Florida State University Athletics and Information Technology Services (ITS) Bring Pro-Caliber Tech to Dick Howser Stadium

Florida State University Athletics and FSU Information Technology Services (ITS) have completed a technological overhaul of the batting-cage facility at Dick Howser Stadium, adding high-speed cameras, analytics, replay capabilities and upgraded network infrastructure that integrate pro-caliber data and coaching tools into a unified training environment. The enclosure and HVAC improvements support real-time coaching by powering camera arrays and enabling low-latency video and analytics, facilitated by a dedicated telecommunications room, switch stack and server.

"That modification was the best upgrade to an existing footprint I have ever seen ... It's a game changer," Florida State Baseball Head Coach Link Jarrett shared at a January preseason press conference. 

The installation includes a Driveline camera system that captures high-frame-rate video of hitters to analyze swing mechanics and provide detailed motion data. This modification complements the stadium’s existing Trackman system for pitching metrics such as speed, spin and trajectory. With in-cage TVs and iPad apps, coaches can view Trackman output alongside synchronized high-speed video, pausing, scrubbing, zooming and switching angles for instant coaching and analysis. Piston, Athletics' in-house replay operation platform, consolidates multiple camera angles into a single interface, utilized by staff for both practice review and official replay during games.

“Clearly [this] will help our current pitching staff and many generations of Florida State pitchers down the road,” Jarrett shared in an interview with FSU Athletics.  

The FSU Athletics ITS team led the technical design and implementation in close partnership with contractors and vendors. ITS staff managed all aspects of this project, from contract execution and conduit placement to racking and network configuration, ensuring vendor systems were fully operational upon arrival. Justin Jacobs, the previous Assistant Athletics Director of Information Technology, credited athletics technology leaders Wes McCall and Jorge Pana, as well as the broader ITS alignment, for bringing the project to completion. He emphasized that the bulk of the work was done by FSU staff and students rather than outside consultants, saving the university money while building student skills and bolstering an internal talent pipeline. Many full-time athletics IT staff began as student employees on these projects, and this model continues to strengthen the future of athletics technology at FSU.