'Ville baseball adds game-changing Trackman technology to Cooper Park
1/15/2025 9:55:00 AM | Baseball
Millersville is the first PSAC program with Trackman
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - On April 6, 2024, Matthew Williams hit quite possibly the longest of his many tape-measure home runs--a prodigious blast that cleared the Cypress pines in Cooper Park's left field. Everyone who saw the ball leap off his bat wondered just how far it traveled before crashing down somewhere along Prince Street. But beginning in the 2025 season, there will be no more guesswork for the Marauders on home run distances, exit velocities, or pitching spin rates. Every pitch and subsequent action in the field will be measured as Millersville has become the first PSAC program to add Trackman to its home ballpark.
Over the last decade, Trackman has changed the way baseball is analyzed, scouted, and even the way the game is played. The company's equipment and generated data are an integral part of decision-making at the highest levels of baseball, installed in every professional stadium from the MLB to Korea. Trackman's equipment, coupled with TruMedia's data analysis, captures and breaks down highly valued stats on every pitch from its release until it crosses the plate. It tracks the way catchers receive and throw the ball. It gives feedback on strike zones. Exit velocity, spin rate, launch angle and heat maps are created for every hitter. Fielders' range and performance can be measured. It is a difference-making addition for Millersville. Not only is it an early Division II adopter of Trackman, but it is also the first Division II program to receive access to TruMedia. This will impact the program's scouting, player development, and recruiting.
"It gives you objective strike zone data for hitters, things like hard-hit balls, launch angles, things that we haven't had access to for games," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "It is detailed enough that we can build scouting reports for umpires and opponents. We'll have data on all our opposing pitchers. The information we will be able to pull will give us a realistic view in-game of what our hitters and pitchers can do."
Shehan has always been fascinated by objectively quantifying what he sees on the field. He developed an app called Hitting Approach that is used by collegiate programs at all levels. That app gave his hitters and pitchers deeper and more detailed insights into their own and opponents' strengths, weaknesses and tendencies. He was among the first at the Division II level to adopt AWRE video technology.
Trackman and TruMedia represent the next level. TruMedia, MLB's official analytics platform, is only utilized by around 50 collegiate programs. That puts Millersville on the cutting edge with the nation's elite programs when it comes to video, scouting reports and the ability to track and analyze the game.
"There is a lot of bias in baseball," said Shehan. "What has changed with all the data is that there is irrefutable evidence as to why some guys are successful and some aren't. At this level, we are just getting to the point where Major League Baseball was 10 years ago. It provides objectivity with player development, scouting, and recruiting, that we haven't had before."
The insights gleaned from the data will also help the coaching staff with player development. The program's new pitching coach, Eli Nabholz '19, started his coaching career at FullReps Training Center, where Millersville alum and MLB pitcher Tim Mayza '18 works out in the offseason. Nabholz uses the data to adjust mechanics and maximize players' strengths. The details provided are as specific as the baseball's revolutions and the depth of the ball's downward sink and side run. All of these are factors in making pitchers less hittable. Pitching is far more nuanced than the readout of a radar gun.
"From a pitching aspect, a guy who we know throws the ball hard but gets hit around too much, this will accurately show us how his pitches move, and we can make little changes to his breaking ball or fastball," said Nabholz. "It gives us a clear picture as to why someone is good. It takes the guesswork out of things: release point data, arm angle. "It paints a more accurate picture and takes questions out of what we are seeing."
"This will fill in the gaps for us and help us in recruiting, help us find the nuances, and that gives us an advantage over programs that don't have the technology," said Shehan.
The staff won't only be able to use Trackman for its team but also the more than 150 high school and travel ball games played at Cooper Park each year. Nearby Penn Manor High School is playing the majority of their home games at The Coop in 2025, giving Millersville data on most of the pitchers and hitters in the Lancaster-Lebanon League--a productive pipeline of talent for the Marauders. The technology doesn't take the place of good, old fashion scouting, but Trackman may help the staff find players who are productive but don't pass the eye test.
"It's not necessarily about finding high-velocity guys with high spin," said Shehan. "It's finding guys that aren't the norm--low-spin change-up or sinker guys, arm-angles and release points that aren't the norm."
This may also help give Millersville's players exposure to professional teams. Because the data from Trackman is passed through TruMedia, all MLB organizations have access to it. While players like Mayza and Chas McCormick '17 went on to successful careers in the Majors and 11 of Shehan's players have played for affiliated minor league teams, there is skepticism among scouting departments when it comes to Division II hitters. Of the 11 Marauders drafted or signed as free agents, only three have been position players. How hard a pitcher throws is easy to know, and it is easily translatable. Discerning that a hitter, competing against what scouts consider a lower level of competition, can also be productive against professional pitchers is subjective, and that's prevented Millersville stars from getting their chance in the pro ranks. But with Trackman, there is cold, hard data to support player productivity.
"(Trackman) helps hitters be seen," said Shehan. "The ability to prove to analytics teams prior to the draft that our guys are just as good as these Power 4 players has been a real challenge. We can show them our Hitting Approach data, that a hitter has a really low swing-and-miss rate on fastballs over 90, but it is still subjective data to them because it isn't Trackman data. Now we can prove that guys like Bren Taylor don't miss fastballs over 90 in the strike zone."
Millersville enters 2025 with 11 consecutive NCAA Regional appearances—the longest active streak in the region. The 2025 season is momentous for the program, not just because of the addition of Trackman, but also with the unveiling of lights at Cooper Park. The team plays the first home night game in program history on Saturday, April 5 against Bloomsburg and closes the regular season with an afternoon/evening doubleheader against East Stroudsburg on May 2. Millersville also plays host to the PSAC Tournament from May 7-10.
