South Africa and grew up in Rhodesia. He was a Rhodesian Olympic breaststroke swimmer, played water polo and rugby. He was a Lieutenant in the Rhodesian African Rifles during the war. Peter held many positions both in South Africa and the USA in the Sales and Marketing field.
Peter passed away peacefully at home in Maitland, Florida on June 25, 2025 surrounded by his family after a long illness with Frontotemporal Dementia.
He is preceded in passing by his father, Derek Williams.
He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Desré, his mother, Kay Gibson, his brothers, Paul Williams (married to Carol), Glenn Williams (married to Nadia), his sister Karen Nel (married to Anthony), his children, Simon Williams (married to Megan), Lisa Williams (married to Stefan), his 8 grandchildren, Blake Burkey, Kate Burkey, Juliet Burkey, Madelyn Burkey, and Vele Burkey, Brianna Williams, Ava Williams, and Camden Williams.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to AFTD – The Association for Frontotemporal Dementia in Peter’s name https://www.theaftd.org/?campaign=488718
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Sports
Free water will be on tap for Northwest Water Carnival – Detroit Lakes Tribune
DETROIT LAKES — This year’s Northwest Water Carnival will be living up to its name, even more than usual. In full compliance with a new Minnesota state law, the Detroit Lakes Jaycees will be providing free access to drinkable water for all ticketed events during the water carnival’s 10-day run, from Friday, July 11 through […]

DETROIT LAKES
— This year’s Northwest Water Carnival will be living up to its name, even more than usual.
In full compliance with a
new Minnesota state law,
the Detroit Lakes Jaycees will be providing free access to drinkable water for all ticketed events during the water carnival’s 10-day run, from Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 20.
“We’re here to keep everyone happy and hydrated to the fullest,” says April Asleson, who is co-admiral of the 89th Northwest Water Carnival alongside Tyler Tretbar.
This means that the Jaycees will have free water on tap in large Gatorade jugs; allow guests to bring in their own bottled water (unopened); and offer bottled water for sale at a flat cost of $2 per bottle.
This will apply to all ticketed events, from the Kickoff Party on July 11 to the Bash on the Beach with Lonestar on July 19.
And on the other side of the spectrum, the Parade of the Northwest on Sunday, July 20 will be offering “no water” zones for spectators who don’t want to get wet, as well as signs for those parade participants who do not want their floats, vehicles or attire to be splashed/drenched with water from spectators. Both spectators and participants are asked to respect these restrictions — and for those who do want to get wet, the traditional “water wars” will kick off this year’s parade rather than taking place at the end.
Speaking of the parade, the traditional route is being upended this year, beginning from the staging area outside Kent Freeman Arena, proceeding east on West Lake Drive to the Pavilion, then north on Washington Avenue to Front Street. The parade will feature 150-plus entries, and is expected to continue for roughly two hours from start to finish.
More than 60 events are planned during the water carnival’s 10-day run, including traditional favorites like the Water Fights and Great Admiral’s Hat Hunt as well as a few new events like a rock-skipping contest during Family Day (July 13) and a jigsaw puzzle competition at the Pavilion (July 14).
The first night of the Bash on the Beach will also be a little different this year, with the event on Friday, July 18, catering specifically to teens, while the second night on Saturday, July 19, featuring Lonestar as the headliner, will have the traditional, adults-only format.
Pickleball, sand volleyball and bean bag tournaments; sky diving for adults and inflatable games for kids; lots of live music on tap; bingo, “Bearsbee” and more: This year’s Northwest Water Carnival is sure to make a splash. A full schedule can be found online at
dljaycees.com,
which is also where you can find ticketing and registration information for all the events.
Sports
Kuzey Tuncelli Claims Hat-Trick Of 1500 Free Titles
Kuzey Tuncelli Claims Hat-Trick Of 1500 Free Titles At European Juniors; Luka Hoek le Guenedal Sets Spanish 50 Free Record Olympic finalist Kuzey Tuncelli earned his third consecutive 1500m freestyle title with a 14:45.05 victory at the European Junior Championships in Samorin. The Turkiye swimmer set a world junior record of 14:41.89 in winning this […]

