New Era: Ole Miss, Missouri Become First Collegiate Teams to Utilize ABS System, First Full-Day Results

HOOVER, Ala. — The Ole Miss Rebels and Missouri Tigers opened the SEC Tournament on Tuesday Morning with the Tigers pulling off a 16-seed over 9-seed upset with a 10-8 win, earning their first SEC Tournament win since 2017.

Despite the outcome, both sides are now ingrained in NCAA Baseball history, as the first collegiate teams to have access to and utilize the Automated Balls and Strikes System (ABS).

Outcomes

Ole Miss catcher Austin Fawley wasted no time introducing the college world to ABS, challenging a called ball in the top of the first inning, marking the first ABS challenge in NCAA history. Unfortunately for Fawley, the zone doesn’t lie, as the call was upheld, moving the count to 3-2. The at-bat would then end in a walk for the game’s first base runner.

From there on out, the Rebels did not initiate another challenge for the remainder of the game. Tigers catcher Mateo Serna, however, quickly fell in love with the system and used it very effectively. Serna had five successful challenges before his sixth of the day was finally wrong, but he got back on track, finishing the day 7/8 on his challenges.

Serna’s first challenge came in the bottom of the third on an 0-0 count, on a called ball which was overturned into a strike. He then challenged three pitches in the Rebels’ four-run fifth inning, which were all balls overturned to strikes, two in the sixth, with the first being correct, before finally losing his perfect record with a strike being confirmed against Dom Decker, who then hit a double. Serna got back on track with his final challenges of the day, coming in the seventh inning, which were both correct.

Pierre Seals, Missouri’s rightfielder, then became the first batter in college history to challenge a strike call, but like Fawley, being first ended in disappointment as the strike three call stood, becoming the second batter to be called out on strikes with ABS.

Quotes Surrounding the System

The two head coaches today, along with Missouri catcher Serno, spoke after the game about the new system.

“I’m sure there’s a lot of angst from the Southeastern Conference. I applaud them for trying to always be on the cutting edge of baseball. And to get it done and to get it running and to operate like it did in game one, I thought, was outstanding. I’m sure, like everything, there’s some things that maybe they’ll look back and can improve. I don’t know what those are.

But I thought it’s hard. I think, from the fans’ standpoint or anybody watching a game to be disappointed in the way it operated, the way the umpires and everybody facilitated everything. I thought it went well.”

Ole Miss manager Mike Bianco on the implementation of ABS

“I didn’t think much about it, honestly. I mean, Missouri had a lot of ones go their way. That was a little frustrating, but the catcher did a great job of using it. And it’s part of the game. It’s the rule, and it is what it is.”

Ole Miss centerfielder Hayden Federico when asked if he thought about innitating a challenge, and his thoughts.

“Yeah, we talked about it a little bit yesterday, kind of like how big it is, the size and when we’re going to challenge it, specifically. It was just kind of just like working with the pitchers and working with the hitters to know the zone.”

“It was fun, because when it came out in the media that we were going to have ABS we were making jokes about it until now. So it was pretty fun. Everyone was kind of waiting for the first challenge. It was pretty cool, to be honest.”

Missouri catcher Mateo Serna

“Really good because he has a great understanding of the strike zone. One of the things, he had an oblique strain this spring, so he wasn’t able to start the beginning of the season. So we had him umpire our scrimmages when we were inside, and just giving him a different perspective on what umpires are looking at, giving him the perspective on what, from a batter’s perspective — hey, when you’re in there now you get to see behind where those pitchers are starting because you don’t have to worry about making a decision on swinging or not.

Even from a catching position, you’re not worried about trying to steal the strike or frame it well or any of those types of things. I think that gave him a really good perspective. And he’s always had a really good understanding of where the strike zone is.”

Missouri manager Kerrick Jackson discussing Serna and ABS

Day One Outcomes

Game Two | Vanderbilt-Kentucky:

• 8 total: 5/8
• Vanderbilt: 3/4, 3 defensive, 1 batter
• Kentucky: 2/4, 4 defensive, 0 batters

Game Three | Tennessee-South Carolina:

• 6 Total: 1/6
• Tennessee: 0/2, 1 defensive, 1 offensive
• South Carolina: 1/4. 2 defensive, 2 offensive

Game Four: Oklahoma-LSU:

• 9 Total: 6/9
• Oklahoma: 5/7
• LSU: 1/2

Rules and Regulations

ABS implementation can be confusing, but the overall things to know are:

• Only pitchers, catchers, and the batter may initiate a challenge
• Initiation occurs when they tap the top of their hat/helmet, and it must be done within 3 seconds of the call.
• If any part of the ball is in contact with the strike zone, it is a strike- even just a pixel of the ball.
• Each team has three challenges, but you retain a challenge if you are correct.
• Each strike zone is unique to the batter’s height, but the width of the zone is the same due to the size of the plate.