Over the last decade, Trackman has changed the way baseball is analyzed, scouted, and even the way the game is played. The company's equipment and generated data are an integral part of decision-making at the highest levels of baseball, installed in every professional stadium from the MLB to Korea. Trackman's equipment, coupled with TruMedia's data analysis, captures and breaks down highly valued stats on every pitch from its release until it crosses the plate. It tracks the way catchers receive and throw the ball. It gives feedback on strike zones. Exit velocity, spin rate, launch angle and heat maps are created for every hitter. Fielders' range and performance can be measured. It is a difference-making addition for Millersville. Not only is it an early Division II adopter of Trackman, but it is also the first Division II program to receive access to TruMedia. This will impact the program's scouting, player development, and recruiting.
"It gives you objective strike zone data for hitters, things like hard-hit balls, launch angles, things that we haven't had access to for games," said Millersville head coach Jon Shehan. "It is detailed enough that we can build scouting reports for umpires and opponents. We'll have data on all our opposing pitchers. The information we will be able to pull will give us a realistic view in-game of what our hitters and pitchers can do."
Shehan has always been fascinated by objectively quantifying what he sees on the field. He developed an app called Hitting Approach that is used by collegiate programs at all levels. That app gave his hitters and pitchers deeper and more detailed insights into their own and opponents' strengths, weaknesses and tendencies. He was among the first at the Division II level to adopt AWRE video technology.
Trackman and TruMedia represent the next level. TruMedia, MLB's official analytics platform, is only utilized by around 50 collegiate programs. That puts Millersville on the cutting edge with the nation's elite programs when it comes to video, scouting reports and the ability to track and analyze the game.
"There is a lot of bias in baseball," said Shehan. "What has changed with all the data is that there is irrefutable evidence as to why some guys are successful and some aren't. At this level, we are just getting to the point where Major League Baseball was 10 years ago. It provides objectivity with player development, scouting, and recruiting, that we haven't had before."
The insights gleaned from the data will also help the coaching staff with player development. The program's new pitching coach, Eli Nabholz '19, started his coaching career at FullReps Training Center, where Millersville alum and MLB pitcher Tim Mayza '18 works out in the offseason. Nabholz uses the data to adjust mechanics and maximize players' strengths. The details provided are as specific as the baseball's revolutions and the depth of the ball's downward sink and side run. All of these are factors in making pitchers less hittable. Pitching is far more nuanced than the readout of a radar gun.
"From a pitching aspect, a guy who we know throws the ball hard but gets hit around too much, this will accurately show us how his pitches move, and we can make little changes to his breaking ball or fastball," said Nabholz. "It gives us a clear picture as to why someone is good. It takes the guesswork out of things: release point data, arm angle. "It paints a more accurate picture and takes questions out of what we are seeing."
"This will fill in the gaps for us and help us in recruiting, help us find the nuances, and that gives us an advantage over programs that don't have the technology," said Shehan.
The staff won't only be able to use Trackman for its team but also the more than 150 high school and travel ball games played at Cooper Park each year. Nearby Penn Manor High School is playing the majority of their home games at The Coop in 2025, giving Millersville data on most of the pitchers and hitters in the Lancaster-Lebanon League--a productive pipeline of talent for the Marauders. The technology doesn't take the place of good, old fashion scouting, but Trackman may help the staff find players who are productive but don't pass the eye test.
"It's not necessarily about finding high-velocity guys with high spin," said Shehan. "It's finding guys that aren't the norm--low-spin change-up or sinker guys, arm-angles and release points that aren't the norm."
This may also help give Millersville's players exposure to professional teams. Because the data from Trackman is passed through TruMedia, all MLB organizations have access to it. While players like Mayza and Chas McCormick '17 went on to successful careers in the Majors and 11 of Shehan's players have played for affiliated minor league teams, there is skepticism among scouting departments when it comes to Division II hitters. Of the 11 Marauders drafted or signed as free agents, only three have been position players. How hard a pitcher throws is easy to know, and it is easily translatable. Discerning that a hitter, competing against what scouts consider a lower level of competition, can also be productive against professional pitchers is subjective, and that's prevented Millersville stars from getting their chance in the pro ranks. But with Trackman, there is cold, hard data to support player productivity.
"(Trackman) helps hitters be seen," said Shehan. "The ability to prove to analytics teams prior to the draft that our guys are just as good as these Power 4 players has been a real challenge. We can show them our Hitting Approach data, that a hitter has a really low swing-and-miss rate on fastballs over 90, but it is still subjective data to them because it isn't Trackman data. Now we can prove that guys like Bren Taylor don't miss fastballs over 90 in the strike zone."
Millersville enters 2025 with 11 consecutive NCAA Regional appearances—the longest active streak in the region. The 2025 season is momentous for the program, not just because of the addition of Trackman, but also with the unveiling of lights at Cooper Park. The team plays the first home night game in program history on Saturday, April 5 against Bloomsburg and closes the regular season with an afternoon/evening doubleheader against East Stroudsburg on May 2. Millersville also plays host to the PSAC Tournament from May 7-10.
Players Mentioned
Highlights: Millersville Baseball vs. Shepherd DH (March 28, 2026)
Saturday, March 28
Highlights: Millersville Baseball vs. East Stroudsburg (March 20, 2026)
Friday, March 20
Highlights: Baseball v Pitt-Johnstown DH March 15, 2026
Sunday, March 15
Highlights: Baseball vs UPJ
Saturday, March 14