Kuzey Tuncelli Claims Hat-Trick Of 1500 Free Titles At European Juniors; Luka Hoek le Guenedal Sets Spanish 50 Free Record
Olympic finalist Kuzey Tuncelli earned his third consecutive 1500m freestyle title with a 14:45.05 victory at the European Junior Championships in Samorin.
The Turkiye swimmer set a world junior record of 14:41.89 in winning this title in Vilnius last year and lowered it to 14:41.22 in finishing fifth at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Kuzey Tuncelli: Photo Courtesy: European Aquatics
With his focus having been on his preparations for the World Championships in Singapore, and suffering the after-effects of badly bruising his foot in a training accident, the 17-year-old was in clear water as he secured his hat-trick ahead of Germany’s Johannes Liebermann who took silver in 14:53.15, with bronze going to Spain’s Cristobal Vargas Trujillo, who just held off the challenge of Romania’s Andrei-Theodor Proca, 15:11.34 to 15:11.77.
Now Tuncelli will turn his attention to the defence of his 800m freestyle title.
“Actually it’s a great feeling, coming from training I’m feeling so great about this title,” he told European Aquatics. “This means that my prospects for Singapore are looking better than I thought yesterday. It’s a great time without taper and with an injury so I hope I will be even better in Singapore. It’s so great to have this support from my team-mates and I feel so great with them here cheering for me, I couldn’t do it without them and I want to thank them so much.”
Hoek le Guenedal Sets Spanish 50 Free Record; European Junior Mark For Nowacki
Luka Hoek le Guenedal became the first Spanish man to break 22secs in the 50 free when he went 21.99 in the semis. Javier Noriega had held the national record of 22.04 for almost 16 years since the super-suited 2009 worlds. Hoek le Guenedal however sliced 0.05 from that mark to head the semis going into Friday’s final. It followed the 17-year-old’s 48.14 on the leadoff of the mixed 4×1 free relay on Wednesday, inside the national record but unlikely to be recognised as a new standard given it was a mixed lineup.
The men’s 200 breast semis featured two Championship records in as many races. Turkiye’s defending champion Doruk Yogurtcuoglu, won the first race in a personal best and Championship record of 2:10.63, bettering the mark of 2:10.69 set by Anton Chupkov, who went on to win Olympic bronze and world gold.
Filip Nowacki set a personal best of 2:10.74 in prelims but he dipped inside the 2:10 barrier in the second semi in a time of 2:09.11, a new European junior record. He became eighth all-time British performer and said: “I’m quite speechless to be honest, I wasn’t expecting that time on the board. I knew I had to go fast to make the final as the field is stacked this year.”
Denmark’s Martine Damborg won two golds in less than an hour, Damborg, who won women’s 50m backstroke silver on day two, earned the first of her titles in the 50m freestyle after Croatia’s 2024 silver medallist Jana Pavalic, whom she followed home, was disqualified.
The Croatian was credited with what would have been a personal best winning time of 24.87, but was then ruled to have moved too early at the start and the title went to the 18-year-old Danish swimmer, who had clocked 25.00. Neutral athlete Kira Manokhina and Britain’s Theodora Taylor, from lane 2, shared silver after clocking 25.12.
Damborg re-focused and re-appeared to defend her women’s 100m butterfly title, which she managed comfortably in 58.30, with silver going to Finland’s Aliisa Soini in 58.95 and Poland’s Flawia Kamzol earning bronze in 59.10.

Martine Damborg: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi/European Aquatics
Neutral athlete Mikhail Shcherbakov dominated the men’s 200IM final, winning in a personal best and Championship record of 1:59.04, bettering the mark of 1:59.17 held by three-time Olympic champion Tom Dean. Romania’s defending champion Robert-Andrei Badea, had to settle for silver on this occasion as, after narrowing Shcherbakov’s lead to 0.12 at 150m he was unable to match his rival’s final 50, finishing in 2:00.59. Bronze went to Iason Routoulas of Greece in 2:01.18.
Italy won the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay in a Championship and European junior record of 7:56.06 with 14-year-old Alessandra Mao bringing the quartet home in 1:57.53. Lithuania took silver in 8:02.15, with bronze going to Great Britain – who had women’s 400m individual medley champion Amalie Smith on the last leg – in 8:04.12.
Sports
Dodgers minors
In Dodgers minor league action, Tyler Glasnow took another step back toward the Dodgers rotation, Sean Linan had his best start for Great Lakes, and Ryan Ward continues to slug. Player of the day 20-year-old Sean Linan wasn’t on too many people’s radar coming into this season. Last year, he pitched at Low-A ball, after […]


In Dodgers minor league action, Tyler Glasnow took another step back toward the Dodgers rotation, Sean Linan had his best start for Great Lakes, and Ryan Ward continues to slug.
Player of the day
20-year-old Sean Linan wasn’t on too many people’s radar coming into this season. Last year, he pitched at Low-A ball, after a stint in the rookie League, starting four games and relieving in eleven, and had an overall ERA of 4.37 over 70 innings pitched. This year, he opened eyes when in his first 30 innings repeating Low-A ball, he had 50 strikeouts, a 0.843 WHIP, and a 1.21 ERA. Since then, he has settled into High-A ball, after being given two Triple-A starts that didn’t go that well. That continued Thursday with five scoreless innings for Great Lakes, with five strikeouts.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
The Comets pieced together three three-run innings to defeat the Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics) 9-5. Tyler Glasnow started the game for the Comets, making his third rehab appearance after getting shut down from pitching with shoulder inflammation. Glasnow threw 78 pitches (51 strikes) and lasted four and one-third innings, giving up three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight.
Ryan Ward had a big game with three hits, including a home run, a triple, three runs scored, and three RBIs. Ward now leads the Pacific Coast League in home runs (22), RBIs (71), and is hitting .303.
Double-A Tulsa
The score was tied 4-4 going into the ninth inning, but the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) surged for six runs to win their game over the Drillers, 10-6. Christian Suarez took the loss, giving up six runs (five earned), two hits, three walks, and hitting a batter, without being able to record an out. Jackson Ferris started the game for the Drillers and pitched five innings, giving up three runs, three hits, five walks, and striking out four.
High-A Great Lakes
After Linan’s five scoreless innings for the Loons, but the West Michigan Whitecaps scored a run in the eighth inning to tie the game, and walked it off with a run in the tenth, winning the game 2-1. Zyhir Hope hit his eighth homer and drove in his 50th run for the Loons’ only run.
Low-A Rancho Cucamonga
The Quakes only had three singles, but it was enough to defeat the Visalia Rawhide 4-3. Consecutive sacrifice flies by Eduardo Quintero and Jaron Elkins in the seventh inning were the difference in the game. Aidan Foeller started the game for the Quakes and pitched three scoreless innings. Quintero, who leads the California League in home runs (13), OPS (.966), runs scored (61), and is second in batting average (.309), has fallen into his first slump of the season. He is one for his last 16, and four for his last 33.
Thursday scores
Friday schedule
- Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns) at West Michigan (Hayden Minton), 4:05 PM PST
- Wichita (C.J. Culpepper) at Tulsa (Chris Campos), 4:35 PM PST
- Visalia (Junior Sanchez) at Rancho Cucamonga (Jhalbran Herder), 5:45 PM PST
- Oklahoma City (Landon Knack) at Las Vegas (Osvaldo Bido), 5:05 PM PST
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